Naoshima
Benesse Art Site Naoshima; Host Island Of The Setouchi Triennale · Naoshima, Kagawa
A small island in the Seto Inland Sea that has become one of the world's great destinations for contemporary art, through a project begun by the Benesse corporation in the late 1980s. Its museums were designed by the architect Tadao Ando and set into the landscape: the Chichu Art Museum, built almost entirely underground, holds Monet's water lilies in natural light alongside immersive works by James Turrell and Walter De Maria, and requires timed tickets booked in advance. Benesse House combines a museum and a hotel, and the Lee Ufan Museum sits in a quiet valley. In the village of Honmura, the Art House Project turned old houses and a shrine into installations. On the shore sits Yayoi Kusama's yellow pumpkin, one of the most photographed artworks in Japan, reinstalled after a typhoon washed it into the sea in 2021. The island is small and best explored by bicycle or bus. Neighbouring Teshima and Inujima continue the project, and every three years the Setouchi Triennale spreads art across many islands. Most museums close on Mondays; ferries run from Uno and Takamatsu.
Miyanoura Port, Naoshima-cho, Naoshima, Kagawa, 761-3110, Japan
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: museums open around 10 am and close between 4 and 6 pm, earlier in winter, with last entry about an hour before closing at Chichu. Most close on Mondays and on the Tuesday after a Monday holiday. Ferries run from early morning to evening with gaps of an hour or more, and the last boats leave in the evening. The Pumpkin pier and outdoor works close in bad weather. Confirm museum closures and book Chichu in advance.