Inujima diaries☁️ Chill Island Vibes + Deep Reflection 🏝️🌷🫖

 Have you ever heard of Inujima?

This small island, located just 10 minutes by boat from Hoden Port in southern Okayama Prefecture, is home to only 26 residents. Despite its natural beauty and artistic charm, depopulation is a serious issue—and we’re working step by step to help change that. 😊

Last weekend, we visited Inujima.

As we walked around, we were surrounded by both modern art and traces of the island’s past. It was such a fascinating experience, but at the same time, we couldn’t ignore the signs of depopulation. ☹️

After exploring various spots around the island, we eventually arrived at a special place called “Inujima Life Garden” (犬島 暮らしの植物園).

The weather was perfect—sunny and warm, ideal for spending time with nature. ☀️🧑🏼‍🌾

At this garden, people learn about social design through growing vegetables and flowers in creative and meaningful ways.

While we were thinking about how and where to plant things, the garden master, Mr. Hashitsume, said something that really stayed with me:

“Sometimes we don’t need to focus on productivity. Just plant however you feel inspired.”

That’s when I realized—this isn’t just gardening. It’s social design. We should plant things in ways that are visually appealing and emotionally engaging for people to see.

After spending time in the garden, we enjoyed some relaxing herb tea. 🫖🌿

Each pair created their own original blend, which became one of the most memorable parts of the day. I felt like a world-class chef! 👩‍🍳💞

And because every tea was unique, it made the experience even more special—something you could never recreate exactly the same way.

🌟Reflection 🌱

Simply attracting tourists isn’t enough—without people to care for the island, Inujima will slowly fall into neglect.

That’s why I believe the real challenge for Inujima now is to increase the number of residents and caretakers.

Rather than just placing art on the island, if Inujima’s artwork could be featured in more visible and accessible places where it catches people’s attention, it could inspire more visitors—and maybe even future residents.