About the Islands
Teshima
With an area of 14.5 km2 and a population of about 1,000 people, Teshima Island has a history stretching back about 9,000 years. Along with trade within the Seto Inland Sea, the quarrying of stone has been the main industry on the island for the last thousand years.
The island is covered by forest and bountiful springs irrigate the island's rare terraced rice paddies. In the past, Teshima was known for its rice and dairy production. It is also famous for its beautiful natural surroundings and its wide range of community and welfare facilities.
Kou community, Teshima
Located in the southwest of Teshima, with an outlook over Ogijima island, the sea-side village of Kou is home to 85 (mostly elderly) residents. Headed by tireless Community Leader Uematsu-san, the tiny village is closely integrated and civic-minded, with many residents having spent their lives living in Kou. Unlike the larger villages of Ieura and Karato, which have historically had strong fishing industries, many of Kou’s residents worked in the now-defunct Teshima-ishi (Teshima Stone) quarry. Kou is rich with vegetable patches, fruit trees and rice fields. It is a largely self-sustaining community whose people are known for their altruistic and caring attitude. - Ulanda Blair, Coordinator for the Australian works in Kou-
Uematsu-san
Kou resident and regular net-maker for Sue Pedley's 'Harmonica' project
I was born in Teshima but schooled in Tokyo. I've now been living back here for 43 years. During this time I have seen a significant decrease in the island's population, which is the result of young people heading to the mainland for education and employment opportunities. I'm truly happpy that the Setouchi International Art Festival is happening here, because it means that the place will be activated. My husband is the Community Leader of Kou, which makes me especially proud that it is happening now, while he is in charge.
I don't know much at all about Australia, however my daughter has travelled there with her own family and so I've heard stories. My daughter will be coming to Teshima from Kyoto for the Australian BBQ that will launch the Australian projects in the Festival.
I also don't have much understanding of contemporary art, but what I see here is being made from love. The Kou people have a lot of different opinions about the meaning and worthiness of the Australians' work, which I think is healthy. I like that some people are strong advocates for the work, and that spirited discussions are taking place in Kou.
Last summer, some of the Australians visited Teshima and really liked it. This meant that there was goodwill from the Kou people from the outset. Many of the people in the community don't mind what happens with the Festival, simply working with the Australian artists, working with each other, and learning about Australian culture is enough. I personally hope that the impact of the Festival is ongoing, that the Festival is very successful and that tourism to the island increases.
Shimizu-san
Kou resident and regular net-maker for Sue Pedley's 'Harmonica' project
I was born in Teshima and feel a strong bond with the landscape and the people. For a few years I lived in Osaka, but I really missed the sea and just had to return. That was over 30 years ago.
Teshima is so quiet. The Setouchi International Art Festival has made many people here very excited (myself included!) and so I really had to be involved; I didn't need to questions it. I feel uplifted by Sue Pedley's 'Harmonica' project, and I'm looking forward to seeing the net finished and erected. Sue has such a big heart, her energy and smile is a great motivator!
I don't know much about Australia, although I have a relative who owns a sushi shop there. I've watched programs about Australian wildlife on television too, but this is the first time I have spent time with Australian people. This is also my first real experience of contemporary art. It seems like the Australian artists working on Teshima are all creating art that reflects their personalities and feelings; the works are generous and gentle, like their makers.
Teshima's population and industry is dwindling and I hope that the Festival will reverse this situation. Whilst most of the local people are cheered by the prospect of the Festival happening, we are also a little worried about receiving so many visitors. Communicating with foreign visitors is stressful and hard for us too. I am proud of this beautiful island, and want to share it with the world, but I also hope that people will be gentle with the precious natural environment here.
Hamada-san
Manager, Tourism Bureau of Teshima
"Teshima" translated to English means "prosperous island". Traditionally, the island is known for its stone-work (we have what's known as "Teshima stone" here), rice farming, fisheries and agriculture. Unfortunately, since the 1970s, when the infamous toxic waste dump was discovered on the west coast of Teshima, the island has been known by many outsiders as "Sewage Island." The Tourism Bureau of Teshima is working hard to shift people's perceptions about what this island is like today.
