Naoshima Is Japan’s Art Island By The Sea
Japan is famous for creating kawaii characters like Hello Kitty, Gudetama and My Melody. They’ve spearheaded the anime and manga industry, but did you know that they’ve amassed their artistic installations, museums and cutting-edge architecture all-in-one island?
Located a short 3-hour ride from Osaka, Naoshima Island is the home of numerous museums with world-class collections, including paintings by Claude Monet and Andy Warhol.
Located at the Kagawa prefecture, the island features lush green trees in resonance with beautifully-designed buildings. If you’re ready to experience high-class art on steroids, here’s what to expect.
1. Benesse House Museum
Those who want to stay on the island for several days should book their stay at the Benesse House Museum. The facility combines the art museum and the hotel based on the concept of “coexistence of nature, art and architecture”.
The building is composed of four-themed lodgings which include Museum, Oval, Park and Beach. Each room is guaranteed to have a gorgeous seaside view of the Seto Inland Sea.
The main attraction is the Oval which includes a mesmerising pond surrounded by six rooms.
Bask in panoramic seaviews at their museum suites which is closest to the drawings, paintings, prints, and artworks.
The park is composed of guestroom verandas facing lush green lawns and the mountains of Shikoku. Art connoisseurs will be happy to find that the bedrooms contain open-air artwork and easy access to nearby restaurants and shops.
All suites offer a marvelous seaside view, but if you want to be close enough to hear the waves lapping at the shore then opt for the beach suite. The view from the room is parallel to the sea which makes you feel like you’re floating on top of water.
2. Chichu Art Museum
The Chichu Art Museum is an underground structure that uses natural light to alter the appearance of various installations throughout the day or seasons.
Viewing Time/Timeless/No Time by Walter De Maria feels like a trip to the throne room. A flight of steps leads visitors towards a majestic black granite sphere at the centre.
James Turrel’s Open Sky lets viewers subtly experience the transformations of natural light from morning to night.
3. Lee Ufan Museum
Massive concrete walls lead towards the entrance of the Lee Ufan museum which boasts of two-dimensional paintings and symbolic sculptures.
The installations are connected through their simplicity and elegance, though some rooms are bathed in light whilst others are covered in darkness.
4. Ando Museum
The Ando Museum is a 100-year-old traditional wooden house at Honmura. Similar to the other museums’, the installations play with contrasting elements like past/present, wood/concrete and light/shadow.
Unlike most homes, the interiors consist of concrete space with a skylight originating from the top of the wooden roof.
The goal of this masterpiece is to create a space with a rich sense of depth in spite of its small size.
4. Art House Project
The Art House project is composed of abandoned houses, shrines, and temples that have been turned into art installations.
Each house takes guests back to the past like this building which was a former office by a local dentist, 200 years ago.
The inside of each home is transformed by artists like the Sea of Time by Tatsuo Miyajima.
Art anywhere & everywhere
They say art is all around us, but it’s definitely on an entirely new level at Naoshima Art Island.
The island has a variety of museums created by popular artists across the world — even the hotel rooms have priceless pieces.
You can take a trip from Singapore to Japan’s Takamatsu Airport via Japan Airlines or Korean Air. From there, take the train from Takamatsu (Kagawa) station and depart at Uno station. Get a ride from the nearby ferry at Uno, which is headed to Honmura.
If you’re planning a trip to Osaka’s castles and Pokemon centres, why not consider making a day trip to Naoshima. The island is only 3 hours away by train.
Naoshima Benessee House Museum
Check in: From 3:00pm
Check out: Until 11:00pm
Contact: +81 878923223
Booking details: Naoshima’s website
Naoshima is the perfect place to view some of the world’s greatest creations and architectural feats. We all love visiting the museum, but there’s something alluring about these experiential art installations that you have to see for yourself.
Featured image from Instagram and Benesse Art Site.
