Exploring Naoshima by rental bikes (Half-Day Tour)

〇Tour Schedule

  9:30: Meet up at "Naoshima Tours" in the Miyanoura area

  9:40: Orientation and appreciate the artworks of "I♡Yu"

  9:45: Depart by bike for the Honmura area
 
 10:15: Arrive at the Art House Project Ticket Centre

 10:20: Tour of the Art House Project
          
            1. Haisha 
            2. Ishibashi 
            3. Kadoya
            4. Go'o Shrine
            5. Minamidera
            6. Gokaisho
           
*If time allows, we can also visit the Ando Museum. (Ticket fee is not included in the tour price)
 
 13:30: Lunch at "Luke's Pizza & Grill"

*The guided tour concludes upon arrival at the restaurant. Please enjoy the rest of your day freely after lunch.
*You may continue to use the bike. Please return it to Naoshima Tours by 18:00 on the same day.

▽You can check the location of Naoshima Tours here.
https://g.co/kgs/AxrQHBB

Naoshima, the main island of the Naoshima archipelago, is composed of 27 islands of various sizes floating between Kagawa and Okayama prefectures in the Seto Inland Sea. Originally governed by pirates engaged in maritime trade in the Seto Inland Sea, the island faced economic difficulties as agriculture and fishing declined with modernisation, leading to the acceptance of a Mitsubishi metal refinery in the northern part of the island, which spurred development through economic hardship. However, the refinery's emissions caused significant environmental damage to the northern part of the island and its surrounding nature. In the latter half of the 20th century, Mitsubishi focused on recycling efforts to preserve the scenic nature of the Seto Inland Sea and aimed to create a circular eco-town. Meanwhile, the Benesse Corporation purchased part of the land in the southern part of the island, which had suffered less damage from the smoke and retained its beautiful scenery, and commissioned architect Tadao Ando to build campsites, museums, and hotels, marking the beginning of what is now the art island of Naoshima.

Initially, the townspeople were sceptical, however the idea of not merely limiting it to a museum but showcasing the entire island as an art museum, and projects like the "Art House Project" that rejuvenated old houses as contemporary art, brought a unique contemporary art perspective that sparked rumours and eventually attracted global attention. In 2010, the first Setouchi Triennale was held, and the island continues to evolve, now leading other islands in the region.

The island's circumference is about 16 km, but most of the tourist spots are located in the southern half of the island, divided into three areas: the Miyanoura area on the west side, the Honmura area on the east side, and the area around the Benesse House Museum on the south side.

《Miyanoura Area》

This area is home to Naoshima's main port, where ferries from Takamatsu Port in Kagawa and Uno Port in Okayama arrive and depart. What catches your eye before arrival might be Yayoi Kusama's artwork "Red Pumpkin." It has now become a symbolic presence of Naoshima, welcoming and bidding farewell to tourists at the gateway to the island.

The ferry terminal was designed by the architectural unit SANAA, which is involved in the renovation of Kanazawa's 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art and the reopening of the traditional department store "La Samaritaine" in Paris. Additionally, in this district, there are various works such as the avant-garde contemporary art transformed public bath "I Love Yu" by Shinro Ohtake and "Miyanoura Gallery 6" by Yuki Iiyama, which was reborn from a pachinko parluor.

The Honmura district, located on the east side of the island, also has a port, which is relatively small and serves as the port for some high-speed boats arriving from and departing to Takamatsu Port, Uno Port, and Teshima. This terminal, too, was designed by SANAA and completed in 2017, featuring an appearance reminiscent of bubbles formed by attaching spheres together.

The Honmura district is one of the oldest settlements on Naoshima, where the "Art House Project" initiated by Benesse and led by Tadao Ando began with the purpose of embodying memories of human activity from the past as art, harmonising them with the present, and passing them on to the future. Currently, there are seven artworks rejuvenated by the "Art House Project," concentrated within a small area, allowing for exploration on foot. Memories remaining in abandoned old houses and temples, once gathering places for villagers, are expressed as art in each space, attracting many tourists again and giving rise to new human activities.
Enjoy spaces where the ordinary and the extraordinary intertwine, such as Kadoya, the first instalment of the "Art House Project" displaying works by Tatsuo Miyajima, Go'o Shrine worked on by Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Minamidera designed by Tadao Ando for James Turrell's artwork.
Additionally, the ANDO MUSEUM, where Tadao Ando rejuvenated an old house as a piece of art, retains the simple exterior of the old house while showcasing Ando's signature style.

With many stylish cafes and diners, taking your time to enjoy the atmosphere of a village where art blends into the landscape is also recommended.

The municipal bus departs from Miyanoura Port and passes through the Honmura district, then through the old fishing village of Tsumuura district, where many guesthouses are located, before reaching its final stop at Tsutsuji-so. In front of Tsutsuji-so, there is a beautiful beach called Gotanji Beach, which becomes bustling with beachgoers during the summer. You might also see Yayoi Kusama's yellow "Pumpkin" placed on a pier jutting out into the sea.

Since cycling is prohibited beyond Tsutsuji-so, to reach the Benesse Art Museum area further ahead, you must switch to Benesse's free shuttle bus or proceed on foot. The shuttle bus generally departs in accordance with the arrival of the municipal bus, but even the farthest destination, the Chichu Art Museum, can be reached in about 30 minutes on foot, making it a nice walk to enjoy the Seto Inland Sea National Park's scenery and outdoor artworks.

The first site you come across upon leaving Tsutsuji-so is the Benesse House Museum. The Benesse House Museum, a hotel integrated with a museum, was designed by Tadao Ando with the concept of "coexistence of nature, architecture, and art." It was the first project created by the collaboration between Benesse and Tadao Ando, with most of the artworks made on-site, and every area from the interior to the guest rooms and outdoors serving as exhibition spaces. The entire space is filled with contemporary art installations, making the whole premises rightfully called a museum.

Next, you'll see the Lee Ufan Museum. This museum, a collaboration between Lee Ufan and Tadao Ando, houses Lee Ufan's works, a pioneer of the "Mono-ha" movement, in a semi-underground structure designed by Tadao Ando.

Further ahead is the Chichu Art Museum, and by this point, the Miyanoura district is not far away. The Chichu Art Museum, as its name suggests(it means underground), is entirely buried underground, and it was designed by Tadao Ando specifically for the exhibition of works by three artists: Claude Monet, Walter De Maria, and James Turrell. The building and the artworks are integrated, with the installations being unique to this location. While extremely popular, the museum maintains the concept of "a place for contemplation of nature and human beings," limiting the number of visitors at any one time, and currently requires advance reservations.