Setouchi Triennale 2025 - Shodoshima - Mito Peninsula

Today, I'm taking you to one of my favorite locations on Shodoshima: the Mito Peninsula. More precisely, I'm taking you to Konoura, a village near the peninsula's southern tip.

The Mito Peninsula is the southernmost part of Shodoshima. It's quite rural and boasts beautiful landscapes, seascapes, and villages. You can access the peninsula by bus, but it's more practical to have your own car, as buses are not very frequent. Only go there by bicycle if you're an experienced cyclist; there are a few steep slopes on the road.

Konoura is a charming little village with some of the most delightful people you'll meet in all of the Setouchi area. It used to be completely isolated, but it's one of those places that has really been revitalized by the Triennale. A pretty nice more or less ryokan has even opened recently.

Another great thing about it is that most of the art is outdoors and can be seen year-round, not just during the Triennale.

Let me show you some of it.

If you arrive in Konoura via the main road, your first encounter will also be the most impressive: a giant reclining on the hillside and gazing at the sea below!

This is "Daidaraurutorabou." Toshimitsu Ito built him with the help of the Hiroshima City University Faculty of Arts (he's a professor at the university). If you've visited Konoura before, you may have seen some of his art before, as he has exhibited there frequently.

The giant has been there since 2022, and I don't think he'll be leaving anytime soon.

If you want to more details about him, I invite you to check my old blog.