The Art of the Seto Inland Sea: An Artistic Journey from Traditional to Contemporary （2-nights 3-days）

Since the year 2000, the Seto Inland Sea has become a haven for artistic expression and many contemporary artists have made visits to the islands of the Seto Inland Region, including Shōdoshima, Naoshima, Teshima, and more. The art exhibits spread across the region incorporate the very sea itself through numerous exhibits which seamlessly blend into the ever-present island scenery.
During the Edo Era (1603-1868) Shōdoshima enjoyed a privileged position along maritime trade routes and produced soy beans, wheat, and salt all of which are needed in for the production of soy-sauce. And by the late Edo Era (1603-1868) the volume of production actually exceeded the available firewood needed to produce the required salt. However, the culture of soy-sauce brewing remains strong on Shōdoshima were the traditional methods of soy-sauce production using wooden vats still survives.
Shōdoshima is actually one of the few places across Japan that has preserved these traditional brewing methods by passing down the culture through the generations. These breweries are known across Japan as well as the world for the quality of their work and the breweries and methods themselves are widely considered to be a form of art in their own right.

“Ōtani-yaki” style pottery ware is said to have originated from the late Edo Era (1780) when the craftsman Bun’emon came to Shikoku to from Bungo Province (current day Ōita Prefecture) to do the 88-Temple Pilgrimage. While here he visited Ōtani Village and created “rokuro” style pottery fired in red clay, a first for the island. The technique used for Ōtani-yaki pottery is known as “neirokuro.” Literally meaning something like “sleeping pottery wheel,” this technique requires and assistant to lie under the workbench and spin the pottery wheel with his feet. This technique is fairly rare in a world where machinery is widely used in the production of pottery and the “neirokuro” technique is considered to be part of the region’s traditional art culture.
The regular flooding of the Yoshinogawa River resulted in highly fertile soil which led to the flourishing of indigo cultivation during the Edo Era (1603-1867). Indigo dye was exported from Tokushima to the rest of Japan which greatly enriched the lives of local merchants as well as indigo farmers operating along the banks of the Yoshinogawa River. This tradition of indigo dye continues to this day as visitors to the region can experience indigo dyeing firsthand to create their own uniquely dyed souvenirs.
This course combines aspects of traditional culture and art to take visitors on a tour that explores the transformation of traditional art into contemporary artistic expression to show visitors from across the globe the Japan of the past as well as the Japan of today. In addition, this tour uses bicycles for parts of the itinerary to allow visitors to experience Japan in an eco-conscious way.

●Highlights
・ Cycling through the countryside of Shōdoshima and Tokushima
・ Experiencing traditional soy-sauce brewing and pottery making techniques
・ The contemporary art of Shōdoshima and Teshima
・ Experiencing the traditions and culture of Edo Era Japan up to the present day

●Main Activity
Cycling, Cultural Experiences

●Months of Operation
April to November

●Difficulty
★★★☆☆