PowerX Opens Headquarters Factory “Power Base” to the Public as Setouchi Art & Industry 2026 Begins

PowerX, Inc. hereby announces that, as a participating company in “Setouchi Art & Industry 2026,” which commenced on Saturday, October 3, it has opened “Power Base,” its headquarters factory in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, to the public. The factory will remain open to visitors through Saturday, October 31.

Setouchi Art & Industry, held for the first time this year, is a decentralized art festival staged at seven venues comprising working factories and industrial sites in Okayama and Ehime Prefectures, where artists, architects, and curators from Japan and abroad reinterpret the industry of each participating company as a work of art. As one of these venues, Power Base presents the factory itself as a stage for art. Masahiro Ito, President and CEO of PowerX, initiated the festival and serves as Representative Director of its organizer, the Japan Industrial Art Foundation.

Through its participation in the festival, PowerX will contribute to communicating the appeal of Japanese manufacturing and to the further revitalization of the Setouchi region.

The opening ceremony held at Tamano City Hall on Friday, October 2. From left: Masaki Satake, Creative Director; Yuko Hasegawa, Curator; Kazuyo Sejima, Architect; Masahiro Ito, Representative Director, Japan Industrial Art Foundation (President and CEO, PowerX); Ryuta Ibaragi, Governor of Okayama Prefecture; and Yoshiro Shibata, Mayor of Tamano City.

■ Highlights

1. Art Installation and Factory Tour: “Balancing Power” by SAI

This installation takes as its theme battery storage technology, an indispensable element of the renewable energy era, and renders visible throughout the exhibition space two phenomena that cannot ordinarily be seen: electricity and balancing power. Through the contrast between the lights of power plants across Japan, which flicker in response to weather conditions, and the steady light of electricity supplied by batteries, visitors can gain an intuitive understanding of the role that batteries play in the power grid.

The work is viewed as part of a guided tour of Power Base, which was designed by architect Kazuyo Sejima. The tour provides access to manufacturing areas that are normally closed to the public, including the production lines for ultra-fast EV chargers and battery energy storage systems.

*Advance reservation is required. Please book through asoview!.

2. Café: BOLLARD COFFEE by PowerX

BOLLARD COFFEE, a popular coffee stand based at nearby Uno Port, will operate inside the factory throughout the festival period. The menu features specialty coffee with a deep, chocolate-like richness, lemonade and lemon soda made with pesticide-free lemons from Teshima Island, and ice cream sandwiches accented with salt produced in Tamano.

Official Setouchi Art & Industry 2026 merchandise and official PowerX merchandise will also be available for purchase. The café is open to all visitors, including those without a factory tour reservation, whether before or after a tour or as a standalone visit.

About Setouchi Art & Industry 2026

• Dates: Saturday, October 3 – Saturday, October 31, 2026

• Venues: Seven venues, including factories and industrial sites of participating companies in Okayama Prefecture (Okayama City, Tamano City, and Kurashiki City) and Ehime Prefecture (Toon City)

• Organizer: Japan Industrial Art Foundation

• Viewing: Advance reservation required for all works

• Official website: https://www.sai-art.jp/

*For further details on the festival, please refer to the organizer’s press release (in Japanese):
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000012.000186934.html

About the Art Installation and Factory Tour at Power Base

• Work: “Balancing Power” by SAI

• Address: 6-9-1 Tai, Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture

• Admission: 880 yen (tax included)

• Reservations: asoview! https://www.asoview.com/channel/ticket/kfhAq8Q6nG/ticket0000056327

*Please refer to the reservation page for viewing dates and times.

About BOLLARD COFFEE by PowerX

• Dates: Saturday, October 3 – Saturday, October 31, 2026

• Hours: 10:00–16:30 (last order 16:10)

• Offerings:

  • Café menu (coffee, lattes, lemonade, ice cream sandwiches, and more)

  • Official Setouchi Art & Industry 2026 merchandise

  • Official PowerX merchandise

*The café may be visited on its own; no reservation is required.

^{This document has been translated from the Japanese original for reference purposes only. In the event of any discrepancy between this translated document and the Japanese original, the original shall prevail.}