Japan's Islands of Contemporary Art - We often say that Japan is a country that combines an ancient culture with state-of-the-art technologies that harmonize perfectly. A country that makes a point of maintaining and living its traditions while investing heavily in design, architecture and technology.
A people who value and respect the collective and who have a sensitive and special eye for others. It's in the details that Japan surprises us. Read on to learn all the secrets of this place of Japanese architecture and culture that can offer you unique and enchanting experiences!
Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima
These are the museum islands that are home to contemporary works and installations by the world's greatest and most renowned artists, architects and designers. So, for lovers of art, architecture and design, a personalized itinerary that includes Japan's Contemporary Art Islands of Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima is an unmissable experience. The suggestion is to stay there for at least one night (ideally two nights).
Therefore, with the aim of developing local communities, these islands have been transformed into veritable open-air museums, where the simplicity of the local population mixes and harmonizes with contemporary art, with installations and constructions by the world's greatest and most renowned artists, architects and designers.
Experience. Contrast. The Landscape.
Imagine exploring these hard-to-reach islands, with an incredible view of the Seto Inland Sea, and suddenly, out of nowhere, spotting an intriguing little house with dark walls, which stands out from the rest of the wooden houses in the area, whose architect is the famous Tadao Ando, known as one of the greatest Japanese architects of all time, and inside being able to experience an installation by the American James Turrell - a master when it comes to light and space.
As well as works by Ando and Turrell, you'll find works by Hiroshi Sugimoto, Yayoi Kusama, Rei Naito, Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA), Christian Boltanski and even Claude Monet (in this case, a bit of a departure from the contemporary line, but still interesting and surprising) - just to name a few. Thus, the artistic/sensory refinement offered by a trip to the islands contrasts with the simplicity of the region's modest cafés and villages.
Access routes and length of stay
The islands are off the beaten track in Japan and to get there, the most common route is to take the bullet train to Okayama and from there take a local train to UNO, where you board the ferries to Teshima and Naoshima. So at least a day in Naoshima and another day in Teshima are needed to see the basics. Inujima, on the other hand, is smaller and can be visited in just one morning or afternoon.
Accommodation in Japan's Islands of Contemporary Art
Of the three islands in the Benesse complex, Naoshima has the most infrastructure in terms of accommodation. You can stay in one of the hotels designed by Tadao Ando or in guesthouses set up in traditional houses operated by locals. The design and luxury hotels are in the Benesse area, and staying in one of these is well worth it. There are four options, as you can see below!
Benesse House Museum
Located inside the museum, this hotel allows you to get closer to the works of art. Drawings, paintings, prints and other works by the artists in the collection are on display in each of the four different room styles. The architecture is spacious and open, allowing you to feel nature around you, even indoors.
Benesse House Oval
On a hill and accessible by monorail from the museum, this space has just six rooms, presenting a fusion of Setouchi's natural beauty with Ando's architecture. In addition, vast floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms offer a breathtaking view of the Inland Sea, and the wall decoration in some rooms features drawings created by the artists.
Benesse House Park
Built on a gentle slope and surrounded by the natural beauty of Setouchi, this is one of the rare wooden buildings designed by Ando. The balconies of the rooms overlook the lush green lawn, dotted with outdoor works of art all the way to the Inland Sea, with the mountains of Shikoku standing out against the blue sky on the other shore. Inside, there are art spaces created by artists, an exclusive lounge for Park guests, the Terrace Restaurant 海 の 星 (Umi no Hoshi) Etoile de la mer, stores and the Park Hall, which can seat up to 120 people if you want to organize an event.
Benesse House Praia
Located just a few steps from the shore, these accommodations are the closest to the beach at Benesse House, with only suite-style rooms. Surrounded by the sound of gently lapping waves, the rooms' sightlines match the surface of the Inland Sea, creating the impression that you are floating in the sea. These spacious and airy rooms are perfect for families.
