Every year, for the last while, a company has held an Oktoberfest festival in Hibiya Park. Hibiya Park was the first Oktoberfest festival from this company, as far as I can remember. The success of this festival has allowed this festival to go from a single festival that spanned a weekend in September to a series of festivals that run from spring to autumn and travels up and down Japan. For 2013, the first festival was in Odaiba in April, and this week, ending on Sunday, the spring edition in Hibiya Park will end. Each location has slight differences in the beers that are available but there is a large selection in each festival. For the Hibiya Park edition, the park continues to see more and more brands enter the festival and this year they added a second Japanese beer to the mix. From the first time I went to the festival, they had Fujizakura beer, and recently they added Nest, from Mito. Needless to say, the festival is a huge success, financially, and it continues to bring in a lot of money for the organizers.
Oktoberfest (Hibiya Park)
The Hibiya Park Oktoberfest is centred on the main fountain in Hibiya Park and spills over into the surrounding park area. People bring their own plastic sheets to have a nice beer picnic or you can try to get a seat at one of the dozens of tables set up around the fountain. It is a good setup that has lots of problems as there are just too many people there. It is a very successful event but because it is so successful, it is difficult to get around as everyone is packed into the public areas. Everyone has the same idea as you, they are trying to find their friends, find a seat, buy beer, then bring beer back to their seats and so on. The Oktoberfest can be pretty expensive as the average price of a beer is over 1000 yen for 500ml. For a once a year party, I don’t mind going as the beer is usually good. Just be aware that the glasses cost 1000 yen each but you do get your money back when you return the glass. Do note that if you break your glass, you bought it, so you do have to be very careful when you walk around the crowded areas with a glass as it can be easy to drop it.
Paulander Dunkel at the Oktoberfest
As I said, the festival is a successful event. This is very obvious by the sheer number of people visiting the festival day in and day out. If you are visiting Japan, the best time to go is during the day on a weekday, and while it is a German beer festival, there are some great Japanese beers. I just chose not to drink the Japanese beers as I could get them any other time of the year. If you do go, just enjoy the park and hopefully the good weather as well. If you can’t make it this weekend, don’t worry as there are several other Oktoberfests around Japan. Within central Tokyo, the next Oktoberfest will be in Toyosu in July, then Shiba Park, near Tokyo Tower, in August. It then returns to Hibiya Park then Odaiba for September. If you can’t make it to Tokyo, you can still go to Nara, Nagasaki, Sendai as well as Tachikawa and Komazawa just outside Tokyo. Be sure to put your thoughts of money away and realize you aren’t paying for just the beer, but the atmosphere and the potential new friends you can make as well.
Ogijima may be a small island but it makes up for it with its heart. Ogijima has a very friendly community with a lot of interesting things to see and do. While most of the art is centred in the Ogicho area centred on the port, there are other areas such as the south side fishing port and the lighthouse at the northern end of the island that has a few gems to see as well as many things you can do. It isn’t necessary to see everything but for a first timer like me, it was essential to see as much as possible and to enjoy as much as possible as well. I can see why some people would enjoy multiple visits to Ogijima.
“SEA VINE” by Haruki Takahashi
Continuing from Ogijima (Part I), the Ogicho area has the highest concentration of art houses on the island. “SEA VINE” by Haruki Takahashi is probably one of the most delicate displays on the island. Located in a large tatami room of a house, it is nothing more than an intricately hung porcelain flower vine with various hues of blue and pink. While the idea may not sound very interesting, you have to see it to understand the beauty of this art. Each flower is decorated like any other fine porcelain china. Each petal looks very fragile to touch and they worry a lot about this artwork so much that they force you to remove your bags when you enter to prevent any accidents. Then there is “Memory Bottle” by Mayumi Kuri. It was one of the most fascinating artworks of the entire festival. It was simply a column of jars with pictures or trinkets and lights inside them along with 3 or 4 other sets acting like chandeliers. It was a simple yet at the same time complex artwork. The concept was simple but the work it took to complete it must have been time consuming to source all of the photos, trinkets, jars, lights, and then to put them together. Each photo and each object in each jar was collected from the islanders to represent their memories. From what I read, there were about 1000 jars in a room no bigger than a large closet. “Maison de Urushi” by the Maison de Urushi Project is an art house that I unfortunately didn’t appreciate enough when I was there. The house has two sections, the art section and the café section. The art section is separated into light and dark. You enter the dark section which was lacquered in black. While the room was predominantly black, there were lighter colours in the centre of each panel. They had several layers of coloured lacquer and the top layer was black. They cut through each layer to create a multi-coloured circle at the centre of each panel. I was amazed at the detail and work put into the black side of the house. The light section was lacquered in white along with a red and white weave inside one of the closets. I was a bit lazy at that point to enter the white lacquer area and I do regret that. The other side of the house was a café. They had various items for sale as well from chopsticks and chopstick rests to earrings made of wood, to keep up with the lacquer theme. Finally, there was “AIR DIVER” by Bunpei Kado. It was located at the edge of the main village and overlooked the southern coast of Ogijima. It contained what appeared to be a replica of the region complete with islands and ships. It was all suspended in air and you could walk around it to give the feeling of diving under the sea. I didn’t know I could walk around inside it until it was too late, but I enjoyed the silhouetted image as the room was dark and it was bright outside. Do be aware that the floor was pretty weak in the non-art side of the room.
