Of all the islands in the Setouchi Triennale, I find Takamijima to be one of the most interesting. It's also one of the least visited, which is probably for the best. To be honest, I always feel torn ...

Takamijima, marked by the red dot. Nautical chart. 1873. Takamijima is one of those islands in the Seto Inland Sea that is rarely visited. It is not because it is hard to reach: I caught the direct…

Of all the islands in the Setouchi Triennale, I find **Takamijima** to be one of the most interesting. It's also one of the least visited, which is probably for the best. To be honest, I always feel torn about people who think the Triennale is only about Naoshima. Part of me wants to tell them to visit the other islands too (sometimes I do; that's in part why I write this blog). But another part of me is happy that people who don't care that much about the Triennale - and just want to visit Naoshima because it's famous - don't visit the other islands, as their numbers would be destructive. The small islands can't sustain such large crowds. So, yes, Takamijima. I always say that I want to visit it outside of the Triennale one of these days, but I haven't done it yet. The truth is that Takamijima is a living (?) example of what awaits islands and other rural places in Japan that won't be successful in their attempts at revitalization. Despite its rich past, the island was depopulated early and brutally once the pyrethrum cultivation industry ended. When the island joined the Triennale in 2013, only 50 people remained. Nowadays, only about 20 people live in a few houses near the port. The northern village was completely abandoned over a decade ago, and the village on the hillside only sees activity thanks to the Triennale and various cultural projects from time to time. If you would like more information about the island and its rich yet sad history, I invite you to read this post. Setouchi Triennale 2025: Autumn session and the Western IslandsAutumn is here, and the third and final session of the 2025 Setouchi Triennale is just a dozen days away. While a few new artworks will be on the “regular” islands, the western islands of Kagawa Prefecture are the traditional highlight of the autumn session. Since they only participate inJapan Art IslandsDavid in Setouchi Yes, the first reason I find this island interesting is because it's nearly abandoned. The second reason is the hillside village itself. It's such an impractical place to live. I've always wondered why the main village was built there, on the steepest hillside. The only answer I can imagine is that it's protected from the strong, cold winter winds that must hit the gentler slope on the other side of the island with terrible force. However, this impractical village may also be the reason why it was depopulated so quickly compared to most other islands. Still, I like to imagine what life was like there as I stroll through its streets. I especially like the abandoned mini-ropeway that was used in the village's later years to lift goods and materials halfway up the hill. The third reason I find the island interesting is that its art always seems more original than that of other places. I know that's a gross generalization, but it seems to have a unique flair. It's hard to explain. How about I show you instead? ## Time to sign up if you want to see some art. It's free or not, your choice. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Upgrade to continue reading Become a paid member to get access to all premium content Upgrade

One interesting project on Takamijima this year is "**_Furniture φ in Takamijima._** " It's a collaboration between **PhStudio** and **BankART 1929**, which seems to have curated much of the new temporary art on Takamijima this year under the moniker "_Takamijima Art Trail_." They collected old chairs from Takamijima and the nearby town of Tadotsu (Takamijima is, administratively-speaking, a neighborhood of Tadotsu). With the help of high school students from the town, they used the chairs to create new public benches and chairs, which were placed near various art sites on Takamijima. And you may want to use them. Ura village on Takamijima is built on a very steep hillside. Hopefully, they'll be permanent. However, I'm not sure if they can withstand bad weather. I took pictures of most of them (but not all, so you still can have a few surprises looking for them):

**Yusuke Asai** is no stranger to the Setouchi Triennale. In 2013, he gave us _Listen to the Voices of Yesterday Like the Voices of Ancient Times_ that you can still enjoy on Inujima: https://www.setouchiexplorer.com/listen-to-the-voices-of-yesterday-like-the-voices-of-ancient-times/ I like his style because it feels like a weird "Australian Aboriginal" style, though it's not authentic and doesn't claim to be. It's more like an imagined version of it. His work actually reminds me of Jamie Hewlett's take on Aboriginal art in the original _Tank Girl_ comics. This "**_Earth Eater_** " definitely makes me think of some creature that could come straight out of the comic book. Now, the fun part of this installation is the "_Stardust Kids_." What are they? ## Well, you'll have to sign up to the newsletter if you want to know. It's free if you want, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Upgrade to continue reading Become a paid member to get access to all premium content Upgrade