Access to restricted areas of the complex
As well as enjoying wonderful facilities, guests at any of the hotels in the Benesse Complex have a number of perks, such as access to restricted areas of the complex and an exclusive shuttle service to the main attractions in the surrounding area. The idea behind the Benesse House project was to "coexist nature, art and architecture".
Food and culture mix
Contemporary works of art blend in with the landscape and sea views. The kaiseki style dinner at the Issen restaurant in the Benesse House Museum is wonderful in terms of presentation and taste. What's more, dining next to paintings by Andy Warhol and enjoying a beautiful sunset with an incredible view could be one of the great experiences of your life.
Japanese-style inns
But in the absence of room availability - as you need to book these hotels well in advance - Japanese-style inns, called minshuku, can be a great option. They are located in Miyanoura and Honmura. Between the two areas, we suggest the latter: more charming and with café options, as well as being the Art House Project area.
Environments inside the GUNTÛ ship
Another alternative for visiting the islands would be to board the GUNTÛ. It offers traditional ryokan experiences while sailing the waters of the Seto Inland Sea. The elegant minimalist design by Japanese architect Yasushi Horibe makes perfect use of 11 types of Japanese wood and bamboo to create the interior of the ship with just 19 suites, whose engine is powered by solar energy, meaning no noise.
Pampering and exclusive experiences
The cuisine is spectacular, the pampering in the onsen and bathrooms is by the famous and exclusive Japanese brand Three and the experiences on offer include guided tours of the islands of Naoshima and Inujima. There is also the island of Tomoura, famous for its intact Edo period houses. From there, there is a beautiful view of the Great Seto Bridge - the longest double-decker bridge in the world, 13 km long and linking Okayama to Shikoku.
Means of transport to get to the main sites on the islands
On both Naoshima and Teshima, you can get around with the local bus line or by bicycle. If you go by bike, the tip is to opt for an electric model, as the islands are not flat and it can be tiring for the less prepared. In addition to these options, there is a shuttle service in the Benesse complex area on Naoshima that complements the bus route. On Inujima, you can do everything on foot.
Must-see works and installations on the Japanese architecture and culture itinerary
Despite the unique and very particular relationship that each person establishes with art, we suggest some works and installations that you need to see when you visit Japan's Islands of Contemporary Art.
Naoshima
Chichu Art Museum
To visit the Chichu Art Museum, you need to buy tickets in advance. Designed by Tadao Ando, most of the museum was built underground! The choice to make the museum partly underground was to interfere as little as possible with nature and avoid damaging the island's beautiful natural setting.
In addition, the intention was to make the light that enters change the appearance of the works and the building itself throughout the day and in the different seasons of the year. Sensational! At Chichu, there are works by Claude Monet, Walter de Maria and James Turell in the permanent collection. And on the way between the building - where you pick up your tickets - and the museum building, there's the Chichu Garden: a garden inspired by Monet's works, which helps you get into the mood of what you'll see inside.
Minami Dera and the little houses of Honmura - Art House Project and Ando Museum
Some old Japanese wooden houses in the village of Honmura have been restored and transformed into art installations. Talented artists from Japan and other parts of the world have brought abandoned and empty houses to life - some of them over 400 years old! - and brought movement to the village, which now has several cute cafés and restaurants where it's worth having lunch.
You buy your ticket at the Honmura Lounge and Archive shop, which is actually a pamphlet with a map and spaces to stamp in front of each installation each time you visit. All of them are very accessible on foot, and Minamidera is the busiest - with reservations and queues.
The experience of walking around the neighborhood and entering the facilities is unmissable! The Ando Museum is dedicated to the architect Tadao Ando, who basically designed the entire island of Naoshima. It is located in the same village as the Art House Project, in Honmura.
Yayoi Kusaman's Giant Pumpkin
Of course, Naoshima couldn't be without the famous pumpkin sculptures by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. And on the island, there isn't just one giant pumpkin, but TWO! One is located near the Benesse House and is yellow, while the other is next to the harbor, with a different shape and is red.