“Memory Bottle” by Mayumi Kuri
“Maison de Urushi” by the Maison de Urushi Project
“AIR DIVER” by Bunpei Kado
“Walking Ark” by Keisuke Yamaguchi
It is a quick walk down to the southern fishing port from AIR DIVER. The artworks around the fishing port are more spread out with the farthest one being “Walking Ark” by Keisuke Yamaguchi. It was not very interesting to me but I can see the appeal of the artwork. It was positioned on a small jetty to protect the nearby beaches. I was expecting something more interesting based on the pictures I saw but it could have been a simple over-expectation on my part. In the harbour itself, you can see a few more boats from TEAM OGI and then there is the school, PSS40. It was a project done by “Showa 40 Nenkai” or “The Group 1965” as the official English translation goes. They took over the school on Ogijima and added artwork into the different rooms. You start off taking your shoes off as you regularly do in Japan. You are greeted with various small artworks and then head into the Principal’s office. It was a very interesting artwork to see. All throughout the hallways you will see art and in each room you will see art. I can’t list all of the artworks but one of the most interesting pieces was “Mirror Room” by Oscar Oiwa. It was basically 2 rooms, or 1 split into two, with a glass wall separating both rooms. It was like a 2-way mirror and each room was a mirror of the other. As you walk around in one of the rooms, you realize that you are not really in the mirror. You can sometimes see yourself but you look more like a ghost than a real person. It is supposed to invoke the feeling that the island is losing people and may die at any time. I was more interested in the design of the room and how detailed it was. The Group 1965 is an interesting group of artists who must be born in 1965 to join. Their main goal is to just join and show art together even though they have very different forms of art. You can clearly see it within the school and it really reflects both the group as a whole and the school itself. Each teacher is unique, each class is unique, and each student is unique.
PSS40 by The Group 1965
“Houses for Light” by Arthur Huang
For those with a lot of energy, or 2 hours to burn as I did, you can head north to the lighthouse on Ogijima. There is one last artwork located near the lighthouse. It is an extension of Arthur Huang’s “Houses for Light”. There are a total of 3 pieces of Arthur’s art with 2 being in the main village itself and one located about 100 metres from the lighthouse. To be very honest, I was hoping for something a lot bigger since I had to make the long walk out to the lighthouse, but I thought it was a nice artwork nonetheless. I may have been in a slightly foul mood to begin with as well, since I did miss my ferry. The lighthouse itself is a simple place to visit. There really isn’t much to say aside from the fact that you can go and see it. There is a small museum next to the lighthouse that just showcases the various lighthouses in Japan. I have been to a few of them in my time and it was fun to just see a few of the lighthouses I remember visiting, such as the one in Izumo. If you walk behind the lighthouse area itself, you run into the fire pit and beach area. The beach area has a little surprise if you are willing to go there. There are a few messages from anonymous people, well maybe not completely anonymous. Some of them put love messages, probably from teenagers. The best one was one that said “I ‘heart’ Ogi”. I got into the spirit of things and I created my own Inukshuk for the beach. I can only hope that it is still there and will still be there for years to come. If not, it gives me a good reason to go back and fix it.
I ‘heart’ Ogi
Beach Inuksuk
Onba Cafe
Ogijima has a lot to offer and I would love to go back. I envy people who live in Takamatsu, who can go back and visit it often enough. I often think about going back to ONBA CAFÉ to enjoy a nice drink and to walk around the village enjoying the public artworks. I may have a different tone if I do it often but it was so peaceful even with many people being on the island at the same time. I can’t imagine what the island is like outside of the Triennale. The potential to revive Ogijima is there, but the art festival will only do so much. Taking a gamble on tourism is possible but I doubt many people would want to take that risk. If I was rich, I might, but unfortunately I’m not. If you happen to have several million dollars lying around and wish to donate it, I would happily invest it in Ogijima for you if you’d like.
Ogijima (Part II) is part of a series of posts on the Setouchi Triennale, and half of a two part series on Ogijima. Follow the links below to read more about the different aspects of the Setouchi Triennale.
In Ogijima (Part I) I wrote a bit about ONBA CAFE but I didn’t really cover it extensively. I touched the surface on my own experience there and gave just a taste into what was happening. ONBA CAFE is a really nice cafe that is connected with the ONBA FACTORY. It is not difficult to find as there are flags at the shop to help you find it within the maze of small alleys and streets at the main village. As long as you are on the correct street, or wandering the central area, you will find it easily enough. The main thing to understand about ONBA is that they are very friendly and very inviting. They have a couple buildings and a simple menu of drinks but the main attraction has to be the atmosphere of the staff. I was pleasantly surprised by their courtesy and friendliness, which may have been partly due to the boredom of living on an island that doesn’t have too much to do and with only a few customers that day, but I would imagine that they are generally friendlier than other places I have been to.
Note: ONBA itself is translated into “pushcart” from Japanese. For this article, I am referring to the shop as a whole as ONBA for simplicity.
