The distinctive island townscape of Honmura
Within the old-fashioned townscape of Honmura Ward on Naoshima Island, abandoned homes in the area have been converted by artists into works of art themselves. The project was started in 1998, and currently, there are 7 homes on display: Kadoya, Minamidera, Kinza, Go’o Shrine, Ishibashi, Gokaisho and Haisha. Switching the focus from “nature and art” to “people”, this project has become noticed as a new experiment in art.
Revived abandoned houses as works of art of individual character
Kadoya was the first work completed within the project. It is a restored 200-year-old residence displayed as an art exhibit by Tatsuo Miyajima. Minamidera was designed by Tadao Ando to fit the work by James Turrell. Obtaining numbered tickets is necessary due to a limit on the number of people who can enter at one time. In Minamidera, you can get that sense of the out-of-the-ordinary in the darkness under the theme of light. Kinza is a small house that is over a hundred years old and has been converted into an art work through the use of traditional craftsmanship. Advance reservations are necessary and just one person at a time can enter the house for up to 15 minutes. Go’o Shrine is an old shrine from the Edo Era which has been given a makeover. It is now an artistic structure which includes a glass staircase linking a stone hut to the main shrine. Ishibashi is the restored home of a salt merchant who prospered during the Meiji Era. Gokaisho is a site where the island natives gathered to play the Japanese game of I-go. There are camellia flowers on display in the interior. Haisha was the home of a dentist which has been wholly converted into a work of art by Shinro Otake. It is a building that stands out conspicuously for its style that resembles a painting and a sculpture.