Naoshima — The Island of Contemporary Art in the Inland Sea

An open-air museum in Japan's Inland Sea

In the Seto Inland Sea, between the islands of Honshu and Shikoku, a small archipelago has changed the way the world thinks about the relationship between art and nature. Naoshima, an island of barely eight square kilometres, has become one of the most extraordinary contemporary art destinations in the world, and yet remains unknown to the majority of European travellers.

The idea was born in the 1980s, when entrepreneur Soichiro Fukutake decided to transform this fishing island into a cultural laboratory. Today Naoshima is home to museums designed by Tadao Ando, installations by Yayoi Kusama, immersive works by James Turrell and Walter De Maria, and a project unique in the world of private houses transformed into artworks. All of this set within a landscape of green hills, sandy beaches and fishing villages where time seems suspended.

The Chichu Art Museum: art beneath the earth

The Chichu Art Museum, designed by Tadao Ando, is built entirely underground so as not to alter the island's landscape. Natural light penetrates through geometric openings and illuminates three permanent installations that alone are worth the journey.

The room of Claude Monet's Water Lilies — five large canvases from his late period — is a white concrete space with no frames where the works converse with the light as it shifts throughout the day. James Turrell's installation, Open Sky, is a room with a square opening in the ceiling that turns the sky into a living painting. Walter De Maria's sculpture, a black granite sphere in a monumental space, plays with perspective and proportion. Entry costs 2,100 yen and online booking is strongly recommended.

Kusama's pumpkins and the Art House Project

The icon of Naoshima is Yayoi Kusama's yellow pumpkin with black polka dots, placed on a jetty at the island's tip. The sculpture has become one of Japan's most photographed subjects and perfectly encapsulates the island's playful yet contemplative spirit. A second pumpkin, in red, stands near the Miyanoura ferry terminal.

The Art House Project is perhaps Naoshima's most original experience. In the village of Honmura, seven abandoned traditional houses have been transformed into permanent art installations by artists including Tatsuo Miyajima, Shinro Ohtake and Hiroshi Sugimoto. You enter removing your shoes, as in a Japanese home, and each dwelling is a world unto itself. Turrell's Minamidera house plunges visitors into complete darkness before gradually revealing the light — an unforgettable sensory experience.

The Lee Ufan Museum

Inaugurated in 2010, the Lee Ufan Museum is another gem by Tadao Ando, dedicated to Korean artist Lee Ufan, a key figure of the Mono-ha movement. His minimal sculptures — stones and steel plates held in balance — engage in dialogue with the concrete spaces and natural light. The museum is small but intense, and deserves a meditative visit of at least an hour.

Benesse House: sleeping inside art

Benesse House is both museum and hotel, designed by Tadao Ando in four distinct buildings. Artworks are scattered everywhere: in the rooms, in the corridors, on the beach outside. Staying here means waking surrounded by Warhol, Hockney and Pollock, with views over the Inland Sea. Rates start from around 30,000 yen per night, but the experience is unique. Guests have access to the museum even outside opening hours.

Exploring the island by bicycle

Naoshima is small enough to explore by bicycle, and renting a bike (including electric models) at the ferry terminal is the best way to move between museums and villages. The roads are lightly trafficked, the landscape is hilly but never demanding, and the spontaneous stops — before a small Shinto shrine, in a deserted cove, at the I Love Yu public bathhouse decorated by Shinro Ohtake — are part of the experience.

A full day is the minimum to visit the main highlights, but two days allow you to truly absorb the island's atmosphere at an unhurried pace.

Practical information for visitors

How to get there

Naoshima is reached by ferry from Uno (20 minutes, Okayama Prefecture) or from Takamatsu (50–60 minutes, Shikoku). From Tokyo, the shinkansen to Okayama takes 3 hours 15 minutes, then a local train to Uno. From Osaka the journey takes 2 hours. Ferries run several times a day but the last departures are in the late afternoon.

Visa and documents

No visa required for Italian citizens for stays of up to 90 days.

Budget

- Ferry from Uno: 300 yen per leg

- Bicycle hire: 300–500 yen/hour, 1,000–1,500 yen/day

- Museums: Chichu 2,100 yen, Art House Project 1,050 yen (combined ticket), Lee Ufan 1,050 yen

- Accommodation: from 3,000 yen (hostel/camping) to 30,000+ yen (Benesse House)

- Average daily budget: €80–100 excluding Benesse House accommodation

When to go

March to May and September to November. Many museums are closed on Mondays. The Setouchi Triennale (next edition 2028) brings temporary installations to all the islands of the archipelago.

Cultural tips

Book museums online in advance, especially the Chichu Art Museum on weekends and during Golden Week. Photography is prohibited inside the Art House Project buildings. Bring cash — there are few ATMs on the island and many establishments do not accept cards. Respect the silence in the museums: the contemplative experience is an integral part of the art.