Our ferry journey continues as we come across a rather large island.
This is Teshima Island.
Its name roughly means “Plentiful Island,” and true to its name, it has long provided for its inhabitants.

Islands in the Seto Inland Sea have poor freshwater resources, but this one is different; The 340-meter Mt. Dan’yama provides ample spring water for Teshima.
Rainfall soaks into the rock, purifying over time and emerging at the foothills clear and pure.
This “water treasure,” as it is called, has continued to sustain the lives of Teshima residents to this day.

At the Teshima Art Museum, visitors can enter a marvelous space where water gushes from the floors, as if manifesting the memory of this “Water Island.”
It’s easy to lose all sense of time as you quietly gaze upon the water.
It is a one-of-a-kind display, representative of Teshima Island.

But Teshima also has a different face as a “Stone Island.”
Heat-resistant yet easily worked, Teshima stone is perfect for making lanterns and stoves. These goods are used even in the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto.
Although it’s no longer quarried, this material continues to leave its mark on the island’s culture.

Teshima has known many nicknames over the ages –
“Milk Island,” for its thriving dairy farming industry…
and “Welfare Island,” for the postwar facilities established here…
On the other hand, there was a time where the amount of illegal dumping of industrial waste earned it the name “Trash Island.”

Nowadays, it wears a new nickname: “Art Island.”
An old house repurposed into a museum, the Teshima Yokoo House melds painting and architecture into a unique experience.

Rent a bicycle for a ride through terraced rice fields and fishing villages, while taking in some modern art – this is the Teshima experience.

The nicknames may change, but the bountiful land and freshwater that bless the lives of its residents remain the same. The “Plentiful Island” of Teshima represents the indomitable vitality of the Seto Inland Sea’s many islands.