Setouchi Triennale | Time Out Tokyo
Yayoi Kusama's 'Red Pumpkin'

Four reasons to visit the Setouchi Triennale

The 2025 edition of the international art festival offers a rich tapestry of contemporary art and community initiatives

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The Setouchi Triennale is one of Japan’s most celebrated contemporary art festivals. Since its inception in 2010, the showcase has brought world-class art to the islands of the Seto Inland Sea in the form of site-specific installations, interactive projects, and performances that integrate seamlessly with the natural and cultural environment.

Visitors can explore artworks scattered across Naoshima, Teshima, Shodoshima, and around 10 other islands, encountering everything from avant-garde sculptures to traditional crafts reinterpreted in contemporary forms. Returning in 2025 to once again transform the Inland Sea area into a massive open-air museum, the Triennale is held across three seasons: Spring (April 18 to May 25), Summer (August 1 to August 31) and Autumn (October 3 to November 9).

The festival always brings together artists from around the world to engage with the region’s rich history, breathtaking landscapes and vibrant local communities, and the 2025 edition will continue this legacy with new commissions that reflect themes of ecology, sustainability and coexistence – urgent topics in an era of climate change and depopulation. Read on for our picks of things not to miss at the 2025 Setouchi Triennale.

RECOMMENDED: Check out our ultimate guide to the Setouchi area

It offers an immersive cultural journey through the Setouchi islands

More than an art festival, the Setouchi Triennale is a journey through time, traditions and natural beauty. The 2025 edition extends to 17 venues, including hidden gems like Ibukijima and Awashima. Each island offers a distinct cultural landscape, deepening the immersive experience for visitors. 

Highlights include revisiting Naoshima, often referred to as Japan’s ‘art island’, where contemporary works blend harmoniously with nature and traditional buildings. Teshima will continue to offer its meditative blend of art and environment, while other islands are debuting new installations that blend local history and community narratives with art.

The festival’s popular island-hopping format not only allows visitors to admire art in a variety of settings, but also fosters engagement with local communities. Many installations are created in collaboration with local residents, ensuring that the art reflects the spirit and struggles of Setouchi’s aging and declining population.

There are new artistic landmarks and architectural marvels

Renowned for iconic institutions such as the Benesse Art Site and the Teshima Art Museum, Setouchi will welcome a new landmark in 2025: a museum designed by Tadao Ando on Naoshima. This latest addition promises to enhance the island’s architectural charm and provide an exceptional venue for contemporary works.

To further spice up the festival, a collaboration with the Setouchi Art Museum will bring together eight museums from Kagawa, Okayama and Hyogo prefectures to showcase contemporary works. This initiative encourages exploration beyond the islands, offering visitors the opportunity to discover the broader regional art scene.

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You can expect a record-breaking line-up of international artists

During its run, the Triennale will present over 150 exhibitions by diverse artists, reaffirming its reputation as Japan’s premier art festival. Expect an eclectic mix of installations, performances and sculptures reflecting both global trends and local narratives. 

Among the standout artists is Sarah Hudson, the New Zealander whose immersive installations earned her the Golden Lion Award at the 2024 Venice Biennale. Swedish conceptual artist Jacob Dahlgren will be presenting his iconic explorations of consumer culture, while Russian duo Leonid Tishkov and Marina Moskvina will offer whimsical lunar-themed works, blurring the line between fantasy and reality. 

Reflecting its deepening ties with the region, the Triennale will showcase Asian perspectives by way of groups such as Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theater, whose site-specific performances will interact dynamically with Setouchi’s landscapes. Vietnam is the 2025 festival’s special cultural focus, with Vietnamese artists set to present a series of installations and performances celebrating their country’s artistic heritage.

The festival is more convenient and community-centred than ever before

The Setouchi Triennale’s primary goal is to revitalise rural communities through art. The 2025 edition reinforces this mission with programs designed to connect visitors more deeply to the islands and their inhabitants.

The festival offers guided tours, including specialised programs focusing on environmental art, local cuisine and regional crafts. Study tours will be available for those seeking a more in-depth exploration of the art and the Setouchi region’s socio-cultural context.

Practical innovations include the Triennale Passport and a dedicated official app with route planning features. The passport grants access to most of the artworks and exhibitions across the participating islands, streamlining the experience for visitors eager to explore multiple sites. Instead of purchasing individual tickets at each location, passport holders enjoy unlimited entry to a wide range of installations and museums, making it easier to immerse themselves in the art without logistical hassle.

The passport also encourages deeper engagement with the festival’s unique island-hopping journey, allowing travellers to discover hidden gems at their own pace while soaking in the rich landscapes and culture of the Inland Sea.

If you only visit one island...

Five must-see exhibits on Naoshima, Japan's renowned art island

Perhaps the most famous of the Setouchi islands, Naoshima started being referred to as an ‘art island’ in the early ’90s, after notable artists were commissioned to produce large-scale works to revitalise the island and form Benesse Art Site Naoshima. Here are our top recommendations:

Art House Project

While the project is comprised of seven distinctive Edo-period dwellings restored into artworks, you must make seeing 'Haisha' and 'Ishibashi' a priority. 'The Garden of Ku' in Ishibashi incorporates 14 traditional sliding paper panels (fusuma) with brilliant transformative qualities.

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Naoshima Bath 'I ❤ 湯' (I Love YU)

When gallery hours draw to a close, there’s nothing more appealing than a late-night sento. Just don’t expect to bathe under dim light, as even the bathhouse doubles as a gallery – featuring embellished faucet knobs and scrapbook-style photos.

The open-air exhibitions

Sculptures are inconspicuously dotted all over the island – some are harder to spot than others, creating a kind of natural treasure hunt in a memorable setting.

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Benesse House Museum

The granddaddy of Naoshima invites guests to let the 'unique atmosphere' seep into their skin by sleeping at one of their four boutique lodgings. Alternatively, work up an appetite by perusing the island’s largest collection of paintings, sculptures and photography before heading to the on-site restaurant and café.

Chichu Art Museum

The expansive concrete structures look alien, peeping out from a luscious green hill. Yet Tadao Ando’s minimalist architecture, which is famous for artfully utilising the best elements of nature, still manages to achieve harmony. Visitors can appreciate the works of Claude Monet, Walter De Maria and James Turrell, just to name a few.

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