ONBA FACTORY
As you enter the courtyard of ONBA, you are struck by how rustic things feel. To the right is a large shed where the ONBA maker makes the ONBA for the entire island. There are a few other things inside the shed and I’m not sure how often they create the carts but it was a very simple setup. I can’t really describe anymore of it as there really wasn’t anything else to really say. The shed is nothing more than a shed with a few tools and that’s really it. There is a lot of space so that whoever is making the ONBA can work under cover from the rain or they can go into the main courtyard and enjoy the beautiful weather if it is nice and sunny. The courtyard is nothing too special as it looked a little unkempt. While it looked unkempt, it was very characteristic of the island and ONBA. I loved how everything was artistic, like the ONBA logo worked into the rocks in the walkway, and the blades of grass trying to grow nicely, but failing to grow everywhere due to everyone walking through the courtyard. If the landscaping was perfect, I doubt I would have liked it as much as the atmosphere would have been too perfect. I think it is necessary to keep that rustic feel in order to blend in with the rest of the island and the rest of the people. Perfection does not equal beauty.
ONBA FACTORY Courtyard
ONBA CAFE (Open Area)
The cafe itself was pretty small. There are a few stools and a counter overlooking the port so you can enjoy the different Meon ships coming in and out of the port. There is also the main interior with a few tables inside and one just outside, but under the cover of the roof. It was a great area to just relax and enjoy a cup of tea. Everything was very well cared for. Nothing seemed dirty or out of place. Some of the more interesting ONBA were inside the cafe and there was a great map on the large centre table. There are still nice views at one table and even binoculars to enjoy the view. There is even a small opean area for children to play with the artistic ONBA. One of the ONBA was designed like a chain and as you pushed it, it would undulate up and down like a caterpillar. It was cute to see some young kids pushing it around and having a lot of fun. I wish I was a kid so I wouldn’t feel embarrassed to play around with it myself. In the open area, there are also a lot of information boards with sketches and photos. Each of the information boards had information on each of the ONBA that were designed for the community and why they designed it that way. It was interesting to see all of them. There is also the main foyer, or shopping area, where you can get all of the items that OBNA sells, as well as ordering drinks. The items were all pretty small and ranged from simple book covers to the typical cell phone straps. While most of the items were really nice, and I wouldn’t mind them, I just couldn’t justify buying them as they would just collect dust in my place as I would never use it and I wouldn’t appreciate it as much as I should. One thing I did want was the hedgehog like brushes. They took cleaning brushes and turned them into a hedgehog like item. It was really cute but I wouldn’t want to use it for cleaning and I wouldn’t be able to keep it for a long time either. I’m sad I couldn’t get more but I don’t regret not purchasing more.
Note: I have been told, and it has been clarified, that ONBA CAFÉ and ONBA FACTORY are indeed one in the same, unlike Il Vento and Tobias Rehberger’s art on Teshima Island. I still feel that the café area can be defined as the café and the factory can be defined by the shed, although they are one in the same. The café is also less of a café and more of a welcoming place on the island.
View from ONBA CAFE
ONBA CAFE Food & Drink
The food and drink are very limited but it is enough to suit the island. Most of the items were traditional coffees and teas. I wouldn’t expect the best drinks in the world but they did have enough quality to ensure that I will be back again if I visit Ogijima again in the future. I never had the coffee but I did have a beer along with some mixed nuts. It was a simple drink but something I shouldn’t have had, but really wanted. I was already a bit dehydrated from walking around all morning but I wanted a beer to enjoy the beautiful setting. In hindsight, perhaps I should have ordered 2 so I could really enjoy the place but I’m not a big fan of Asahi Super Dry. I didn’t have their signature item either but it was still a great place to enjoy a light drink and snack. My only wish is that they had more snacks. I would be very happy to help them out and buy a lot of their snacks at that time but since they didn’t have any, I never bothered to. A couple muffins or something would have been great and I know they can do it. They were really kind and I’m sure they have the time, although money is something that may prevent them from doing more. When I went it ONBA appeared to be a mother and daughter team, although I’m not sure if they are actually related. The older woman seemed to be the owner and mainly kept behind the scenes. The younger daughter figure was very bubbly. When I first went there to see the ONBA, she was full of energy and even prompted us to get more interactive with the art. She ended up running around the island in the morning before she had to return to start her shift. When we returned, she still remembered us and struck up a short conversation with us. It was fun and the people really made the place shine. I’m sure that the mother figure was probably just shy but the daughter figure definitely helped make me want to return with a nice bright smile and friendly disposition that made it hard to leave.
Note: Dave @ Ogijima did clarify that the younger girl is not related to the older woman. She is a volunteer and I wonder how long she will be on Ogijima this year. There is a lot of great information about the Oshima’s who run ONBA and the girl below in the comments section.
Cool onba at ONBA CAFE
A trip to Ogijima, especially for a first timer, can’t be done without a visit to ONBA. I highly recommend it and hope you can make the trek up the hill and make the time to enjoy a drink or two. Time passes quickly as you feel at home and just want to enjoy the weather. I don’t know if I’d enjoy it as much if it was raining but I would definitely spend some time there to just enjoy it. There are other cafes up on Ogijima but unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try them. Perhaps in the future when I return I’ll be able to check them out in more detail, but I think I’ll have to spend an entire day there. Maybe a night at the Sakura Ryokan is in order, but not sure if my friend would be up for it as he has an aversion to all things from the sea.
UPDATE (May 17, 2013): David from Ogijima.com has a great reply in the comments section. This post has been updated to reflect the new information and corrections he has made. Please read his great comment below for more information about this great place!
ONBA CAFE is part of a series of posts on the Setouchi Triennale, and half of a two part series on Ogijima. Follow the links below to read more about the different aspects of the Setouchi Triennale.
