[Aomori Prefecture] The station [ART STASION] is surrounded by the world of artist GOMA, and the gap between it and the exterior is amazing!

May 2020 (Reiwa 2).
While the world is at the mercy of the coronavirus, art by artist GOMA was being painted inside Inakadate Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line.

In this article, we will introduce ART STATION, a station that was suddenly turned into art by artist GOMA in 2020. 

Konan Railway Konan Line

The Konan Railway Konan Line is the northernmost electrified private railway line in Honshu.
Inakadate Station is one of the stations on the Konan Line.
The Konan Line runs from Hirosaki Station in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture to Kuroishi Station in Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture, and is nicknamed the ``Tanbo Railway.''
The two-car local train runs through endless rice fields, and you can see Mt. Iwaki spreading out in the distance.
The line has a distance of 16.8km (13 stations) and is used by an average of 5,549 passengers per day (as per the National Land Numerical Information Download Service released by the Ministry of National Highways, Transport and Tourism on July 25, 2022), and is often used by students and the elderly.

History of vehicles running on the Konan Railway Konan Line

The vehicle currently in use is a silver one-man train 7000 series, which is Japan's first all-stainless steel train.
The 7000 series that runs on the Konan Line is a vehicle that entered the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, which was opened just before the 1964 Japan Olympics. I'm on line.
It used to be a train that ran in Tokyo.

The Konan Line opened in 1927 (Showa 2), and at the time, steam locomotives pulled passenger freight cars.
Electrification was completed in 1948 (Showa 23), and steam locomotives were replaced by electric locomotives, and "trains" entered the line at the end of 1949 (Showa 24).
Freight operations were carried out at stations such as Tsugaru Onoe Station and Hiraga Station, and apples and rice were transported to various places via the Ou Main Line.
Therefore, agricultural warehouses were located near the station.
Agricultural warehouses still remain around Inakadate Station.

Due to the rationalization of Japanese National Railways, freight operations on the Konan Railway Konan Line were abolished.

Inakadate Station

Inakadate Station will be visible on the right side as you head towards Kuroishi on Prefectural Route 268, which faces the Inakadate Village Office.
Inakadate Station opened in 1950 (Showa 25).
The station building was built over 70 years ago and is an unmanned station with a retro Showa era exterior.
When the railway was opened, some people said, ``If we build a station in the center of the village, it's not a good idea because young people will go to town to have fun,'' so the station was built at its current location, a little far from the center.

At that time, there was a snack cafe called ``Kakurenbo'' inside the station building, which used the station office.
However, it is now out of business and the unisex flush toilets have also been removed.

Next to Inakadate Station is Tanbo Art Station.
Tanbo Art is held from June to October, and a free shuttle bus runs from Tanbo Art Station to the venue.

What is the artist GOMA?

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Do you know the artist GOMA?
Artist GOMA was born in 1985 (Showa 60), originally from Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture (formerly Soma Village), and currently lives in Hirakawa City. He is an artist who uses oil-based pens to draw without sketching.
Artist GOMA has two developmental disabilities.
One is ADHD, a brain dysfunction disorder characterized by difficulty concentrating and being unable to sit still.
The other type is dyslexia, a learning disability that prevents people from reading.
It is said that people with dyslexia see letters in different ways, but GOMA seems to be able to see letters broken down.
Although it is possible to read the letters while tracing them with your finger, it becomes difficult to read them if you move a little further away.

GOMA was diagnosed with a developmental disorder when she was in elementary school.
When he was a teenager, due to two developmental disorders, he was not accepted by those around him and suffered greatly, to the point where he lost the meaning of life.
One day, GOMA started drawing pictures.
It's like an imaginary city in your head.
When GOMA drew, she felt calmer, and he just kept drawing.

After graduating from a local junior college, GOMA worked as a childcare worker for three years.
Although GOMA likes working with children, she had a strong desire to study painting, and in 2010, she entered Akita Public Junior College of Arts and Crafts.
Early on after entering the university, I started getting more and more painting jobs, and in 2011 I received an offer from Miami, USA, and moved to the United States.
After returning to Japan, he was flooded with requests for his work, and established a live art style in which he could draw one panel in 20 minutes.

In 2012 (Heisei 24), the year he graduated from Akita Public Junior College of Arts, he appeared at the JAPAN EXPO held in Paris, France, and became popular with the locals.
They were supposed to perform with spray art, but due to an accident such as the booth not being set up, they suddenly had to perform live art using oil-based pens.
During this period, he expanded the range of his activities as an artist who draws with oil-based pens, and is currently active both domestically and internationally.

Artist GOMA x Inakadate Station

In 2019, GOMA wanted to encourage local people during the coronavirus pandemic, so they approached a former employee of the local Konan Railway about wanting to paint art on the station building.
The project began at Inakadate Station, which had a certain amount of space and a parking lot that would not cause problems for tourists.

The inside of the station building was painted white, making the entire station building look like a canvas.
[ART STATION] was born after a period of 9 days until completion.

Not only the ceiling and walls, but every corner of the room, including the chairs and trash cans, is covered with art.
As soon as you step inside the station building, you will be enveloped in the world of artist GOMA.
It's like entering another dimension.
It's a world you can't imagine from its Showa retro exterior.

There's a big eyeball on the ceiling! Our hope is that the statue will serve as a watchful eye for local children and farm workers.

On the other hand, countless hands and cute flowers are smiling.

Many buildings and "Gomangelion" which is not Evangelion.

Evangelion was the theme for the 2019 rice field art, but it was canceled and could not be realized.
It is drawn with a heartbreaking message from GOMA.

Due to the influence of the 2020 new coronavirus, Inakadate Rice Paddy Art "Evangelion" has been canceled. Evangelion fans GOMA were very sad. I drew "Gomangelion" in hopes that someday the rice field art "Evangelion" will be revived. I hope that we will overcome the coronavirus and get back on our feet again. The first GOMA, which was lined up from the night before at his Evangelion exhibition held at the To-O Nippo Building.

*To everyone involved in Evangelion, I'm sorry for drawing it without permission! ! !

Finally

Inakadate Station [ART STATION] is a seemingly ordinary old unmanned station located in the countryside, but the inside of the station building is itself a work of art.
It's amazing that GOMA can draw such a work without a draft.
It's more impressive in real life than it looks in photos, so why not come to Inakadate Station to experience the art?

INFORMATION

• Name: Inakadate Station
• Location: Takahi Miyamoto, Inakadate Village, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture

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