Teshima

It takes 25 minutes from Naoshima, and this island is located between Shodoshima island and Naoshima island.This island is about 20km in circumference.
The tuff stone of very good quality, Teshima stone is produced, this island is used to be prosperous by quarry, and also by abundant water and by fertile soil, the agriculture, the dairy business, and the fishing prosper were very active.
In the centre of the island, the scenery from the top of Mt Danzan was outstanding, so that this iland has been literally a "Rich island".
However, everything changes as time goes by. By modernization, young people left the island then the depopulation was caused, so that they faced an increase of the aged population. Accordingly, Teshima was declined. From 1970's, the illegal dumping is started progressively, and it because a big insident after 16 years. It is known as Teshima-incident. It gave a fatal blow to the nature and rich soil of the island, and the island once called "Rich island" became "Litter island".
After this problem is uncovered, long and hard conflict by residents of the island, the prefecture set to work to remove the litter, but still, the island is no longer what it was used to be.
This time, they struggle to withdraw the image of the "Litter island", it is nominated the place for the festival of "Art Setouchi, Teshima pulled the attention of people all over the world as an island of art, so they found a new way.
Because of the hard background of the history of this island, we can feel the energy of hope in the artworks in this island.

  

Related blogs:
- Setouchi triennale : The art on the Seto sea 
- Setouchi Triennale 2019: International Art Festival in Japan
- The Art of the Seto Sea: the success of the Setouchi Triennale for this first spring session 2019