Late Checkout: An Immersive Art Site Meets Inn in Japan

Late Checkout is TQE’s travel vertical. Whether you’re seeking an Eat Pray Love moment of your own,  or a wholesome family sojourn, we hope you embark on an adventure requisite of a late checkout below.

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While I’m a huge fan of Naoshima (and have even written about it for TQE), there’s something magical about the singularity of House of Light—perhaps at least partially because it remains a bit of an insider-secret for Japan-goers. House of Light is an immersive art experience and inn designed by American artist James Turrell where you get to experience the “light show” at sunrise and sunset under a retractable roof. It’s a can’t-be-beat overnight excursion from Tokyo—only a 2-hour train and short taxi ride separates you from the bustling city to this countryside destination.

How To Get There

House of Light is located in the Niigata prefecture northwest of Tokyo. By train, it takes just over two hours to travel from Tokyo Station to Tokamachi, with a transfer from a bullet train (Joetsu Line) to a regional train (Hokuhoku Line) part-way through your journey. The precision of Japanese transit and easy-to-find timetables makes planning this journey very manageable.

Once you arrive in Tokamachi, hop in a taxi for a 15-minute ride through the countryside to the House of Light. You’ll be greeted by the innkeeper who will give you a tour and instructions for the light show, introduce you to any other guests, and set you up in one of the three tatami sleeping quarters.

About House of Light

In 2000, Art Front Gallery (AFG) and Japanese curator Fram Kitagawa established the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial in the Niigata region in an effort to connect art and nature. James Turrell’s House of Light, a meditation house inspired by Junichiro Tanazaki’s “In Praise of Shadows,” is one of the first and seminal works of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Site. House of Light is both an accommodation and a work of art with the intended purpose of three families sharing accommodation for a night and exchanging their thoughts.

At 2.7m off the ground to account for winter snow, the house is built in the traditional architectural style of the region with special consideration for shadows, light, and how they relate from indoors to outdoors. In all of the spaces of the home, Turrell attempts to create the “beauty of shadows” through such Japanese design elements as shojii (paper sliding doors) and tokonoma (alcoves). For example, the bathroom includes fiber optic lights that play off of the water and darkness of the room.

But the main event is the primary living area, where a square in the roof retracts, making the sky visible and bringing the outside in. This room is exemplary of Turrell’s goal of introducing contrast to the home: day and night, Eastern and Western, traditional and modern.

What to Expect During Your Stay

House of Light consists of three sleeping quarters, as well as a small shared kitchen and bathroom. Each room has a different vibe: the “outside-in” room contains the aforementioned retracting roof, the “cloister” room offers a view of the nearby river and mountains, and the “garden room” gives you a view through the forest.

While you’ll sleep in one of these rooms on tatami mats and mattresses, most of your time will be spent in the “outside-in” room for the sunset and sunrise lightshow. I’m not a huge Turrell stan, but the lightshow is something that can be experienced nowhere else. Just before sunset around 6:30pm, we pulled out our mattresses along with the other guests, opened the roof, and laid down for the duration of the show. Lighting around the roof cycles through colors and plays off of the changing color of the sky in a way that is indescribable.

After this, we shared dinner with the other guests. Despite the language barrier—we didn’t speak Japanese, nor did they speak English—we enjoyed each other’s company over a shared meal, exchanging snacks and drinks that we brought along. Knowing we’d have to be awake around 4:30 am for the sunrise show, we turned in early for a peaceful night sleep amongst the trees.

Some Practicalities

There are some quirks to the booking process for the House of Light that are worth noting. First, and perhaps most noteworthy, is that the cost of your stay is dependent on how many other groups book. The base rate is about $280 per night, but that decreases as more people book (you’ll get email updates as additional people book with an adjusted rate). A maximum of 12 people can stay per night—we stayed with 5 others on our visit.

It’s also worth noting that the house has a communal feel. While you’ll have private sleeping quarters, the kitchen, bathroom, and “outside-in" room are all shared with other groups. While a catered dinner is provided for a fee, you’ll want to bring snacks, drinks and breakfast provisions along. Room service isn’t a thing at House of Light, and you’re well into the countryside without services around.

If you’re planning a trip to Tokyo, taking an overnight trip to the House of Light is a must-do on your itinerary. And, with the ease of Japanese transit, it’s a simple train ride away. I’m confident that there’s no other place like it on earth—even other James Turrell exhibits like the Chichu Museum. Make your booking as far in advance as you’re able given the limited number of available spots each night to ensure you don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.