Ogijima is a quaint little 1.37 square kilometre island with about 160 inhabitants. It is not difficult to access from Takamatsu and the ferry is one of the cuter ferries of the entire fleet that departs from Takamatsu. The ferry is unique in that it is almost completely red with a picture of a light house and an oni (demon/ogre) on the side. Japanese oni tend to look cuter than they should, with a typical Kappa being another demon that has been altered into a cute character. Ogijima, literally translated as Man Tree Island, and it is one of a pair of islands. It is paired with Megijima, Woman Tree Island. Out of the two, Ogijima was my personal favourite and probably my favourite island out of all of the islands I had visited for the Setouchi Triennale. I never got a chance to visit Shodoshima, and I highly doubt that Shodoshima would impress me as much as Ogijima due to its size and the remoteness of the various artworks, but only a future trip to Shodoshima will allow me to make a true final decision.
“Ogijimas Soul” by Jaume Plensa
Ogijima is what I would call an ideal art island for the entire Triennale. It is the 4th smallest site out the spring edition of the Triennale and easily visited in half a day, or a very lazy full day. Once the ferry docks with the port, you are immediately greeted by the first artwork. As you exit the ferry you will see “Ogijimas Soul” by Jaume Plensa. It is a somewhat large building used as a ferry terminal. The roof is designed to have letters from various languages from around the world to signify human diversity. I found it to be a very interesting and playful roof that leant itself to many photo opportunities. The only problem was that everyone else had the exact same idea so getting photos without anyone there will be difficult during the festival season. The interior was really nice and the moat surrounding the building was very tranquil when I visited. This was mainly due to the lack of wind but it was perfect. Next to Ogijimas Soul was “The Ordinary” by Eriko Yano. This artwork is supposed to be a rest stop in an artistic setting. It was a simple piece that was childlike in character. It wasn’t my thing but I can see how others may feel it is good. There was a lot of other free art in Ogijima as well. One of the most prolific was “Project for wall painting in lane, ogijima wallalley” by Rikuji Makabe. It was just a series of painted wooden boards that adorn the side of various houses within the main town area. Located in 6 areas around the central town overlooking the port, it was fun to seek out each one but to be honest, they all looked the same. It did brighten up the entire island though. There was also “Organ” by Tomoko Taniguchi. It was simply a series of pipes that spanned roughly 100 metres. The first time I encountered it, it was just a simple tube and the description was simply saying to call out and see who answers. Like the old telephone games you play as a child, you try to connect with other people on the other end. I tried this but failed to really communicate with my friend who was down the hill. There were also 2 plungers where you could make various noises that coursed through the pipes. Finally there is “Houses for Light” by Arthur Huang. It was a small public art where he created a lighthouse base with a small town, Ogijima, on top. These were pretty small overall but it was fun to see how much detail he put into each of them. There were a total of 3 when I went with two in the main village and one being near the lighthouse.
“The Ordinary” by Eriko Yano
“Project for wall painting in lane, ogijima wallalley” by Rikuji Makabe
“Organ” by Tomoko Taniguchi
“Houses for Light” by Arthur Huang
“OGI Project” by TEAM OGI
Back in the port itself, there was a great artwork called “OGI Project” by TEAM OGI. The OGI Project is a multipart project that encompasses several fishing boats and various flags. There were a few boats in the harbour that had wonderful paintings on the side that ranged from coy, octopi, and sakura. The image of these boats were made even better by the fact one of the old fishermen was tending his nets on one of the boats next to an image of Ebisu, the god of fishermen, luck, working men, and one of the seven gods of fortune. TEAM OGI also created various flags for the village to put up. These flags are used for celebrations such as the completion of the art projects, a good catch, and other personal celebrations. I really enjoyed the words by TEAM OGI as they had a slightly different take on the name by using the characters “男気” which can be translated as “manly” or “chivalrous spirit”. I prefer to use it more as saying, “I’m the man!” so you have to prove your manhood by being generous.
“OGI Project” by TEAM OGI
“OGI Project” by TEAM OGI
“ONBA FACTORY” by ONBA FACTORY
Ogijima actually has 2 multipart projects. The other is “ONBA FACTORY” by ONBA FACTORY. ONBA FACTORY is combined with the ONBA CAFÉ which is one of the few cafes in Ogijima. Overlooking the port, you can enjoy a nice drink and a snack while enjoying the wonderful art in the courtyard. You can also learn about the onba itself. Onba is a type of cart or stroller and they have been creating them for the islanders since the last festival. Each stroller is unique and serves a purpose. Some of them are specifically designed for transporting specific items while others are purely ornamental. Perhaps it was designed more for helping people get around. Most of them are for simple things such as groceries, from what I could tell. Inside the café, you can also take a look at some of the cart designs, who they were designed for, and why they were designed that way. You can even see the carts all over Ogijima as the people really do use them. ONBA CAFÉ also has some of their own items for sale, as well as a few items from TEAM OGI. For those who purchase a guide book, I highly recommend looking into buying one of their book covers. I picked up the TEAM OGI cover and the girl at the shop said it was waterproof. I think it was water resistant more than waterproof. The girl at the shop was really sweet too. She was one of the nice characters of the island. I met her when I first got to the island as ONBA FACTORY was one of the first places I visited. She proceeded to run around part of the island and when I returned to wait for my ferry, she remembered us. I enjoyed my time at ONBA CAFÉ so much that I actually missed my ferry. I saw it come in but was so relaxed I forgot to double check the time. I actually misread the departure time as being 1320, when it was actually 1300. I mistakenly took the Megijima departure time for the Ogijima departure and had to spend an extra 2 hours on Ogijima. It was okay though as I did love the island.
