The Japan Art & Industry Foundation (headquartered in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture; President: Masahiro Ito, hereinafter referred to as 'the Foundation') will hold the 'Setouchi Art and Industry 2026' for the first time from Saturday, October 3, 2026, to Saturday, October 31, 2026, across the Okayama-Setouchi region. In collaboration with seven local companies and organizations that support the festival's mission, the event will transform currently operating factories and industrial sites into venues for a month-long art festival.
From salt production, textiles, and shipbuilding—industries that have long supported life in the Setouchi region—to modern industries such as battery storage and resource recycling, the Setouchi Art and Industry Festival is a new kind of art festival that uses diverse industrial sites as its stage. Artists will reinterpret the time flowing through manufacturing sites, accumulated craftsmanship, and the scenery of workers from their own unique perspectives. Industrial sites, normally hidden behind closed doors, will open through art, transforming the entire region into a single 'decentralized museum'—offering visitors a unique and immersive experience.
Features of Setouchi Art and Industry 2026
- Seven active factories and industrial sites opened as art venues
- Cross-sectoral representation of industries including salt production, school uniforms, denim, shipbuilding, battery storage, and resource recycling
- Site-specific exhibitions and tours curated by renowned figures such as Kazuyo Sejima and Yuko Hasegawa
Background of the Festival
Japan's manufacturing industry, long a pillar of the national economy, now faces challenges such as labor shortages, skill succession, and declining visibility of regional industries. Many local manufacturing sites possess high technical expertise and rich histories, yet their appeal often remains under-recognized.
The Setouchi Art and Industry Festival aims to rediscover the value of these industries through the lens of art and open them up to both local and external audiences. Factories and industrial plants are reimagined not merely as production sites, but as cultural assets where regional history, technology, and human activities thrive. The festival seeks to create entry points for broad audiences, especially younger generations, to engage with regional industries, fostering renewed interest and cultural value.
The festival's concept was selected for two consecutive years (Reiwa 5 and Reiwa 6) under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's 'Regional and National Legacy Creation Project,' allowing for extensive feasibility studies. As a pilot initiative prior to the official launch, a monitoring tour was held in January 2025, featuring artworks by artists displayed at the factories of three local companies in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture. A total of 183 participants attended over three days, and the event received high ratings in participant surveys. Building on these results, the inaugural festival will take place in autumn 2026.
The Concept of 'Industrial Art'
The Foundation's concept of 'industrial art' involves reinterpreting the accumulated technologies, human activities, and regional histories embedded in factories and industrial sites from the artists' perspectives. Industrial sites, often perceived solely as functional and efficient spaces, are in fact layered with skilled craftsmanship, massive machinery, and the memories of the land. Through art, the Foundation aims to reveal these values and convey them as accessible, enriching experiences.
Event Overview
Name: Setouchi Art and Industry 2026 (English: Setouchi Art and Industry 2026)
Dates: October 3 (Sat) – October 31 (Sat), 2026. Specific opening times per artwork will be announced on the official website.
Venues: Seven industrial sites and factories of participating companies in Okayama Prefecture (Okayama City, Tamano City, Kurashiki City) and Ehime Prefecture (Tōon City)
Organizer: Japan Art & Industry Foundation
Participating Companies (tentative): Fujikleen Co., Ltd., Kojima Jeans Street Cooperative, Naikai Salt Industry Co., Ltd., TONBO Co., Ltd., Power X Co., Ltd., Sangoku Kogyo Co., Ltd., Ohno Kaihatsu Co., Ltd.
Supporting Organizations: Tamano City, TSC Television Setouchi, Dentsu West Japan Inc., West Japan Railway Company Okayama Branch, Ryobi Tours Inc.
Admission: Opening hours during the festival vary by venue. All artworks require advance reservations, with viewing available via guided tours or individual tickets. Pricing, sales start date, and purchase methods will be announced on the official website (sai-art.jp) around July.
Official Website: https://www.sai-art.jp/
Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@setouchiartandindustry
Exhibited Works and Artists (tentative)
Venue (Participating Company)
Location
Artist(s)
Curator(s)
Fujikleen Co., Ltd.
Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture
BANK TOU LLC
Yuko Hasegawa, Yuryo Okura, Heida Miyake
Kojima Jeans Street
Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture
- Exhibition at the Former Nonaka Residence: SYMBOLPLUS - Second Exhibition: To be determined
- Exhibition at the Former Nonaka Residence: Masaki Satake - Second Exhibition: Yuko Hasegawa, Yuryo Okura, Heida Miyake
Naikai Salt Industry Co., Ltd.
Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture
Motoi Yamamoto / SYMBOLPLUS
Masaki Satake
TONBO Co., Ltd.
Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture
To be determined
Masaki Satake
Power X Co., Ltd.
Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture
SAI
Masaki Satake
Sangoku Kogyo Co., Ltd.
Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture
MANTLE (Kan Ibuse + Soji Nakamura)
Yuko Hasegawa, Yuryo Okura, Heida Miyake
Ohno Kaihatsu Co., Ltd.
Tōon City, Ehime Prefecture
Tatei Nishizawa / Shingo Masuda + Katsui Otsuka / Satoko Yamada
Kazuyo Sejima
Advisors: Yuko Hasegawa, Yuryo Okura, Heida Miyake
* Artists and venues are subject to change. Please check the official website for the latest information.
Participating Companies (tentative)
Fujikleen Co., Ltd. (Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture) | Promotes 'waste to resources,' handling industrial waste collection, transportation, intermediate treatment, and final disposal.
Kojima Jeans Street Cooperative (Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture) | In Kojima, known as the birthplace of domestic jeans, about 40 local manufacturers line a 400-meter street.
Naikai Salt Industry Co., Ltd. (Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture) | A salt producer preserving traditional salt-making methods from former salt fields, continuing the legacy of Setouchi's sea and history.
TONBO Co., Ltd. (Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture) | A leading Japanese school uniform manufacturer with a 150-year history, evolving from tabi (traditional socks) production in Tamano and Yabehama in 1876.
Power X Co., Ltd. (Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture) | An energy company focused on developing and manufacturing battery systems, handling everything from energy storage to delivery mechanisms. Based at its 'Power Base' factory in Tamano, it aims to realize a sustainable energy society.
Sangoku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture) | Founded in 1917 (Taisho 6), it handles design, manufacturing, and repair of large marine engine components, holding the top domestic market share.
Ohno Kaihatsu Co., Ltd. (Tōon City, Ehime Prefecture) | For over half a century, it has built regional environmental services, handling demolition, civil engineering, industrial waste treatment, and contaminated soil purification.
About the Japan Art & Industry Foundation
Name: Japan Art & Industry Foundation (English: Japan Art & Industry Foundation)
Headquarters: 1-11-1 Uno, Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, Uno Port Land Building
President: Masahiro Ito (Director and Representative Executive Officer, CEO of Power X Co., Ltd.)
Board Members: Hisataka Hirakuchi, Satoshi Nagashima / Council Members: Kazuyo Sejima, Koichi Wada, Yuki Kishi / Auditor: Ryuji Kitajima
Creative Director: Masaki Satake / Creative Producer: Akira Shima
Activities: Creating art events with factories and industrial sites as stages
FACT BOX
- Source: PR TIMES
- Category: Event