Okayama, Japan Apr. 30 Tues 1:45AM
When people think of festivals in Japan, they often think traditional, loud, and maybe even major cities. If anything, many people think that each festival is confined within their own prefecture. But later this year in 2019, there will be an event that only occurs every three years happening that may just change your perception of Japanese festivals!
Japan is a mecca for all sorts of art in all different shapes and forms. In fact, art is widely celebrated throughout the country and many events are held in its honor. For art lovers, heading away from classic locations like Tokyo and Kyoto and going closer to the Seto Inland Sea region can bring a world of new discoveries with all sorts of art - modern, contemporary, and traditional art and architecture. Every year there are exciting events to attend and many more new art projects to be discovered. This year also happens to be the Setouchi Triennale. The Setouchi Triennale is an art festival happening across multiple prefectures by the Setouchi region and only occurs every three years, making it a major and highly anticipated art event.
This year the festival will span across 12 different islands and 3 ports. The main focus of the event is to create a sense of community and understanding through art, connecting people from all across Japan and other countries. In addition, the festival's goal is also to expose people outside of the area to the region and promote more interest in travel to the area. Essentially, the Setouchi Triennale is also done as a revitalization effort to rediscover all the beauty and culture of the islands. The event will go on during a period of about a month for three seasons - spring, summer, and autumn. Each session will have its own unique activities, and is also divided into three areas, each area also holding their own separate theme and project.
Here are the dates for this year:
| 2019 Dates | Event | Season |
| 4/26 (Fri) - 5/26 (Sun) | Spring Encounters | Spring |
| 7/19 (Fri) - 8/25 (Sun) | Summer Gatherings | Summer |
| 9/28 (Fri) - 11/4 (Sun) | Fall Expansions | Autumn |
List of participating islands and ports:
-Naoshima
-Teshima
-Megijima
-Ogijima
-Shodoshima
-Oshima
-Inujima
-Shamijima
-Honjima
-Takajima
-Awashima
-Ibukujima
-Takamatsu Port
-Uno Port
