Megijima
 
It is located in the 4km offshore of Kagawa prefecture. It takes only 20 minutes by ferry from Takamatsu port.
There are some places with up-and-down but we can easily go around by motor assisted bicycle in this small island of 9km of circumference.
This Megijima is a pair island with Ogijima island. (Megijima is a woman island, and Ogijima is a man island.)
However this Megijima has another name: Oniga-shima.
 
Oniga-shima means "Ogre island" in Japanese, and in the famous fairy tale "Momotaro (the Peach boy)" this is where Momotaro went to defeat the ogres.

In the north side of this island, there is Mt Washigamine, and on the top of this mountain, there is a big cavern of 400m of totall length which has been made by people in B.C.200, and there, it is said that the ogres used to live.
There is not special ground for the place of ogres in Megijima, but it is still unknown why and who made such a big cavern.

However, the people of Megijima unified to push the ogres in this island which makes a heartwarming scenery.
In the cavern there are ogre figures and countless Oni-gawara (tiles of ogres) made by students in Kagawa prefecture shown inside.
You can find many ogre monuments and something concerning ogres everywhere in the island so that you may find the difference of image of ogres between the Occident and Japan.
If you go up to the top of the cavern, there is an observatory where you can enjoy a 360 degreee view of the Seto Inland Sea. You should not miss it.

　
As you find, they appeal that this is the island of ogres in Megijima, but the village of Megijima has a sole and unique scenery.
The stone fences called "Oote" cumulated for the wall are found everywhere and some walls have 4m of hight and they make a kind of labyrinth.
It is not for the protection for the foreign enemy's attack, but it is for the local gust of wind from the highest mountain Mt Takato (216m) from south side during the winter time. 

And this Megijima is also selected for the festival of Art Setouchi, and there are many installation of arts.
Shinro Otake changed an closed school in art called "Mekon". "Terrace Winds" by Yasuyoshi Sugiura (ceramic artist), and "The Presence of Absence" by Leandro Erlich (Argentine modern artist), etc tha you can find the artworks created in the art festival.

Related blogs:
- The sister islands of Japan, the islands of Megijima et d'Ogijima
- Setouchi triennale : the art of the Seto sea
- Setouchi triennale 2019 : international art festival in Japan