The artist's obsession with polka dots and pumpkins is the result of psychological disorders caused by a complicated childhood in Japan. After channeling her problems into art, today Yayoi Kusama is Japan's most famous artist and one of the world's great names in contemporary art, with works here at Inhotim.
Open-air works of art and medicinal baths
There are sculptures and art installations all over the island. Around Benesse House alone, there are more than 20 open-air works for you to see. Explore the map and look for the sculptures in front of the Park, on the tip of the island and in other areas. One of them - number 17 on the map - is called "Cultural Melting Bath". On Sundays, guests at Benesse House can book a bath with medicinal herbs, which takes place in an open-air ofuro!
Teshima
Teshima Art Museum
The main attraction in Teshima is the Teshima Art Museum, one of Japan's most intriguing works of contemporary art. Set among terraced rice fields, the simple concrete structure stimulates visitors' senses with the play of water droplets on a concrete surface. Several other works of art are scattered around the island's three fishing villages.
Les Archives du Coeur
Another permanent work of art on the island is Les Archives du Coeur ("Archives of the Heart"), located in a small building along the beach on the eastern outskirts of Karato. It is one of several places around the world where visitors can make recordings of their heartbeats and listen to the recorded heartbeats of other people, in a slightly spooky environment. The same French artist, Christian Boltanski, also created The Last Class at the Echigo Tsumari Art Triennale.
Shima Kitchen in Karato
Restaurant, shopping and accommodation options are limited in Teshima. But note that a work of art - Shima Kitchen in Karato - also serves as a restaurant and offers Japanese food prepared with local Setouchi ingredients in a traditional Japanese house. The place itself used to be an old folk house, but has now been transformed into a restaurant with beautiful wooden balconies. It was designed by architect Ryo Abe and has a menu curated by a chef from the Marunouchi Hotel in Tokyo.
Teshima No Mado is right next to Teshima Yokoo House, and you can find simple meals and coffee in the restaurant filled with retro furniture and design.
Inujima
Setouchi Triennale
Inujima (犬島, literally: "dog island") is a small island off Okayama in the Seto Inland Sea, named after a large rock that resembles a sitting dog. As well as contemporary installations, Inujima is home to the Setouchi Triennale modern art festival. Due to its small size, the peaceful island can be explored entirely on foot.
Before turning to modern art, Inujima was mainly an industrial site. During the feudal era, it produced granite blocks for castle construction and, at the beginning of the 20th century, a copper refinery was supposed to bring prosperity and people to the island. However, copper prices plummeted ten years after the refinery opened. This led to its premature closure and a drop in the island's population.
The refinery was not demolished after its closure and, despite having been closed for almost a century, its ruins still characterize the landscape of Inujima. Designated as a "heritage site of industrial modernization", the ruins - with their exposed brick walls, overgrown power plants and crumbling chimneys - can now be explored by tourists.
Inujima Seirensho Art Museum
In 2008, the ruins of the refinery were converted into the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum ("seirensho" means "refinery" in Japanese), which has been incorporated into an art gallery. The gallery is mainly located underground and uses local materials such as granite and bricks discarded from the refinery. Among the small number of artworks on display is an intriguing tunnel of mirrors and a tribute to the late novelist Mishima Yukio. It consists of pieces of Mishima's former residence suspended in mid-air.
Inujima Art House Project
A small rural village occupies the rest of Inujima, where around a hundred people live. Scattered around the small, peaceful village are the five galleries of the Inujima Art House Project, which were built for previous art festivals and have become permanent attractions on the island. You can explore them all on a pleasant one- to two-hour walk through the village's narrow streets.
Restaurant, shopping and accommodation options are very limited on the island. A few small restaurants can be found near the port, including a café inside the Inujima Ticket Center. The Seirensho Museum of Art also has a café on its grounds, but it is sometimes closed outside of summer.
As we've seen, the wonders of Japanese architecture and culture in Japan's Contemporary Art Islands are truly enchanting and distinctive. In addition to the beautiful and unique regions, there are also the facilities, buildings, restaurants, cafés and hotels that make this a must-see trip for those who want the best in exclusive experiences.
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