Japan Urban Landscape Awards recognize Nagano and Minami-Kyushu

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced the recipients of the Urban Landscape Awards for the 2026 fiscal year.

In the Urban Space category, the Nagano Prefectural Art Museum and the surrounding Shiroyama Park area in Nagano City received the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award. The project, designed under the concept of a ‘landscape museum,’ integrated the museum's reconstruction with the surrounding park and roads to harmonize with the local scenery. Key features include a rooftop plaza with views of Zenko-ji Temple and the Shinano mountains, as well as improved pedestrian access to maintain visual connections between the temple and the museum.

In the Landscape Town-Making and Learning category, the Bansho-hana Nature Park in Minami-Kyushu City received the top award. This recognition follows a community-led revitalization effort involving the NPO Eiwa Okoso-kai and the general incorporated association Asobishiro. Through over 50 social experiments and public-private partnerships, the project transformed the park by introducing a public-private cafe and tree camping facilities. The initiative has successfully increased visitor numbers from 15,000 in 2010 to 200,000 in 2024, while establishing a system where 5% of profits are reinvested into park management.