Preserving the Island's Cultural Legacy

Naoyuki Furukawa Associate Professor, Economics Department Kagawa University

Kagawa University's project designed to reinvigorate the region saw the opening of “Gu,” a Japanese-style café, in 2006, as the starting point for a host of activities we hope will breathe new life into Naoshima. My own lectures at the university focus mainly on economics and the environment, so the idea of opening a shop never occurred to me. That suggestion was actually proposed by students. We then collaborated on putting together a competitive proposal to apply for funding from the Economics Department, which we eventually received. Our goal for the first stage of the project was just to open the café, but we felt that, while holding one-time events is a common way of helping to revitalize regions, this alone would not really win over local residents. This was another reason we chose to make “Gu” the focal point for the project, to serve as a base and springboard for propagating a wide range of activities going forward.
Thanks to this project, I've been told by a number of Naoshima residents that just having college students coming in every week has livened things up on the island. Right now, about 30 students are participating in the project, and already the unique perspectives they each bring have uncovered new aspects to the island's appeal. They have also learned a great deal from their interactions with the island's residents. In that sense, I think that the concept of “living well” has become a tangible part of these young people's lives.

Kagawa University Student Project to Revitalize the Naoshima Region

- Activity 1
Operation of “Gu” Japanese-style café
In addition to offering food and drink, the café is a base for promoting projects proposed by the students. The café continues to experiment with various initiatives, including the sale of fair trade merchandise from Cambodia in collaboration with a local NPO. In another initiative, it utilizes Japan's certified Green Power system to supplement its power supply with electricity produced from wind power and biomass sources. Students have also made eco-conscious activities an integral part of café operations, using a compost pile in the adjacent garden to process organic refuse, taking advantage of eco-bags and reusable lacquered chopsticks, and putting the idea of “locally produced, locally consumed” into practice by using locally available ingredients for dishes on the café's menu. In the future, the students plan to sell goods through the small retail shops found throughout the Seto Inland Sea islands.

- Activity 2
Volunteer guides
Students began acting as volunteer guides in 2007. In the future, they hope to put together a unique course of tourist sites and walking tours for visitors. Students are also expected to assist in the trial operation of Velotaxi, an eco-friendly bicycle taxi service launched by Kagawa Prefecture in the summer of 2008.

- Activity 3
Interaction with other universities
Kagawa University students are exchanging ideas with students at other universities across Japan in an effort to make towns better places to live and deal with the problem of vacant stores in traditional small-town shopping districts nationwide.

- Activity 4
Participation in local events
Students are taking part in the Benesse-sponsored “Rice Project” and the “We Love Naoshima” meetings sponsored by Naoshima's residents association. They also act as tutors for children participating in the “Naoshima Nature Explorers” program held each year. In addition, the students can be found taking part in coastal cleanup drives, helping with the planting and harvesting of kenaf by the Kenaf Workshop, and actively participating in any other activities that local residents invite them to attend.

- Activity 5
Creating ties between high schools and the university
Kagawa University's Economics Department has established cooperative ties with Tamano Commercial High School in the city of Tamano in Okayama Prefecture, located near Naoshima. Activities transcending the traditional boundaries between high school and university students are now under way, centered on the Naoshima Project. High schoolers are provided with opportunities for hands-on education and training through work as volunteer guides and helping to run the café.

Meeting New People Through Art

Can artists Akira and Toshiko Kojima

For years, I've always thought that once you pull the tabs, empty cans look like faces. I'd always find myself thinking, “I wonder what it would look like if you attached hands to that can?” Then one day, before retiring from my job working in steel, I happened across a spare piece of ground wire. My first thought was, “I bet that I could easily mold this into a five-fingered shape.” After attaching the makeshift hand, I put the piece on display at the Kenaf Workshop, where my wife works. If I recall, fairly soon after that an official from the prefectural office told me, “This piece captures both the eco-consciousness and art of Naoshima. I think it would make a great souvenir.” It's been three years now since I hesitantly took the first step to actually put a price on one of my pieces. Right now, I'm working on what I call my “Working Folks” series, which is the latest in a variety of series I've created since. Last year, I started selling my pieces from home, and somewhat surprisingly, many of my customers are men. Looking back on how I got here, it seems like so many unexpected opportunities came together to make my new career possible. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined that my work would get the attention that it has.
I can't say that I always had a burning interest in ecology and art. It was in talking with Ms. Oya at the Kenaf Workshop, who is deeply committed to helping prevent global warming, that I first realized just how important caring for the environment really is. Similarly with art, I was never one to go to museums. But, when the Chichu Art Museum opened, I decided on a whim to have a look and found myself enjoying it despite knowing nothing about art. That's when it struck me that art really is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. If Benesse had never pursued its activities in Naoshima, my can artwork too would never have taken off. I'd probably be pretty aimless right now and living on a modest pension instead of meeting different people and having new experiences. My life has truly changed in completely unpredictable ways.

