Sustainable Farming Experience on Teshima Island in the Setouchi Region – Includes Lunch & Chartered Boat

Mikogahama Beach and Teshima Island: Scenic Locations Steeped in Japanese Mythology

Home to approximately 700 islands, the Seto Inland Sea (often shortened to “Setouchi” in Japanese) is an archipelago filled with breathtaking beauty. With each island having a rich history and culture of its own, the diverse characteristics of the Setouchi islands have captivated people around the world.

As the Setouchi Triennale art festival has gained global recognition in recent years, Teshima has gained renown as a contemporary art island along with Naoshima, Japan’s most popular art island. Yet while Teshima is dotted with installations by Japan's leading contemporary artists, its distinctive charm lies in its rustic, idyllic scenery of ancient rice terraces against the backdrop of a tranquil sea,

This Wabunka-exclusive experience takes place at Teshima’s Mikogahama Farm, which is normally closed to the general public. Perched on a mountain slope leading to Mikogahama Beach, the setting of a Japanese myth, the farm has revived Teshima’s traditional farming methods for the modern age. Through a combination of cultivation and raising livestock, Mikogahama Farm puts into practice a self-sufficient lifestyle unique to the island. This plan offers a glimpse into the traditional Japanese lifestyle, which is simple yet abundant due to harmonious coexistence with nature.

A Comfortable Chartered Boat to Start Your Journey

The journey to Teshima from Uno Port, the closest entry point to the island, takes approximately 20 minutes via a chartered boat. Step out onto the deck to enjoy warm sunshine, the gentle sea breeze, and panoramic views of the islands dotting the tranquil Seto Inland Sea. A chartered boat can provide a more dynamic experience at sea, as the ride is smoother compared to large ferries, and its compact size allows for closer sea views. Enjoy this short but pleasant ride as a start to this special experience.

Upon arrival at Teshima’s Ieura Port, staff from Mikogahama Farm will welcome you, then drive you to the farm. On the way, satoyama (countryside) landscapes such as vast fields will unfold from the car window, giving you a glimpse into a life lived in harmony with nature. Indeed, since time immemorial, the islanders of Teshima have lived a “half-farming, half-fishing” lifestyle, making a living by combining agriculture and fishing. After some time traveling along gentle mountain roads, you will reach Mikogahama Farm, which was revived to keep Teshima’s traditional lifestyle alive in the modern age.

Mikogahama Farm: Revitalizing Teshima’s Traditional Vertical Agriculture

Established in 2022, Mikogahama Farm has revived Teshima’s distinctive “vertical agriculture” system, which integrates livestock farming, horticulture, and crop farming. Abundant in spring water from Mount Dan, which overlooks Teshima from its center, the land that Mikogahama Farm stands on was once used to cultivate fruit trees and other crops, fostering a rich agricultural lifestyle. However, these practices were discontinued until Mikogahama Farm carefully restored the wasted land over the course of three to four years.

Efficiently making use of slopes that extend from the mountains to the sea, the farm’s fruit trees and other crops are grown in a vertical configuration. Yet Teshima’s vertical agriculture is not merely about the layout for growing crops. Rather, it is an integrated set of practices and a sustainable natural system that circulates from mountain to sea and back again.

Mikogahama has earned acclaim for perfecting its vertical agriculture system. The soil is enriched by grazing cattle and cultivating a diverse array of crops with spring water from the mountains. This nutrient-rich water then flows into the sea, enriching the marine ecosystem and resulting in abundant seafood for the islanders. This sustainable cycle is so remarkable that even people from Los Angeles, a global leader in implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have praised it as a “utopia.”

Experience Sustainable Island Life in Harmony with Nature

Currently managing Mikogahama Farm is Kotono, a graduate of an agricultural university in eastern Japan’s Kanto region. She grows a wide variety of produce: seasonal vegetables, fruit trees, herbs, and even rice and wheat. The farm stretches from the mountains to the sea, and sometimes, seaweed even washes up on the shore with the waves.

As you try harvesting vegetables yourself, you will learn more about Teshima’s distinctive vertical farming system, a cyclical relationship between the land and the sea in harmony with nature. Through this multi-sensory hands-on experience, you will feel firsthand the close connection between sustainable natural systems and the islanders’ lives.

You will also be guided by Ilse, a staff member who moved to the farm from Finland. Visiting Teshima for the Setouchi Triennale, she was captivated by the island’s serenity. She will eagerly share fascinating trivia about a variety of topics, such as the wisdom of the earliest islanders who established Teshima’s vertical farming system, the pizza oven built by farm staff, and local beer from an affiliated brewery on the island. The warm energy that she radiates as she recounts her daily life on Teshima will no doubt enhance this experience.

Admire the View as You Enjoy Lunch Featuring Freshly Picked Produce

Feel the ocean breeze, be dazzled by the lush greenery of Teshima’s fields, and touch the soft soil. Listen closely, and you might even feel as if the crops are breathing. After fully experiencing Teshima’s nature with all your senses, savor its blessings as you blissfully indulge in lunch. Together with farm staff, you’ll make pizza with the produce you harvested and pizza dough made from homegrown wheat.

Savor the aroma that wafts through the air as the pizza is baked, as well as the natural sweetness and powerful flavor of the ingredients. Making your food with your own two hands will equip you with a better appreciation for all these things. The simplicity of the cooking lets the natural ingredients stand out, allowing you to better understand Teshima’s lifestyle and culture through its cuisine.

A Sustainable Lifestyle Made Possible by Ancestral Wisdom

The practice of circular agriculture, which has been cultivated on Teshima for over 100 years, is a useful source of ideas for living a sustainable lifestyle — the ideal for many people in this day and age. Though Teshima may be better known as an art island, this experience will show you another charming side of the island and teach you how ancient wisdom continues to sustain nature and human life to this day.

You will surely leave Teshima with lingering memories of your relaxing interactions with the locals. This is also one of the highlights of this experience. After experiencing for yourself Teshima’s rich nature and local lifestyle, it will be difficult to forget the valuable life lessons that you learned here.