“Corridor of Time” by Takashi Nishibori
Finally, around the port there were several art houses, although they aren’t really linked to Benesse as the houses on Naoshima, Inujima, and Teshima appear to be. They appear to be temporary exhibits but it would be great if they were permanent exhibits. The last house I visited, but the closest to the port is “Corridor of Time” by Takashi Nishibori. From Dave@Ogijima, I learned a lot more about the art and a bit about the previous artwork Takashi made for the last festival. I was still impressed by the artwork and the turning skeletons of umbrellas were impressive. I was more impressed by the first floor than the second floor as the first floor had umbrellas everywhere and it created a more peaceful atmosphere as there were no sounds of motors. I then headed to “Water Mirror” by Sayaka Ishizuka after visiting ONBA FACTORY. Water Mirror was an interesting piece as Sayaka gathered various household items from the islanders and hung them in the middle of the room. Combined with the bright lights outside, it was a stunning piece to look at and all of the items were made to look like islands as well as provide various aspects for taking photos. “Time Tube” by Takeshi Kawashima & Dream Friends was a wonderful piece of work that was at Dream Café, one of the restaurants on Ogijima. Time Tube was nothing more than a series of rolled up magazines and newspapers set in an all-white room with a couple mirrors. The amazing part was the kaleidoscopes that they provided. It created a very different view of the interior and a bit of a game to see things differently without hitting any of the magazines. Outside, they also had another kaleidoscope the size of a telescope. It was fun to put people in front of it and see various images of people from the view of a kaleidoscope.
“Water Mirror” by Sayaka Ishizuka
“Time Tube” by Takeshi Kawashima & Dream Friends
“ONBA” by ONBA FACTORY
Ogijima has a lot to offer and a lot to see. Unfortunately there just isn’t enough space to write about it all at once. As you can tell, I enjoyed myself a lot and even though I spent just over half a day on Ogijima, I could have easily spent the entire day there just relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere of the small town itself. I would gladly go back during the next Triennale, and if I do end up in Takamatsu before that, I would gladly go back regardless and just spend an afternoon at the ONBA CAFÉ.
Bonus Video: Here is a short video of the artwork “Corridor of Time” by Takashi Nishibori
Ogijima (Part I) is part of a series of posts on the Setouchi Triennale, and half of a two part series on Ogijima. Follow the links below to read more about the different aspects of the Setouchi Triennale.
Uno is a nice quiet port town on the Okayama side of the Setouchi Triennale. My own thought is that Uno will be one area that is overlooked in the Setouchi Triennale. Uno doesn’t have a lot going for it as there really isn’t anything to see or do there. Doing a quick search, I found only one solitary hotel in the port area, so travelling to and from Uno would have to be done primarily via Okayama. It is a very small place that only needs an hour or so to cover. Things tend to be spread out a bit but for a short visit, you won’t be disappointed. The only problem with the art is that most of it is very interactive and requires a bit of explanation to appreciate it more than the face value of it. Thankfully I ran into a nice older gentleman who was a volunteer guide in Uno and a volunteer for the festival itself. He was kind enough to offer some insight into how the artwork was made as well as what we can do to enjoy it a lot more.
Paradise by Nobuyoshi Araki
Upon disembarking from the ferry from Teshima, I started to get my bearings as Uno was completely new to me. I had never been in that port and I knew that the area would be relatively small. I didn’t need to do too much to learn about the area but I was confused because the art was spread out. I saw what looked like the first piece of art. It was an interestingly decorated micro-van and a strange couple of people standing by it. It turned out to be one of the artworks, “abandon/hope” by David Sylvian. Curiously enough it is also titled “resonance with UNO” in the official guide book but on the website they used abandon/hope. This art is actually pretty unique. Utilizing a photo from “Paradise” from Nobuyoshi Araki, David Sylvian’s work is actually a soundtrack rather than a physical piece of art. Curiously enough, there is a third title for this artwork, “Too Close To Being Far Away From Everything” by Taylor Deupree. Ultimately, you get a small badge from which you can listen to a special soundtrack of background music and sounds. It is meant to be worn and listened to for nearly an hour. The sounds you hear are sometimes a little scary as it feels as if you are walking with a ghost nearby. My only problem with the art is that the badges didn’t work properly. While it was designed to be capable of being fast forwarded, I always ended up having to restart it instead. The art is free, but you must put a 2000 yen deposit in order to use it, but you do get it back when you return it, and you can keep it for a few days if you really wanted to.
abandon/hope by David Sylvian
Memories of Ships Hull by Atsushi Ozawa (Anchor)
From the port, you can also easily see the first artwork, “Paradise”. It is a series of billboard sized photos along the main street in front of the port, but they were a little creepy for my own liking. They featured dolls and monsters with various flowers. It was interesting to see the composition together but I didn’t “get” the message. I then ventured over to “Memory of Ships Hull” by Atsushi Ozawa. Comprised of an old anchor set near the port and a ship propeller near the wharf, both pieces collect various metal works products from nearby industries and placed them on top of the two main items. It created a very insightful piece of art that made me wonder about the local industries and if they would continue to survive. Probably the most impactful artwork was “Chinu – the Black Sea Bream of Uno” by Yodogawa-Technique. The art was a large fish made out of garbage. The garbage was collected over time from the nearby river and the garbage of various colours was composed into the giant fish. It was striking to see so much garbage and to realize how much trash was going into the rivers by accident. The last work I saw was “Una” by Mio Shirai. It was the converted event hall space that had various tents and a small outdoor stage. You may not even notice it because it seemed pretty normal in general, especially after seeing so many pieces of art. Inside the hall, you can see a few special exhibits and at times you may even get to see a concert. The exhibit had some interesting works from other various artists including videos and other aural exhibits. It was one of the stranger exhibits to see and I honestly didn’t really get it either. From the summer edition, there will be several more artworks available to see in Uno but unfortunately I won’t be able to see them.
