To the Island Where Art Breathes – A Journey Beyond Tourism on Ogijima
As the ferry approaches the island, Ogijima slowly reveals its shape against the calm Seto Inland Sea.
This small island, just 40 minutes from Takamatsu by boat, is modest on the map, but look closer, and you’ll find a landscape layered with time, silence, and a quiet heartbeat.
Now, art has begun to take root here—not as a spectacle, but as a gentle presence that blends into the island’s everyday rhythm. This is not a place where art shouts. It whispers.
Art as a Doorway – What We Find Beyond the Frame
Ogijima is one of the sites of the Setouchi Triennale, a contemporary art festival held every three years across the islands of the Seto Inland Sea.
What began as an effort to bring life back to depopulated islands has since grown into a movement, attracting visitors from around the world.
But here on Ogijima, art is not just something to see—it’s something to notice. A question, a pause, a small surprise tucked into an abandoned house or a slope between stone walls.
These works don’t demand your attention; they wait to be found.And when you do find them, you might also find yourself wondering:
Who lived here? What stories lie beneath this cracked floor? What did the artist feel when they stood here?
Lessons from the World – Looking Beyond the Gallery
As Ogijima looks to the future, there is much to learn from international art festivals.
In Busan, South Korea, the Biennale has breathed new life into old shipyards and industrial areas, transforming forgotten places into spaces of reflection.
In Venice, the Biennale turns the entire city into a living museum, where art and architecture dissolve into each other.
In Japan, festivals like the Aichi Triennale create dialogues between art and urban life, blending performance, visual work, and public participation.
What they all have in common is this: art is not the end goal. It is the means by which people form new relationships—with places, with others, with themselves.
The true impact lies not in what is displayed, but in what is remembered.
A Different Kind of Sightseeing – Shaping Ogijima’s Future
Ogijima is not glamorous.
It is quiet, with steep paths, narrow alleys, and glimpses of daily life: laundry flapping in the wind, cats sunbathing in doorways, children’s voices echoing across the port.
The sea is always close. The past is never far.So what does it mean to create “tourist spots” here? Perhaps it means crafting spaces that linger—not in photographs, but in memory.
It means exhibitions that respect the land, programming that invites conversation, and experiences that reveal the slow beauty of the island’s life.
Some possibilities may include:
- Small-scale art spaces repurposing vacant homes
- Community-led storytelling workshops and walking tours
- Cafés and galleries that remain open between festivals
- Residencies and opportunities for emerging artists
- Sustainable pathways that preserve the silence and charm of the island
Tourism here is not about consuming culture—it’s about participating in it. Becoming part of something that grows over time.
To You, the Visitor
You may come for the art.But by the time you wait for the return ferry, something else might stay with you:The quiet.
The warmth of a conversation with a local. The shimmer of sunlight on the sea. That one cat you passed twice.
Ogijima is not just a destination.It is an invitation—to return, to remember, to belong. Not just a place to visit, but a place to connect.The next time you step onto the island, don’t just ask,
“What is there to see?” Ask, “What can I feel?”
Because here, art is not something you look at.
About Our Tour called “Ohana Tour”
We also offer guided tours of Naoshima called “Ohana Tour”, a private tour service led by locals born and raised on Naoshima.
With deep roots in the island, we share Naoshima’s unique history, rich culture, and breathtaking scenery from a local perspective.
Whether it’s hidden photo spots, stories behind the artworks, or the charm of island life, we guide you through it all.
Each tour is fully private, allowing for a personalized and relaxed experience at your own pace.
Let us show you the real Naoshima—beyond the museums and into its heart.