The spring session of the Setouchi Triennale a contemporary art festival held every three years on the islands and other areas of Kagawa and Okayama prefectures with venues expanded to include some coastal areas in Kagawa features about 190 artworks in the spring session in which domestic and overseas artists delved into local history and culture art fans gathered at the various venues on the opening day to enjoy the island-hopping journey in the Seto Inland Sea During the opening ceremony at Anabuki Arena Kagawa in Takamatsu "The power of art goes beyond just a single event and is connected to the creation of a sustainable future I hope you will immerse in the charms of Kagawa and the Seto Inland Sea and enjoy the journey of encounters and excitement." This was followed by the festival's General Director Fram Kitagawa introducing participating artists by venue Three trumpet players who hail from Kagawa then played a fanfare and then a giant balloon performance was put on visitors boarded vessels bound for Naoshima and Oshima islands as the festival's staff members and volunteers saw them off takes place in three periods through the year -- the spring session lasting through May 25 including the Seto Ohashi Bridge area in spring the Shido-Tsuda and Hiketa areas in summer in addition to the various Seto Inland Sea islands A record total of 256 artworks will come from 218 artists and projects from 37 countries and regions organizers have put extra effort into showcasing exhibits from Asia as the event aims to become a major festival in Asian culture and art Welcoming events and opening ceremonies were also held on Naoshima and in the Seicho district in Sakaide The Shikoku Shimbun Kids at island in Kagawa learns to make sushi from former sushi chef Dog lovers gather at canine-friendly shrine event in Kagawa Chilled noodles shimmer in Shikoku winter sun as production peaks To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version For the clinic project, Tetsuo Yamaji Architects did not limit themselves to conventional solutions but offered an out-of-the-box proposal. ‘I would be happy if the patient who came for dental treatment were as calm and comfortable as possible,’ shares the team The scheme accommodates a ground floor and a mezzanine maintaining a visual connection between them A high ceiling is achieved through a skeleton that utilizes wooden diagonal stilts and a series of wooden beams that support the roof at a slope of 45 degrees The examination room features wide openings that enable the patients on the dental chairs to gaze outwards A white corrugated wall ensures their privacy from passers-by but still lets sunlight come in.  this dental clinic resembles a residential structure the vast opening unveils part of the impressive wooden interior the extensive windows in front of the dental chairs encourage the patients to look out the wooden skeleton accomplishes the otherwise white interior diagonal stilts support the high-ceiling construction the permeable interior adds to the welcoming atmosphere architects: Tetsuo Yamaji Architects | @ymja_official AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style The government in the western Japan prefecture of Kagawa has called on local hotel operators to stop asking foreign residents for identification when they check in Citing a notice issued Monday by the Kagawa prefectural government to hotel operators the officials said it is "problematic on human rights grounds" to ask foreign residents to show their passport or other forms of ID when checking into a hotel The hotel business law requires only foreigners who live outside of Japan to present ID But hotel receptionists sometimes ask foreigners who live in Japan for ID based on their name or appearance even if their name or other information suggests they are a foreign national no further confirmation is required," the notice says The notice comes after a case in August last year in which a South Korean woman living in Osaka was asked to show her residence card ahead of a stay at a hotel in Utazu An official at the hotel said it has "asked for ID from foreign nationals living in Japan on a voluntary basis." Similar cases have emerged at other accommodations across the country with some even stating on their websites that they will "refuse" guests who do not comply "While there may not be any malicious intent behind the requests they are effectively an infringement of human rights," a Kagawa prefectural government official said Mun Gong Hwi from the Osaka-based nonprofit organization the Multi-Ethnic Human Rights Education Center for Pro-existence said that "changing one's response based on nationality with no logical reasoning is discrimination I want to spread the knowledge of Kagawa Prefecture's approach as a good example." Japan city stumbles over plan to recognize foreigners as citizens Cabinet approves proposals for Japan immigration law changes City officials learn easy Japanese as number of foreign residents increases Surrounded by the sea, Japan is known for its many water cities. It is also home to more than 150 Japanese aquariums, a popular attraction that ranges in size from a room in a private residence to the Hanshin Koshien Stadium.  The Reiwa era which began on May 1 brought Japan a fresh breeze of inspiration and a rise in unique aquariums that pique curiosity.  The Japanese aquarium is now more than simply a place to observe fish through the glass. It has come up with ingenious ways to recreate the ocean environment providing a one-of-a-kind immersive experience for people in all stages of life.  One such evolving aquarium we visited was the Shikoku Aquarium in Utazu It lacked the usual "unusual creatures" that most aquariums boast and the route was left completely up to the visitor The customary profiles describing the marine animal on display were also missing In their place were blackboards with illustrations and descriptions of marine creatures They are especially popular with children for being much easier to understand compared to the usual scientific jargon.  "We want visitors to experience the aquascape of Shikoku The tanks and pools are all named "sceneries" to capture the unique marine environment of Shikoku.  The "whirlpool scenery" is a water tank that reproduces the whirlpools of Naruto where visitors can watch the famous fish of Shikoku's four prefectures The "dusk scenery" is an enchanting display of dolphins swimming under the sunset over the Seto Inland Sea.  Time seems to pass slowly as visitors silently gaze at the shifting colors of the sea relax in the soothing atmosphere of nature or take photos in an attempt to capture the beauty of it all The "theatrical" aquarium átoa combines art and aquatic life to create otherworldly spaces with themes like "forest of spirits" and "encounter of the miraculous planet." Marine life thrives under laser beams and spotlights — digital art has broken through the boundaries of a conventional aquarium to create a whole new world that brings endless surprises to its visitors.  Aquariums all over Japan continue to evolve they share the same goal: to make people curious about living creatures (Read this article in Japanese at this link.) Author: Daiki Watanabe Photojournalism Department You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " TAKAMATSU — A rapid train bound for Okayama from Takamatsu on the JR Seto-Ohashi Line came to a halt on the Seto Ohashi Bridge around 7:40 a.m please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent there is no information about injuries among the seven-car train’s 150 passengers The operation of transferring the passengers to another train started around 1 p.m setting off again for Okayama 50 minutes later The accident was caused by an overhead wire broken off in a section between Kojima and Utazu resulting in cancellations and delays on the line Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Japanese version Japanese version