Memories of Ships Hull by Atsushi Ozawa (Propeller)
Chinu – the Black Sea Bream of Uno by Yodogawa-Technique
Una by Mio Shirai
Old Rail Yard (Including the Yamada Denki)
One of the highlights of my day was the extra 40 minutes I had waiting for my ferry to Takamatsu. I was preparing to head to the ferry terminal when a nice old gentleman, the one we met as we disembarked from the ferry, came up and struck up a small conversation with us. He was very knowledgeable of the ferry schedule and he was a volunteer guide for the area. He had worked as a young man on the many ferries that departed from Uno. He told us a great story about the history of Uno. It was once a large shipping port with most of its ships transporting rail cars. This was before the Seto Bridge was completed, so the only rail link between Honshu and Shikoku would have been via ferries from Uno to Takamatsu. There was a huge area the size of several football fields where the train cars would come in to be placed on to ships and subsequently taken off of the ships. You could see rails 6 wide and then when they entered the ships, they were 4 wide. It was amazing to hear the story and see the visual differences of the rail yard and how it was before and how it is now. He had a great photo board where we could see the images with the real backdrop. It is amazing to see such a difference and hopefully they can change the future so that Uno can be an interesting place to visit.
Uno Port
Uno was a place that surprised me. I don’t plan to ever visit Uno again by itself, but I would visit again if I go to the next Setouchi Triennale. The port is a very nice place with some good characters there. It does require a little luck in meeting nice older people who can give you a little advice and a little history. I would really enjoy the town more if I had the nice older gentleman as my full guide for the entire time I was in Uno. He is even a little famous as I saw him on TV a couple times promoting the art festival. Like all of the other communities I saw during the Setouchi Triennale, except for Naoshima and Takamatsu, the communities are still dying and in need of revitalizing. I’m not sure that I agree with spending money to revitalize some of the communities. It might be too expensive but at the same time, these are beautiful places that just need the right industry to make it viable. I hope they can do something better to encourage people to visit but it is unlikely if you ask me. For now, their hopes will have to continue to rest on the Triennale.
Bonus Pic: Blue Bug for Ru
Uno is part of a series of posts on the Setouchi Triennale. Follow the links below to read more about the different aspects of the Setouchi Triennale.
Being the second largest island in the Setouchi Triennale, there are a lot of choices when it comes to eating and snacking on the island. By far, the easiest place to eat is around Ieura Port, but you can also easily find things to eat around the Karatoka, the hill in the Karato area. Trying to find places can be a little difficult at times but with a little investigative searching, you can find places where you can eat. I only experienced 3 shops, relaxed in 1, and dipped my head into a few others. The majority of the time I tried to frequent places that were a bit smaller or places that was more interesting. Cafes were a theme that I enjoyed on these islands and full on restaurants were a little difficult to come by, but not impossible to find.
Ichigoya
The first day I was in Teshima, I didn’t need to eat as I had already eaten on Inujima. I was pretty content but when I went to Il Vento, the café inside the funky house by a German designer, my friend needed some caffeine, so he got a coffee, or was it a latte. While the price of drinks was not really overpriced, I didn’t feel a need to get a drink. If you want to check out the art, and not pay the entrance fee, you should get a drink as the entrance fee of 300 yen is waived if you buy something. If anything, one reason to buy a drink, or food, is to say you did have something in the artwork. How often can you say you had a drink in such a funky place? The one place I did enjoy was going to Ichigoya. It is a small little shop that specializes in strawberries, hence the name being “Strawberry Shop” in English. It wasn’t so much of a shop as it was just a place for locals to go and get a quick snack. The people running the shop were very friendly and felt like going to a farmer’s market. They had strawberries available for purchase as well as their own sweets. It appears that the most popular dish was the strawberry crepes. I decided to go for the strawberry ice cream instead and it was delicious. They had some really nice strawberry syrup as well as a fresh strawberry on my ice cream cone. I do regret not trying the smoothie but the prices were a bit high for my tastes, but the next time I go to Teshima, I’ll more than likely give it a try. On a quick side note, their website “teshima158” is a really interesting play on numbers. 1-5-8 can be read ichi-go-ya, so I was amused when I saw it.
