The sea and the field

Teshima Inn Curated by Akira Minagawa

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瀬戶內海藝術祭舉辦的時候,位於四國香川縣的豐島遊人不絕,氣氛熱烙不已。小島有時熱鬧,更多的時候是平靜閒適,在沒有藝術祭的日子裡,人們更能靜下心來,透過身處於海邊農田裡,好好感受到自然的豐足。

時裝品牌Mina Perhonen的主理人皆川明今年在豐島上企劃的Umitota,是一家以「體驗豐島」的旅館。Umitota,意指「海與田」,正是豐島予人的印象。由古民家改建而成的旅館建築物,南面是農田,北面則面向瀬戶內海,日間能在鄰近的農田體驗耕作的工作,播播種,收割蔬菜等,午飯在設備整全的廚房裡,用當地的食材為自己做一頓簡單的午餐,累了則在旅館的圖書館內看看書,在浴室之中邊眺望海景邊泡澡。

Umitota使用的布料,都是來自Mina Perhonen的,而建築物的改造工作,則由Simplicity的緒方慎一郎負責。擅長將傳統文化以現代的方式呈現的緒方慎一郎,這次極力保留在建築物原來的結構,近屋頂處滿佈了裂紋的土壁,亦沒刻意粉飾。而外牆方面,則邀請了島民合作,以海螺的殻舖滿了整面牆。這樣一面牆壁,充滿了島民們的情感,使暫居於旅館的人們,感覺與這小島更為親近。

Every year during the Seto Inland Sea Art Setouchi festival, Teshima island in Kagawa prefecture of Shikoku would be full of excited visitors. The island is sometimes bustling, but most of the time calm and tranquil. In the days without the art festival, people can better enjoy the serenity of the fields by the sea and be thankful for the abundance of nature.

Akira Minagawa, founder of the fashion brand “minä perhonen”, has curated a Japanese inn called Umitota that focuses on the “Teshima experience”. Umitota is a Japanese word that means sea and field, which is a perfect description of the image of Teshima. The inn itself was originally a traditional Japanese housing with the West side facing a field and the North side facing the Seto Inland Sea. During the day, the guests can go seeding or harvesting in the nearby fields to gain some farming experience. In the afternoon, they can prepare a light lunch with the local produce. After lunch, the library is a perfect place to spend the afternoon, before enjoying a nice bath in the bathroom with a sea view.

All the textile used in Umitota are made by minä perhonen, whereas Shinichiro Ogata from Simplicity was fully in charge of refurbishing the building. Ogata specializes in recreating traditional culture with a modernized expression. When working on the Umitota project, he insisted on retaining the building’s original structure; even the cracks on the wattle and daub wall near the ceiling were kept intact. The team also invited the locals to decorate the facade with seashells. This facade, that carries the warmth of the locals, naturally brings guests who come for a short stay even closer to the essence of the island.

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