A Visitor Captured by the Island's Charm Helping Others Enjoy Their Stay

Kahoru Shimizu Assistant General Manager Benesse House

I moved to Naoshima in November 2005 to help launch the “Benesse House Spa” that was built next to the “PARK” wing of Benesse House. When I was first approached about being in charge of “Benesse House Spa” three years ago, the key consideration for me was not just the job itself, but whether I would like Naoshima. At that time, I had never visited the island and thought it might be best to do so before considering the job.
When I arrived, I was surprised not only at how spotless the town was, but at the high level of cultural awareness and sophisticated lifestyles among the residents. While the works of art dotting the landscape and the Chichu Art Museum were amazing, I was most taken with the charm of the town itself. With large cities, while they might appear beautiful on the surface, off-streets tend to be full of litter. But in Naoshima, no matter where you look, the gardens and yards you see have received real care. Over the years, I've worked at a variety of jobs, including cosmetics training and product development, as the secretary of an IT company chairman, and in helping to launch a Web-based magazine for women. But in coming to Naoshima, I was convinced that I'd be able to pour more into my work here than ever before.
It's been three years since I moved to Naoshima, and I've gone from being responsible for “Benesse House Spa” to being Assistant General Manager of Benesse House. The number of visitors to the island has risen five-fold over the past five years or so, with around 300,000 people visiting each year. At Benesse House, we see a growing number of visitors from overseas, particularly from Northern Europe and France. They often tell us that there is no place in the world quite like Benesse House, and that's something we're very proud to hear. I hope Benesse will continue to promote the truly unique program that is “Benesse Art Site Naoshima,” and that Benesse House will help visitors experience the nature and art of Naoshima in comfort. For my part, if we can give customers the opportunity to ponder what “living well” means as we assist them in this way, then I'll be happy.

Awareness of “Living Well” Among Town Residents

Osamu Kikuta Advisor Naoshima Cultural Village

The land stretching along the southern side of Naoshima had long been undeveloped. The north, meanwhile, had turned into an industrial zone. In 1959, Mayor Miyake announced his desire to turn the southern side of the island into a cultural tourism spot, one that both those born in Naoshima and people from around the world would be proud of. This announcement was followed up with a wide array of activities to this end. This was the start of a long search for ways to transform Naoshima into the Mecca for cultural tourism that the mayor envisioned. At one point, companies were busy pushing garish developments on the island, but most of this activity eventually ended as abruptly as it began.
Benesse, however, was different. Even so, some residents expressed disdain at the slow, methodical approach to development that Benesse chose, opening a campground first, then Benesse House, then the Chichu Art Museum. But I think Benesse really became an integral part of the town with the opening of its first NAOSHIMA STANDARD exhibition. That's when people started to realize that Benesse was thinking not only about creating the usual sort of tourist attraction, but about what was best for the entire island. The number of town residents volunteering as tour guides also began increasing around this time. The fact that the museum was open free of charge to Naoshima residents was probably one reason for this growth.
I think that the concept of “living well” begins first with those around you, and then gradually spreads out to encompass the whole of society. In my opinion, that's how we get to a way of life that actually encourages all of us on this planet to be better people.
When I see those who visit Naoshima, I get a real sense that the meaning of tourism itself has changed. Over-the-top attractions might initially draw a lot of people, but this never lasts for long. We don't intend to do that here. The environment of this island is like an art museum, and there is something here that stirs the hearts of those who experience it. Without actively advertising, we have people visiting this island from all across the world— America, Europe, South Korea, Taiwan—based on nothing more than word of mouth. I think this is a real testament to just how alluring Naoshima really is.

From Competitors to Partners in Prosperity

Shoko Fukumoto Proprietor Minatoya Inn

The current growth in visitors to Naoshima has happened very recently, during maybe the last five or six years. Because of the museums, a lot of those visiting seem to be connected to art in some way. But it isn't only young Japanese people coming; we see visitors of all ages and recently have seen a growing number of foreign visitors as well. As you may have guessed, this island has changed dramatically. In years past, the Miyanoura District was the main hub of activity. With the start of the Art House Project, though, the Honmura District has also recently become a popular destination for tourists.
Although the large number of visitors is something for which those of us in business are grateful, some of the town's residents have pointed out that this is causing traffic issues. Despite this, I still prefer our island today to one with little or no vitality at all. Whenever I myself go to see exhibits that have received good reviews, such as Art House Project exhibits or the work of artists like Akira Senju, I find myself going back again and again because they really are inspiring to see.
When I first heard that Benesse was planning to develop a hotel on Naoshima, I was concerned that it might be a threat to my own business. After all, the inn that I operate here is a modest one. But when Benesse House was built and the NAOSHIMA STANDARD exhibition and Art House Project opened, the reality was that a whole new world opened up to us that we couldn't have discovered alone. Some of those who come to visit the island do still end up making their way to my establishment. I've since come to see that even my inn has its own destined role in the new Naoshima. That role is to provide tourists who come here with an affordable place to stay, and to do that, all we need do is carry on with the work we think best suits us. It really is wonderful to be just busy enough, and have just the right amount of flexibility in life, as well as meeting so many different types of people. In that sense, I really feel that things have changed at my inn ever since Benesse began its activities here in Naoshima.

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