Tucked into the pine forests on the northern slope of Mt. Fuji is an art gallery, coffee shop and cultural center, all under one roof. Gallery NaNo-rium is the creation of Kazuya and Nozomi Nakaue, a middle-aged couple who tired of life in Osaka (where Kazuya hails from) and moved back to Nozomi's hometown of Fuji-Yoshida, traditional gateway to climbers and worshippers of the sacred mountain. Fulfilling their dream of building a place in the woods for artistic events of all stripes, they opened NaNo-rium -- a rambling wooden structure with a wide veranda and large windows letting in plenty of leafy light -- in 1992, just uphill from Sengen Jinja, the great shrine whose deity is Mt. Fuji itself.

Occupying a single, semi-partitioned space somewhat reminiscent of a huge yurt, NaNo-rium devotes sizable footage to its gallery, which extends off the dining area. The regularly rotated exhibitions run the gamut from ceramics and glassware to paintings, photography, and installations. Concerts and workshops are frequently scheduled as well. A small shop sells a variety of art objects and books, but the emphasis is on earthenware.

Indeed, pottery would seem to be the Nakaues' first love. They serve their coffee and cakes on distinctively shaped cups and saucers by the same artists -- some of Japan's finest -- who grace the gallery. For the past two months the gallery has featured the quirkily original works of Japan-born Korean potter Kim Hono, who lives in Seto, near Nagoya. Though Kim first earned recognition for his cups and bowls, in recent years he has been creating two-dimensional canvas-sized abstractions in clay and other media as well as surreal sculptures that resemble furniture for miniature aliens.

	Backyard view of Gallery NaNo-rium and its veranda

Following Kim at the gallery (from November 14 to December 2) will be Yoko Terai, a Kansai-based ceramic artist working in an entirely different style of elegant, simple shapes -- some inspired, she says, by Mt. Fuji.

Its prime resort-area location notwithstanding, NaNo-rium is not one of those tourist-oriented galleries that merely display works by the owners' circle of acquaintances. The Nakaues make periodic forays from their mountain home to check out exhibitions in Tokyo and elsewhere (they first met Terai at a Kyoto gallery). When they see work they like, they do not hesitate to make a cold call and invite the artist to do a show in the Fuji woods.

Still, it's clear that the Nakaues prefer their bucolic lifestyle to that of the big city. NaNo-rium doesn't even have a website or e-mail address. But the links below provide current information (in Japanese) on the place, including maps and updates on exhibits. If you're in the Fuji Five Lakes area, drop on by for a cup of good coffee and some inspiring art.