/ Nasu Day 3 /
10:30 N’s YARD / 奈良美智美術館
On our final morning in Nasu, we drove to N’s YARD, the private museum of Yoshitomo Nara. Originally his personal studio, the space was opened to the public in 2018 as a gallery – curated by the artist himself.
在那須的最後一天，我們驅車前往奈良美智的私人美術館 N’s YARD。N’s YARD 本是奈良美智的工作室，於2018年開放成為展示作品的美術館，展廳由藝術家本人親自策劃。
Though compact in size, the museum is rich in detail. It features Nara’s original works, sketches, and personal music collection. A place to wander slowly.
展館不大，卻非常精緻，有奈良美智的原作、手稿、他收藏的音樂與小物，值得用心、放慢腳步去感受。
The outdoor garden is as much a part of the experience as the gallery itself, a quiet space where nature and art seem to softly intertwine. We visited in late winter, when the grass still lay dormant like a faded tapestry, and the bare branches of the trees stood waiting to be painted. I’ve heard that in spring, the grounds come alive with cherry blossoms and lilies of the valley; in summer, hydrangeas and wild lilies; and in autumn, fiery reds and golds.
戶外花園也是 N’s YARD 很重要的組成部分，與藝術與自然的氛圍悄然交融。我們在冬末初春時去，草地還未蘇醒，大片枯黃如褪色的織毯，光禿的樹乾也還在等著被上色。聽說春天有櫻花和鈴蘭，夏天有繡球花和山百合、秋天則是紅葉的季節。
One highlight in the garden: Miss Forest / Thinker, a large bronze sculpture by Nara. Serene, thoughtful, and slightly mischievous – just like many of his characters. Seen from the side, her nose is particularly endearing.
花園中有奈良美智的大型青銅雕塑《Miss Forest / Thinker》，可以近距離觀賞。側面一看，鼻子真可愛。
Back inside, there’s a charming surprise tucked into the museum café. Be sure to try their dorayaki stamped with one of Nara’s signature drawings. It’s not just cute, the pancakes are made with rice flour instead of wheat, giving them a unique, chewy texture quite unlike the usual.
在館內還有一個不能錯過的細節 – 到 Konara Café 吃一個印有奈良美智娃娃圖案的銅鑼燒。這銅鑼燒除了可愛，還有一個特別之處 – 用米粉取代麵粉製作的餅皮，口感與平常的銅鑼燒大不相同。
And when you pick it up, look underneath… a tiny hidden surprise ✨
拿起銅鑼燒，下麵還藏了個驚喜 ✨。
A charming museum not to missed by Yoshitomo Nara fans.
非常美好的美術館。是奈良美智迷的人， 絕對不能錯過。
12:00 Lunch at Meiji-no-Mori Roadside Station / “道の駅 明治の森” 吃午餐
After the museum, we drove just five minutes to Meiji-no-Mori Roadside Station for lunch. A mix of local farm stand, dairy workshop, restaurant, and multipurpose community space, the produce and dairy products looked fresh and tempting. The restaurant’s lunch offerings, while convenient, didn’t quite live up to our Chus meal from Day 1 – but it filled our bellies, which was enough for now as we needed a quick fix before heading to our next destination.
參觀完美術館，我們開車來到僅有五分鐘距離的 “道の駅 明治の森” 吃午餐。這是一處結合了農產品直銷、乳製品工坊、餐廳和多功能社區空間的地方，當季新鮮蔬果和乳製品看起來都很誘人，不過餐廳的午餐就稍微遜色一些，味道和 Chus 的料理相比差了不少，但也算是簡單解決了一頓。
I later heard from a friend that the wagashi shop next door – KAEN – is quite lovely, it’s too bad I missed it. If you get to try it one day, let me know what you think.
聽說旁邊有一家很不錯的和果子店 KAEN，可惜這次沒能嚐到。你若有機會去的話，再告訴我是否喜歡吧。
///
And just like that, our three days in Nasu came to an end. From Chus’s comforting lunch to the forest boutiques of GOOD NEWS NEIGHBORS, from Shozo Café’s buttery scones to the peaceful gardens of N’s YARD – each stop was an invitation to slow down and savor. I definitely look forward to revisiting this area again in the not so distant future, perhaps in a different season.
Now it’s time to move on to our next stop: Nikko.
這就是我們在那須的三日行程。
有雪、有山林、有咖啡、有甜點，也有孩子們第一次伸出手接住雪花的驚喜笑聲。從 Chus 的豐盛午餐到 GOOD NEWS NEIGHBORS 的森林小鋪、從 Shozo Café 的奶油司康到 N’s YARD 的安靜花園，每一站都藏著讓人想慢下來的理由，回想起來仍然心裡溫暖。已在期待能在不久的將來，換個季節，再來走走。
現在前往下一站：日光。