About us

The Goethe-Institut Villa Kamogawa offers artists from Germany and Europa the opportunity to live and crate in Japan for three months. The focus is on supporting the resident artists in realizing their planned projects and developing new ideas. The residency in Kyoto is intended to serve as an inspiration and artistic orientation for the fellows and to facilitate direct personal exchange with the local cultural scene and sustainable networking with cultural players in Japan.
 
Villa Kamogawa is the Goethe-Institut's first artist residency and is open since 2011, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of German-Japanese relations.
 
The Goethe-Institut is the globally active cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany.

History of the institute

Today's Goethe-Institut in Kyoto started its activities in 1963 with the establishment of a branch office within the ‘Japanese-German Cultural Institute in Kyoto’.

In 1983, the then Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl opened the new federally owned building on the Kamogawa River, between the Imperial Palace and Kyoto University, as the headquarters of the Goethe-Institut Kyoto.

In autumn 2010, work began on converting the building into the Villa Kamogawa as an artists' residence and meeting place for artists from Germany and Japan. The library and hall were carefully renovated and adapted to the new target groups. The living and working spaces for the resident artists were created on the second floor. The artists' residence opened in April 2011, together with the “Café Müller” on the ground floor.

Villa Kamogawa was officially opened on 26 October 2011 by the then Federal President Christian Wulff and the President of the Goethe-Institut, Prof. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann.

The Event hall

Villa Kamogawa has a function room with seating for approx. 100 people. The hall is equipped with a Steinway grand piano.

Please address enquiries to Mrs. Mina Araki.