Sakushima, Artistic island in Mikawa Bay, Japan
Sakushima is an island in Mikawa Bay shaped somewhat like a crab, extending across several kilometers with low cliffs and volcanic rock formations. The island holds a small village with local homes and numerous contemporary art installations integrated throughout the landscape.
The island was inhabited during the Yayoi period, as shown by archaeological finds of shell mounds. Later, burial structures made of sea stones were built, dating back some fourteen hundred years and pointing to millennia of habitation.
The island holds twenty-two contemporary art installations, including the black-walled Hirune House and white East House, scattered across this community of around three hundred residents. These works shape the everyday landscape and make art a natural part of daily life here.
The island is reached by ferry in about twenty-five minutes from Isshiki Port. Local restaurants serve fresh seafood, and visitors should wear good walking shoes for the narrow streets.
The island's narrow, maze-like streets were originally designed to ward off pirates and strong winds. This old defensive system of stone passages remains in place today and shapes how people move through the village.
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