Inujima, which translates to “Dog Island”, is a small island located near the northern coast of the Seto Inland Sea and Okayama.
Inujima Island gets its unique name from a large rock that
resembles a sitting dog, hence “Dog Island”. The island is
so small, you can explore it entirely on foot. It was once
an industrial site for producing granite during the feudal
age and then it turned into a copper refinery in the 20th
century. Today it serves as a peaceful art site, similar to
the nearby Naoshima Island.
The island experienced a premature closing of its copper
refinery due to plummeting copper prices, but the ruins of
the refinery remain. It is a designated “heritage of
industrial modernization” site, and characterizes the
island’s scenery with its tumbledown brick walls and
chimneys. The ruins were even converted into the
Inujima Seirensho Art Museum, repurposing the ruins
into a charming art gallery.
There is also the Inujima Art House Project, which were
built during past art festivals, but are now permanent
attractions. The island has limited shopping and dining,
with only a couple restaurants near the port and a café
inside the art museum. Visitors will also find a beach with
a campground just a ten minute walking distance from
the ferry terminal. The rest of the island is occupied by a
small rural village, home to only a 100 people or so.
Chugoku | Okayama | Inujima Island
Inujima Seirensho Art Museum
Inujima Seirensho Art Museum is a former copper refinery turned art gallery with a focus on environmental sustainability.
