Things to see on Inujima
Inujima Seirensho Art Museum
Image: Kentaro Ohno / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0, cropped, resized, and sharpened)Inujima is a small inhabited island in Higashi Ward, Okayama, and has attracted attention in recent years as an “island of art.” The Inujima Seirensho Art Museum preserves and revitalizes the remains of a copper refinery built in 1909 that ceased operations after about 10 years because of the sharp decline in copper prices. Walking through the building itself reveals the history of the large facility built on the island to address smoke pollution and facilitate the transport of raw materials, which became an industrial ruin after a short period of operation.
Karami Brickworks Ruins and Chimney
Image: KimonBerlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped, resized, and sharpened)Walls and chimneys made from slag bricks, produced using waste from the smelting process, still stand on the island. Visitors can walk through a setting where modern industrial heritage and contemporary art come together. The heavy black slag-brick walls, crumbling structures, and chimney visible from the waterfront convey the former scale of the smelter. Recognized for their innovative role in industrial development, the ruins are also part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s “Heritage of Industrial Modernization 33.”
Architecture, Art and the Environment
Architect Hiroshi Sambuichi designed the museum by making use of the existing chimney and underground spaces, where works by Yukinori Yanagi are exhibited. Its distinctive feature is the way it lets visitors experience the industrial heritage of modernization, architecture, art and the environment as one. Based on the idea of “making use of what exists and creating what does not,” the museum also uses natural energy such as solar power and geothermal heat.
Yukinori Yanagi’s work takes Yukio Mishima, who warned against Japan’s modernization, as its motif and comprises six spaces that interact with the architecture. It also incorporates a water purification system that harnesses the power of plants, allowing the museum to be seen not merely as using the old factory as an exhibition backdrop, but as connecting its heritage with present-day environmental and social issues.
Inujima “Art House Project”
Inujima's attractions extend beyond the former refinery. The Inujima Art House Project takes visitors around five galleries scattered through the village — F-Art House, S-Art House, I-Art House, A-Art House and C-Art House — as well as the remains of a stonemason's house. The exhibition spaces incorporate tiled roofs, reclaimed timber, transparent acrylic and aluminium that reflects the surrounding scenery, blending into the lanes and homes around them.
Unlike a museum contained within a single building, the sea, alleyways, stone walls, and scenes of everyday life along the way to the next work also become part of the viewing experience. By visiting the refinery’s industrial heritage and contemporary art scaled to fit the settlement, you can compare Inujima’s different faces.
Basic information about Inujima
The information below was checked against official sources on September 19, 2026. Please also check the latest information on the official website when planning your trip.
- 🔗 Official website
- Check the opening hours, closed days, admission fees and opening calendar for the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum.
犬島精錬所美術館 | アート・建築をみる | ベネッセアートサイト直島犬島精錬所美術館の美術館鑑賞案内・料金、アーティストなどの情報をご覧いただけます。benesse-artsite.jp - 📍 Location
- Inujima, Higashi-ku, Okayama, Okayama Prefecture327-4
- 🕒 Opening hours
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- Inujima Seirensho Art Museum 9:00〜16:30 (last admission 16:00)
- Ticket Center 9:00〜17:00
- 🚫 Closed days
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- 3 month 1 day〜11 month 30 day Tuesday through Thursday (open on public holidays)
- 12 month 1 day〜the end of month 2 closed all day
⚠️ Check the official opening calendar to confirm that your visit date is an opening day.
- 💶 Admission fees
- Online admission to the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum costs 2,100 yen. Ticket prices by type and purchase methods are introduced in detail in the following section, “Inujima Tickets.”
- ⏱️ Time required
- If you visit the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum and the “Inujima Art House Project,” allow roughly 3〜5 hours for your time on the island. The time varies depending on whether you visit only the museum or also walk to the “Inujima Art House Project” and the island’s remains.⚠️ Include travel time around the island and time to return to the port so you do not miss the boat back.
Inujima Tickets
From 2026 3 1, the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum changed from self-guided viewing to timed guided tours. The meeting point is the Inujima Ticket Center, with tours offered at 9:00, 10:30, 11:20, 12:20, 13:20, 14:20, and 15:45. The tour takes approximately 45 minutes.
The “Inujima Art Project Pass” allows you to visit Inujima’s art facilities and view its artworks. Online prices differ from counter prices, and an online ticket is required for each person, including children aged 15 and under.
- Online price (standard price) 2,100 yen
Getting to Inujima
Buses and scheduled ferries
From Okayama Station, take the Inujima access bus to Nishihōden. It is about 5 minutes on foot from the Nishihōden bus stop to Hōden Port. The regular ferry from Hōden Port to Inujima Port takes about 10 minutes. The ferry is a small passenger boat and cannot carry vehicles.
Bus and boat connections, operating days, and schedules are subject to change. Always check the official access information for both outbound and return times.
For attractions, transport and suggested itineraries, see “Okayama: A guide to tourist attractions, food, transportation, and suggested itineraries”.
