Giuseppe La Spada brings environmental art movement to Japan

Sicilian artist Giuseppe La Spada has brought his ‘We Are Drops’ movement to Yuza, Japan, establishing a new hub for environmental edutainment. The movement, founded in Milazzo in 2018, was recognized by Focus magazine in 2019 as one of Italy’s most innovative environmental educational methods.

Yuza, a city in Yamagata Prefecture known for its abundant water sources from Mount Chokai, will serve as the first laboratory for this interactive method, which is built on the pillars of observing, knowing, and protecting. During his visit, La Spada met with Yuza Mayor Yumi Someya and local school officials to discuss the initiative.

The collaboration originated a decade ago when Japanese social activist Kanna Fujikawa met La Spada at an environmental art exhibition in Sicily. The current visit includes a special lecture at Yuza Middle School, where La Spada shared his philosophy on using art to rediscover the natural world. This visit marks the beginning of a partnership between Sicily and Yuza, with potential for new collaborative artistic projects with students in 2027.