I had always wanted to stay at James Turrell’s House of Light. I also wanted to see Boltanski’s work, and that famously photogenic tunnel at Kiyotsu Gorge. So on an art trip around Echigo-Tsumari, my long-awaited stay finally came true. And thanks to a last-minute cancellation by another group, the house unexpectedly became a private hire for the night! Deep in the quiet mountains, it turned into a night of facing nothing but light and sky. As always, it was the best.
What Is the House of Light?
The House of Light is an overnight-stay artwork by the light artist James Turrell. Inspired by Junichiro Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows, it fuses Turrell’s light works with a traditional Japanese house, a guesthouse like no other in the world.
The roof of the tatami room “Outside In” slides open, revealing a square of sky in the ceiling. There is no glass or any other covering. Daytime visits are possible, but the light programs at sunset and sunrise are for overnight guests only.
After checking in, a staff member explains everything: the bath, the kitchen, the keys, and even how to open and close the roof! If it starts to rain or snow, you must close the roof or the tatami will get soaked… no pressure at all!
Watching the Light Program, Lying on the Tatami
At sunset, I lay down on the tatami and gazed up at the sky in the ceiling. The indirect lighting shifts color little by little… or so it should feel. But to be honest, in the moment there wasn’t much of a “what a beautiful color!” reaction to any particular shade. Rather than the colors themselves, my attention kept being pulled toward the interplay from the light to the changing sky. I simply surrendered myself to the flow of light.
Here’s the interesting part. Later, scrolling back through my camera roll: blue, purple, green, red… had the colors really changed this much?! The shifts I couldn’t perceive in the moment appeared vividly in the photos. A truly curious way of experiencing an artwork.
“Light Bath”: in which Your Body Glows
I also tried the bath, lit by optical fibers. Since I got in on a pitch-dark night, my body seemed to glow faintly in the water. Rather than a soak to melt away tiredness, I was far too fascinated the whole time. Mysterious, beautiful, and great fun, though I’m fairly sure it did nothing for my fatigue at all.
Stars, Insects, and an Unexpected Refusal of Turrell
At night, I opened the roof to a sky full of stars. It was beautiful. The darkness of the night itself was beautiful too. But this is deep in the mountains, so plenty of insects came in as well. The battle from stargazing to bug-chasing: that, too, is part of the House of Light.
Then came the morning. I had wanted to watch the sunrise light program too, but sunrise that day was around five o’clock. Far too sleepy to get up, and finding the first glow of the lights too bright, I committed the outrage of pulling the futon over my head. An unexpected refusal of Turrell.
When I properly woke up, I realized how silly I had been and had to laugh at myself.
What Staying Taught Me About Life at the House of Light
Meals are self-catered. You pick things up at a nearby convenience store. That said, the kitchen is fully stocked with plates and cooking utensils, so you could cook just about anything if you wanted to. I just grabbed something simple from the convenience store, mind you. Rubbish goes in the bins outside, properly sorted.
Staying inside an artwork, with nothing in particular to do. That was the greatest luxury of all.
Final Thoughts
Somehow, the colors only ever surprise me afterward. Sky, light, insects: a quiet night. If I ever stay again, next time I will watch the sunrise program… I will!
