May is already halfway over, and here in Naoshima, we are blessed with pleasant weather and a refreshing Seto breeze, with more and more summer-like days where a little exertion brings on a sweat. Every year, Naoshima is visited by a great number of people around Golden Week, but this year, an astonishing silence enveloped the island. Needless to say, this is due to the impact of the novel coronavirus. We are in days of trial and error, trying to do what each of us can, sending prayers on the tranquil Seto Sea and breeze for the quick end to the global viral crisis.

While it's not a fixed-point observation, you can clearly see how quiet it is by comparing photos from last year and this year. Last year, especially during the Setouchi Triennale 2019 exhibition and a 10-day holiday, there were over 30,000 visitors, which was quite remarkable. The islanders themselves are the most surprised by the gap and they mention it frequently.

Red Pumpkin (2019.5)

Red Pumpkin (2020.5)

Honmura, bus street, House Project area (May 2019)

The bus street in our village is usually packed with tourists waiting for the bus. (May 2020)

People waiting for a boat at a marine station (May 2019)

Um, except for commuters and students, the majority of users at the Sea Station are large vehicles for transportation and private cars (May 2020).

It's tough even for adults to not be able to go out and about during such a wonderful season, let alone children. I believe that we can overcome this by making full use of human wisdom, humor, and imagination in this uncertain battle. While we are grateful to those who are supporting the infrastructure essential for social life, such as medical care, sanitation, and logistics, we are also spending our days reflecting on what was "normal" before and what will be in the future.