涼風庵
The next morning, I arrived in Karato Port really early. I had an hour to burn before I could enter one of the artworks. I decided to just enjoy myself and went to a tea house that was in the guidebook. I went to a shop called 涼風庵 (Gyofuan). It was an old house located just off the main street. The only way to access it was to walk through some of the small pedestrian alleys between the houses. The shop was well marked but it was difficult to find if you didn’t know how to read the kanji. The older lady running the shop lived in the house and was wearing somewhat traditional clothing. She wasn’t wearing a kimono but she was wearing one of the top layers of a kimono to keep warm, along with grey sweat pants. It was an interesting combination to say the least. I was a bit nervous to enter at first but she was very warm and inviting, constantly telling us to come in. We were seated in her tatami room, next to the living room and kitchen. It felt as if we went to someone’s Japanese hometown, to their grandmother’s house. The house was nice and the tea was prepared properly for us, including some little sweets for us to eat. She even played a type of pianica. I can’t really explain the sound too well, but the device was kind of like a pianica but the sound was closer to a koto. She was even trying to get us to take some flat rocks she painted with various fruits on it. She said it could be used as a chopstick rest, but I really didn’t need it, so I didn’t take it. She was a wonderful host and as long as you can speak a little Japanese, the tea and company is nice.
Shima Kitchen Lunch
The last place I went to for food was Shima Kitchen. Shima Kitchen is a very interesting place as it was part of the art itself. Similar to Il Vento, but on a better scale, Shima Kitchen was a really nice restaurant with great food. The building was designed by Ryo Abe and features a large terrace for people to enjoy special events along with their food and drinks. The chef from the Marunouchi Hotel worked with the mothers of Teshima to create a menu that was very local. Watching a video on the restaurant, I watched the chef from the Marunouchi Hotel teach the local mothers how to prepare dishes. While he was the one who came up with the dishes, the mothers worked in collaboration with him, from what I understand. When it comes to the kitchen itself, the mothers are the ones who do the actual cooking, but the chef oversees everything and ensures that the dishes are plated properly too. Regardless of what set you order, the general things you get are the same. For a starter, we got a small salad along with deep fried fish in a curry sauce. For the main dish, I got the special of the day, which was tsukemono (Japanese pickles), rice, oshiruko (I think), vegetable tempura, and deep fried fish with a Thai sauce. It was very delicious and most, if not all, of the items were locally acquired. They even have a set number of dishes for the day and they change the numbers on the board throughout the day. It was nice to be able to enjoy such a nice place for lunch.
Ichigoya Ice Cream
While there are many other places to eat on Teshima, I feel I went to some of the best places. I would love to go back to each and every one of these places. My only regret is not being able to try everything on their menus as well as being able to spend more time relaxing in these shops. It is difficult for them to keep making a living and I did my best to help out. I really hope they continue to do well and that they will become more famous in the future. While the quality may not be Michelin 3 Star quality, just the fact that most of the food was made with love and care is more than enough for me.
Eating on Teshima is part of a series of posts on the Setouchi Triennale, and half of a two part series on Teshima. Follow the links below to read more about the different aspects of the Setouchi Triennale.
I had a special request from Ru to post photos of the shrine next to “Particles in the Air/ Karato” by Noe Aoki. I had to oblige, but unfortunately I didn’t get many photos. The TV crew meant I wasn’t thinking enough but it wasn’t such an interesting shrine anyways. I was there for the art, so Ru, you are lucky to get these few photos.
“Particles in the Air/ Karato” by Noe Aoki
Shrine’s Drinking Water Fountain
Shrine Fountains (Left is for washing, right is for drinking)
Particles in the Air/ Karato – Shrine is a special part of a series of posts on the Setouchi Triennale. Follow the links below to read more about the different aspects of the Setouchi Triennale.
Karato is one of the wider areas of Teshima. There are two main areas of Karato, the harbour/port area and the hillside area. The main route for the festival, assuming you start at Ieura, starts by heading around the north side of the central mountain before going through a short valley. The path then winds around a steep hill before arriving at the port. It is a nice and scenic route along the north side of the island but unfortunately from the bus you do tend to miss a lot. Considering I like to take photos as a hobby, taking the bus is not the most productive way to experience the island let alone bring opportunities to take photos. Cycling can allow you to see a lot of the island in a shorter time but photo opportunities are few and far between, especially with a large camera. For my own personal route from Karato, I took the bus out to Karato Port and walked around that area before taking the bus up the hill to get to the Teshima Art Museum. I then walked the rest of the way back to Ieura.
No One Wins – Multibasket by Llobet & Pons
Arriving in the early morning on Teshima meant that I had a lot of free time. Taking the bus also meant I had a lot of free time. I arrived in Karato Port around 8:30am and had nothing to do for about one and a half hours. The main art project I wanted to see was located about 1-2 km away from the port and didn’t open until 10am. This meant I had a lot of free time so I took a small tour of the small village area next to the port and went to a tiny tea house where a nice old lady entertained me and my friend. We then headed to “No one wins – Multibasket” by Llobet & Pons. It was a simple basketball backboard that was in the shape of Teshima, along with several baskets. There were several basketballs next to the exhibit so I did what any natural westerner would do. I grabbed a ball and played a little basketball for about 10 minutes. It was fun to play and I worked up a small sweat but it was the most fun art installation of the entire festival. Down the road was the “Les Archives du Coeur” by Christian Boltanski. Christian Boltanski is a French artist who wanted to create an archive of heartbeats to open our eyes to our own mortality. The installation is a permanent exhibit next to the beach. The main art is a dark corridor lined with small mirrors and a solitary light in the centre. You hear various recordings of heart beats as the light pulsates to the beat. There is another room where you can select heartbeats and listen to them with a view of the beach and a recording room. I found the piece to be interesting but the 1500 yen price to record your own heartbeat was a bit steep for me, so I opted not to do it. From Les Archives du Coeur, I headed back to Karato Port and took the bus up the hill to the Teshima Art Museum. It is the major installation by Benesse. The tour of the museum starts with a walk around the grounds to see the rice fields of the surrounding hill and the Seto Inland Sea and Karato Port below. You then enter the main museum which was designed by Ryue Nishizawa in collaboration with the artist Rei Naito. It is essentially a large concrete dome with two holes cut into it. You are asked to be quiet so that the sounds of nature can enter the dome. There are also several holes in the ground. Some of them have water coming out of them while others are drains. It creates a very lovely looking floor but beware that your feet could get wet. Also be aware that some areas are “off limits” due to the flowing nature of the water and staff will ask you to move away from that area. It was a nice place but like most of the large scale Benesse museums, I was let down overall.
