Visiting contemporary art and industrial heritage sites: A quick tour of the two islands of the Setouchi Triennale

A direct bus to "Seihoden" departs from bus stop number 10 at the Korakuen Exit (East Exit) bus terminal of JR Okayama Station.

*Operates from Friday, April 4, 2025. Please check the operating schedule from the link below.

Inujima, located about 3km off the coast of Hoden in the eastern part of Okayama City, is Okayama City's only inhabited island. The island is attracting attention as an art island, with features such as the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum, which is a renovated site of a copper smelter that is also a modern industrial heritage site, and the House Project, which is being developed in the village of Inujima. There are plenty of fun activities such as camping, swimming in the sea, and sea kayaking while enjoying the island's rich nature. There are lodging facilities available, so you can relax and enjoy your time on the island.

This museum is conscious of a recycling-oriented society and serves as a model for new regional creation through "heritage, architecture, art, and the environment." The former smelter site on the Inujima Seirensho Museum grounds was designated as one of the 33 "Modern Industrial Heritage Sites" by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2007 for the purpose of revitalizing the region.
In 2009, the island was selected as one of the "100 Treasure Island Sceneries" by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as an island of art that makes use of its industrial heritage.

*The Akebono Maru ferry service between Hoden and Inujima, departing Hoden at 15:15 and Inujima at 15:35, only operates on days when the museum is open.

The Teshima Art Museum was built by artist Rei Naito and architect Ryue Nishizawa on a small hill in Toshima Karato overlooking the Seto Inland Sea. Together with local residents, the rice terraces that had been left fallow were regenerated, and a building shaped like a water drop was erected on a corner of the vast site. The space is 40 x 60 m wide and has a maximum height of 4.5 m. It has a concrete shell structure with no pillars, and the surrounding wind, sound, and light are directly brought into the interior through two openings in the ceiling, creating a natural atmosphere. It is an organic space where the building responds. In the interior space, a "fountain" is born throughout the day. The landscape conveys endless expressions as the seasons change and time passes. Teshima Art Museum requires advance reservations (online ticket system).

It is a departure and arrival point for important shipping routes to Naoshima, where the Chichu Art Museum is located, and Teshima, where the Teshima Art Museum is located, which is the venue for the Setouchi Triennale, an art festival held on the islands. There are various art works scattered around Uno Port, and you can walk around them, so we recommend enjoying a stroll while looking out at the port.

The object ``Uno no Chinu'' (ⒸYodogawa Technique) was created at the first ``Setouchi Triennale 2010'', which was created using floating debris collected from the coast around Uno Port and mainly Lake Kojima. Waste that has drifted across the ocean from all over the world to the Seto Inland Sea has taken on a new form and is now on display at Uno Port as a work of art. In addition, "Cochinu" next door was created in 2016 and is a slide that goes from head to butt. "Uno no Chinu" Yodogawa Technique © Yodogawa Technique