Tebajima Art Festival, 3-17-2013

We lucked out. Earlier in the week rain was forecast for today but it turned out to be a beautifiul day for a boat ride to an island. Yoshihiro, Naoko and Haruto picked me up at 8:30 and we took off for Mugi. Mugi is a town on the eastern coast about 2 hours south of Tokushima. Well it took 2 hours last time I went (with TIA when I stayed at the Nature Center last Oct.). They've recently opened a new bridge and some tunnels and today it took about 1 1/2 hours.

Our plan was to take a boat to an island which was holding an art festival using some of the old, empty houses to display the art. It's a month long exhibition. I had a feeling it might be the same island I went to in the fall, since that island was fairly desserted, but I didn't remember the name of it. It was. And it was a nice idea to get people (and a little money) to that island as well.

As we got off the boat we were greeted by volunteers, tables with information and the smell of roasting sweet potatoes. We walked around the island, entering the old, neglected homes that held all sorts of artwork. We had snacks on the beach - Yoshihiro made some of his delicious bread, and a caramel 'cake' made from hotcake mix and melted caramel candies. The cake was good but the bread was delicious.
More walking, picked up some omiyage (souveniers - food) in the gym where there were also diplays of artwork, and tried a yaki imo (roasted sweet potato) before we boarded the boat back 2 or 3 hours later. As we waited for the boat the sky became overcast, and now, a few hours later it's really windy, we'll have rain tonight or tomorrow.

I now like sweet potatoes, which weren't a favorite of mine before I came. But it's a specialty here and they are used in a lot of sweets as well as just eaten. Roasted outdoors on a grill they are considered a special treat - and I must say they are really good that way. Today they were served in a sort of bag made (by origami) out of newpaper. Very clever and 'eco' as they say here.

The harbor in Mugi.

Yoshihiro, Haruot, Naoko

These 'dolls' were all over the island.

Outside a liquor sotre.

This is a house that has no walls, hardly any roof,
plants growing inside, pretty much just beams
left, carved, painted wooden crows were
placed here and there.

Another doll, pushing one of the carts
that are all over the island to get things
back and forth from the boats.

The festivals poster.

There were some unusual exhibits.

Very clever childrens project with glow in the dark paints (maybe) and blue light.

Paper or cloth moths on the floor
sticking to the picture.

These are examples of the condition
of the houses.

I think they surf here or nearby, and there
were some fishermen divers nearby, maybe
diving for seaweed... they weren't going
too deep.

The baker.

The yummy bread.

A game of shogi.

A unique way to air a futon.
(Usually they're hung from a balcony).

Some kind of seaweed.

Drying daikon.

Drying daikon. Smaller pieces in the basket.

Gifts? There is hardly anywhere in Japan
you can go without seeing local products
for gifts.

Path to the (no longer used) school.
Just the gym is still there.

Quilting - a peacock in the foreground.

A picture of the island.

Work from a children's workshop presented
by a famous artist.

This is his artwork.

Handmade dolls in baskets.

Our transportation.

A couple more dolls, a diver and a fisherman.

LOOK WHO I FOUND!!!! ASTROBOY!
Or Atomu as he's known in Japan - where
he was created.
When I was 5 I wanted to marry him!
I wasn't very happy when Astrogirl showed up.