An island overflowing with art
Naoshima is a small island floating on top of the Seto Inland Sea north of Kagawa Prefecture. Everywhere within the lush green interior of the island, there is the unique presence of art scattered about. Naoshima can be reached by boat from the Port of Takamatsu within about 50 minutes or from Uno Port in Okayama Precture within 15 minutes. The area can be toured within half a day to a full day. You can easily navigate on the island on foot, rental bikes or bus. The island is separated into 3 areas and at the Miyanoura area around the harbor, there is Umi-no-Eki with a tourist information center and a souvenir shop, and the objet d’art of the world-famous Yayoi Kusama, the Red Pumpkin. 40 minutes’ walk away in the Gotanji area, there is the Chichu Museum which includes an exhibit of Monet’s “Water Lilies”, the museum/hotel of Benesse House & Museum, and Kusama’s Yellow Pumpkin. Another 30 minutes’ walk away in Honmura Ward, there are facilities such as the Art House Project with its converted old houses as contemporary art and ANDO MUSEUM which profiles the world-famous architect, Tadao Ando.
Get the real pleasure of the Seto Inland Sea at your leisure while staying overnight
While enjoying fishing and swimming at the beautiful beach, there is the nearby Tsutsuji-so Beach House which is a popular accommodation where you can stay at a Mongolian yurt, camping trailers or even cottage-style Japanese rooms. You will want to spend a full day leisurely enjoying the beautiful natural landscapes along the Seto Inland Sea. Also, Naoshima is proceeding with its initiatives as an eco-friendly island, and so you can visit interesting facilities such as the Kagawa Naoshima Environmental Center which recycles waste with the latest technology and the Valuable Metal Recycling Facility. There are also plenty of restaurants and cafes on the island so you will want to partake in the fresh seafood from the Seto Inland Sea.