For nearly 25 years, the local people here lobbied the government and big industry to stop the illegal dumping of hazardous waste on their island. Their protest took many forms, from creating an official lobby group (Teshima Residents Council on Waste Strategies), to distributing petitions, to mobilising court trails, to rallying in major Japanese cities. It took this long before the 500,000 tonnes of toxic waste was removed from the island and for an environmental rehabilitation program to be implemented. The case was very high-profile both in Japan and internationally, as it was the first time that a government-sanctioned waste dump had been successfully shut-down.
The culture and environment were sorely damaged by the waste dump - the waterways, soil, sea and residents' health were all affected - and it is testament to the tenacity of the local people that the toxic dump was eventually shut down. The community is very proud of what they achieved for future generations of Teshima, and the case gives hope to environmental activists and citizens movements everywhere. The Teshima people would not tolerate being made the victims of Japan's toxic crisis, and their persistence and hard work eventually paid off.
I am fully supportive of the Setouchi International Art Festival happening on Teshima, because it will help alter preconceived ideas about the island and help Teshima move into the future. Visitors will arrive in Teshima expecting a particular vision, but instead they will see art that complements the inherent beauty in the natural environment.
Every day Teshima welcomes more visitors to the island. Troops of koebi (Festival volunteers) are helping artists prepare their works for the Festival, which means more and more people are aware of just how beautiful the greenery and sea is around the island. The deadline for the Festival opening is looming, and so the quiet and calm atmosphere of Teshima is steadily changing. The islanders are excited, but also a bit nervous about what the Festival will bring. There are mixed emotions about the Festival in the community.
Teshima is like a microcosm of Japanese society more broadly. There is an aging population here, people are having less children and young people are moving far away for education and work. Sue Pedley's net-making project is really valuable because it brings people from different generations, and from different localities, together. Sue's project is bringing a new energy to the island.
At the same time as the Setouchi International Art Festival is happening, a new Tadao Ando designed museum will open. Naoshima has been revived by the art museums and projects introduced there, and we hope that art-lovers will now come to Teshima too. It is important for us to increase tourist visitations to the island so that the community can be revitalised. We are aware however, that as more people come to the island, the natural beauty might be threatened. This is an ongoing concern and one that Teshima people are particularly sensitive to.
Ayaka Miyake-san
Volunteer for the Setouchi International Art Festival
Having grown up in Takamatsu, and having visited various Seto Islands over the years, I’m very excited by the upcoming Setouchi International Art Festival. The islands are always silent, but since it was announced that the Festival is happening here, everyone’s spirits have been lifted. I wanted to contribute to this new energy by volunteering my time as a koebi (Setouchi International Art Festival volunteer).
I enjoy art, and can see art already existing in nature. Museums can be difficult because I, like many people, don’t have a contemporary art education. Here, there is art, I’m here, and it’s OK. Our earth is under threat, and so the art in nature is also under threat. Hopefully the Festival will remind audiences about how beautifully fragile the earth is.
My experience as a koebi has so far been challenging but rewarding. This is the first time I’ve translated between Japanese and English, and I do feel a lot of pressure to make sure the artists and local people connect. Luckily, we all have the same, shared goals for the Festival to encourage many people to visit Teshima, to motivate the local community and to enliven the island, which is so pretty.
Ogijima
Ogijima is an island with an area of 1.37 km2 and a population of about 200 people.With very little flat land available, houses are built close together on hillsides and connected by narrow roads. Fishing is the main industry on the island and islanders once had a system where they lent dairy cows to farmers in other areas in exchange for rice.
The island has many scenic spots including the Toyotamahime Shrine, where people go to pray for the safe delivery of children. It also has the Ogijima Lighthouse which, with its beautiful granite construction, has been chosen as one of Japan's best 50 lighthouses.
Shodoshima
Shodoshima has an area of 153.33 km2 and a population of about 32,000 people. The island has a wonderfully rich natural environment with many undulating peaks and valleys.
During the Edo period, the island flourished through trade as a result of its strategic position between Osaka and ports further west. Salt, soy sauce, and somen noodles were produced on Shodoshima and traded for goods on other islands. Soy sauce and somen noodles remain Shodoshima specialties to this day.