Les Archives du Coeur by Christian Boltanski
Teshima Art Museum
Storm House by Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller
Karatoka is an area just above the Teshima Art Museum. It is home to 4 installations, with “Storm House” by Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller being the closest to the Teshima Art Museum. Storm House is one of the most memorable houses of the entire festival. It is a 10 minute “show” where you enter the small 2 room house and take a seat on the tatami floors. It starts with a simple aural experience as you hear the birds chirping. You then start to hear thunder and then you see flashes of lightning. The rain starts to pour harder and harder until the peak of the storm cuts the power. As the storm passes, things start to calm down and return to normal. It was a complete immersive experience that was very interesting and could challenge Disney in creating a lifelike experience. I then headed to “Shima Kitchen” by Ryo Abe. It was not so much art as much as a restaurant with artistic looks. There was a large outdoor terrace with a very interesting roof and the restaurant was done in collaboration with chefs from the Marunouchi Hotel as well as the obachans of Teshima. It was lovely to have lunch there and I highly recommend it to everyone. Behind Shima Kitchen was “Your First Colour (Solution In My Head-Solution In My Stomach)” by Pipilotti Rist. Utilizing a small store house behind Shima Kitchen, this artwork was very boring for me. Using a round screen suspended in the second floor, viewable through a hole in the floor, you can enjoy watching images of tulips and other relaxing things. I found it to be too simple so I didn’t stay for a long time. I then proceeded to “Particles in the Air/ Karato” by Noe Aoki. It was a series of rusted metal disks that were welded together and formed, for a lack of a better description, halos in the sky. It was located next to an old shrine where there was free flowing well water for you to wash your hands as well as get a drink of water. While I was there, a TV crew was also there and they asked me and my friend a few questions. They worked for Nishi Nippon TV but unfortunately I won’t be seen in Tokyo as the show is only for Okayama and Kagawa. From Particles in the Air / Karato, I walked all the way back to Ieura with a stop at “Tom Na H-iu” by Mariko Mori. It was one of the installations that I wanted to see as it was a white stone located in the centre of a pond that was surrounded by a bamboo forest. It was also located in an area that was difficult to access at times. It was so difficult to access that they offer rubber boots for the rainy season. While the art didn’t live up to my expectations, it was a very tranquil setting and I felt at one with nature. The white stone itself is hollow and I learned after visiting that the stone only lights up if a supernova in the universe is recorded. Unfortunately I didn’t see that on this trip.
Shima Kitchen by Ryo Abe (Terrace Section)
Your First Colour (Solution In My Head-Solution In My Stomach) by Pipilotti Rist
Particles in the Air/ Karato by Noe Aoki
Nishi Nippon TV Crew (At Takamatsu)
While Teshima is a great island to visit, it felt like Naoshima, only more spread out. The major museum was as spectacular as when I went to the Chichu Museum on Naoshima. It was overly simplistic without getting my spirits up. I found more delight in seeing all of the smaller works, the art houses, and meeting the older generations still on the island. There are a lot of stories to be heard on Teshima but you really have to get out there and listen to them. Lots of the obachan are willing to tell you a story if you are willing to listen to them. With all the obachan I did meet, I was surprised I didn’t get more sweets. Unlike the Tokyo obachan, the obachan of the countryside are pretty sweet and will provide you with more stories than you could ever imagine.
Bonus Video: Just a short video of the ferry from Takamatsu to Teshima. I just thought the old man was really cool.
Teshima – Karato is part of a series of posts on the Setouchi Triennale, and half of a two part series on Teshima. Follow the links below to read more about the different aspects of the Setouchi Triennale.
This time of year reminds me of something I learned from Rurosha when I first started reading her blog. At least I think I started to read her blog about a year ago. I learned about wisterias, a beautiful vine with beautiful purple flowers. I learned about the famous wisterias at a shrine near my place, Kameido Tenjin. They have beautiful trellises with wisterias on them. Recently I went for a walk in Oyokogawa Park and saw something that I hadn’t noticed in the 3 years that I have lived in Kinshicho. I noticed a building with wisteria, but I’m not a botanist, so I could be completely wrong, and the building was full of wisteria. I always knew it was a beautiful building with lovely vines growing up the side of the building, but since I rarely walk in the park during the day, it was the first time I really noticed it. I couldn’t help but think of Rurosha’s post “In praise of wisteria and older men” where I first learned about wisteria. Unfortunately, I also think of “Desperate Housewives” and where they live, but that is completely off topic here. Do note that I don’t watch Desperate Housewives. It is that time of year so if you are in Japan and are having sakura withdraws consider looking for some wisteria as they are just as interesting and probably highly underrated in Japan. When that is done, we have hydrangeas to look forward to. Thanks Ru, and to a secondary extent, Sarah for the interest in flowers and what their names and blooming times are.
