Overview
PARADISE AIR is an artist-in-residence program located in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, conveniently close to yet comfortably removed from the bustle of central Tokyo.
At present, our activities revolve around two programs: the SHORTSTAY Program, open not just to artists but to curators and researchers too and the LEARN Program, which connects artists with the city, encouraging different kinds of learning and interaction.

One Stay, One Art
Situated along the old Mito Road, Matsudo thrived during the Edo Period (1603–1868) as one of the route’s “post towns”– stop-off points punctuating major roads – where travelers would stay on their journey between Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Mito. Countless travelers came and went past where Matsudo station stands today, including artists – poets, painters, calligraphers and the like – who would sometimes leave pieces of their own art as payment for lodging. Some of these works can still be found today, preserved in local residents’ homes. In the spirit of this Matsudo tradition, PARADISE AIR operates under the concept of “One Stay, One Art,” and is accumulating its own history as a cultural and artistic transit point where visitors, both from Japan and overseas, can stop off along their artistic journeys.

Our goal is to update and add new layers to Matsudo’s culture by letting our artists stretch their wings across the whole city, working in concert with the local residents.