Inujima Diaries: A cup of Culture🫧🫖

･:* . Welcome to Inujima .*:･

This time, we were happy to welcome many international students —- all from a Japanese language school.

Their backgrounds were wonderfully diverse, with participants from France, Poland, and the Netherlands, and even two friends joining us from Bangladesh.

While working together, we chatted about things like “What brought you to Japan?”, “What is your dream job?”, and “What is your hometown like?”

Since I love travelling, it was really inspiring to hear their stories and imagine what life might be like in their countries.


Weeding can be pretty tough work, but this time, I truly enjoyed the moment! (Maybe because the weather was cooler too, haha.) 





Different colors, tastes, and stories💭💘

After working hard, of course, we need a short break — and today, we had our usual herb tea time.

Since we had so many people, the colors of our teas turned out beautifully diverse.

My favorite color? Definitely pink! But in terms of taste… I would say blue one wins. Not too sweet, just refreshing — the perfect balance!


If you want to create own blend or find your favourite color, come to Inujima! Great people and gentle nature are waiting for you.




Sharing Smiles, Sharing Peace𖥔 ࣪︎ 𓌉◯𓇋 ‎⡱

Today we enjoyed Inujima’s traditional bara-zushi, kindly made by the local island lady.  It was such a great opportunity to share our social design activities and connect through local food.


Our Bangladeshi friend also brought their own halal lunch and shared it with us little by little. Some people found it a bit spicy — but honestly, tasting a culture we would never have experienced before was the spiciest and most exciting part of the day.


Inujima flavor(ෆڡෆ)
A table of colors and smiles:)




Inujima, where connections bloom🏝️
Made by us💐🤍

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inujima Diaries🫧 From Industrial Past to Artistic Present and Photo Tips to Capture It All ‪📷💭

Image
Our second day on Inujima was all about discovering the island’s fascinating history and learning how to capture its beauty through the lens of a camera🤳🏖️ 【Ruins to Revitalization】 We started with a visit to the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum, a truly unique space built on the remains of a former copper refinery. The museum embodies the concept of “using what exists to create what is to be”, a powerful vision rooted in sustainability, art, architecture, and the environment. I found this idea deeply inspiring. In a time when climate change is a global concern, reusing the past to shape the future is more relevant than ever🌍💫 During a historical session, Mr.Hashitume shared that Inujima once stood as one of Japan’s top copper producers. For years, the smelter thrived, but eventually, a combination of economic recession, management challenges, and rapid industrial advancements led to its closure in 1919. While the industry brought prosperity to both the island and the nation, it also l...
Read more

Inujima Diaries: A Slice of Summer🎐🩵

Image
Our third Inujima activity was burning hot literally! Under the blazing summer sun, we held a cheerful pizza using ingredients from the Life Garden we planted back in May.   【Found it 🍅👀】 I was a bit worried about the extreme heat, but while searching through the overgrown beds, I finally found a tomato! (So many weeds, though.) After clearing them out, we found even more, and they were incredibly juicy.  Honestly, they tasted better than store-bought ones😋💕 【Wellness Starts in the Soil *｡✧】 Why? Here is my idea: Have you ever heard of "horticultural therapy"? Gardening and plant-based activities have been shown to improve both mental and physical health. They can reduce stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression, while also boosting mood, cognitive function and social connection. This activity reminds me that even in a class focused on social design, there is real value in these quiet, grounding moments. Taking care of your mental health through something as simple as te...
Read more

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

Image
  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 tha...
Read more