Broadcasting Unique Art Created on the Stage of Kita-Karuizawa's Magnificent Nature: Asama Kuzanbo Launches Its First Artist-in-Residence

Asama Kuzanbo Club LLC (Headquarters: Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture), which operates the exclusive villa resort 'Asama Kuzanbo', launched the 'Artist-in-Residence Program (Supported by Kita-Karuizawa Tourist Association)' in November 2025. This program is an initiative aimed at becoming a 'sanctuary of creativity' where inspiration drawn from the magnificent nature of Kita-Karuizawa is sublimated into art. For the inaugural iteration, we have selected Yugo Korogi, a painter active both domestically and internationally. Starting with this program, Asama Kuzanbo will continue to provide a creative base for artists and broadcast new culture born in Kita-Karuizawa. ## Aiming to be a "Sanctuary of Creativity" where Nature and Art Melt Together, Bringing New Expressions from Kita-Karuizawa **** Kita-Karuizawa and Karuizawa are areas where culture and nature resonate, dotted with many museums and serving as a base for artists and creators. Under the supervision of world-renowned designer Junko Koshino, our facility also incorporates many artistic elements into the villa design and spatial composition. Based on this cultural background of the land, we propose a new stay experience where nature and art intersect through this program. **** We received applications from a diverse range of artists, including illustrators, sculptors, and installation artists, who applied between November and December 2025. Yugo Korogi, selected this time, is an artist with extensive experience, having participated in artist-in-residence programs abroad in countries like Spain and Bulgaria, having his work housed in the "Takahashi Ryutaro Collection," one of Japan's premier contemporary art collections, and serving as an instructor at the Tokyo University of the Arts. His personal desire to "place myself in nature and challenge landscape painting" resonated with Asama Kuzanbo's vision, leading to the decision for his participation. **** Mr. Korogi, who creates at various bases both domestically and internationally, including his hometown of Kumamoto Prefecture, directs his gaze toward light and the ambiguity of visual perception, pouring his interest into the very act of "seeing." His unique brushstrokes, where the figurative and abstract resonate, have fascinated many people. He will stay for about a month from April to May 2026, using Asama Kuzanbo's Deluxe Suite "Cassiopeia" as his atelier to conduct his creative activities.