Not a lot of a secret anymore, Naoshima, colloquially known as ‘Artwork Island,’ is a wonderful jumping-off level for exploring the broader, extra untouched great thing about the Setouchi area, certainly one of Japan’s most fascinating areas and a vacation spot that is each unspoiled and so prepared for tourism.
Here is an excellent transient historical past lesson: The island got here into its present incarnation round 1985 when Tetsuhiko Fukutake, the founding president of academic publishing home Fukutake Publishing, met Chikatsugu Miyake, the main of Naoshima. The pair had a grand imaginative and prescient to develop a cultural and academic space on this sleepy island.
By 1992 they recruited Tadao Ando, one of many nation’s biggest architects, to affix the trigger, and never lengthy after, Benesse Home Museum got here into being. From there, the island’s cultural standing has snowballed, with world-class artists like James Turrell and Yayoi Kusama making their mark on the panorama, and at this time it is being touted as one of many nation’s must-visit areas on par with iconic locations like Kyoto and Kanazawa.
Naoshima and its neighboring islands play host to the 2022 version of the Setouchi Triennale, so let’s check out how finest to journey by way of the island this summer season.
Lay of the Land
Naoshima will be divided into three key areas: east, west and south coast. The northern a part of the island is a bit more industrial, house to the Naoshima City Mount Seto Service Reservoir, a Mitsubishi outpost and Fujihara Development. So, briefly, there’s not a lot you may discover over there.
On the west coast is Miyanoura Port, the port you may attain first in the event you’re touring by way of Takamatsu and fairly presumably Uno (Okayama Prefecture). It is a wonderful place to begin your Naoshima journey, as upon arrival, you are greeted by Kusama’s iconic, larger-than-life crimson pumpkin, a sprawling open garden and a well-stocked data heart to get you info-equipped earlier than embarking in your artwork journey. A few three-minute stroll from the information heart sits the charmingly scrappy and eclectic I Love Yu, a public bath-art piece crafted by artist Shinro Ohtake.
The adjoining port on the east coast is known as Honmura Port, which companies boats touring from Uno. This aspect of the island is house to the Ando Museum and to a cluster of homes, some residential and a few that make up the Artwork Home Challenge. One of many island’s extra understated however no much less vital artwork options, the Artwork Home Challenge was established in 1998 and is a set of once-empty homes, now stuffed with artwork designed particularly for every house and is ideal for exploring on foot or bicycle. At present, the challenge contains seven areas: Kadoya, Minamidera, Kinza, Go’o Shrine, Ishibashi, Gokaisho and Haisha.
In direction of the southern tip of the island sits the areas we will dub unofficially ‘Benesse land,’ aka Benesse Artwork Web site. Right here you may discover Benesse Home, the luxe art-centric lodging, in addition to different neighboring blockbuster websites just like the Lee Ufan Museum (a museum devoted to the Korean minimalist painter and sculptor-artist), and the Tadao Ando-crafted Chichu Artwork Museum, housing an unlikely however harmonious trio of Walter De Maria, James Turrell and Claude Monet items.
Shifting About
The toughest half about getting round Naoshima is deciding which transport methodology to take. A rental automotive is a no brainer in the event you’re on the island for a day journey and wish to clock as a lot as attainable. You possibly can decide up a Kusama-inspired polka-dot automotive from the rental store, which sits proper by Miyanoura Port. You possibly can hire by the hour or for the total day.
Bike rental is a pleasing strategy to go if the summer season solar is out and it is not too scorching. It gives straightforward accessibility to virtually each nook of the island. Whereas there’s the occasional hill, it is nothing a bit of further push – or possibly some battery-powered help – cannot resolve. Just like the automobiles, you may discover the rental outlets proper by Miyanoura Port. They’re exhausting to overlook.
If you wish to let another person take cost of the transportation, there’s all the time the bus too. The Naoshima City bus travels between Miyanoura Port and Tsutsujiso, on the opposite aspect of the island, making a short cease at Honmura, delivering guests to the Artwork Home Challenge and Ando Museum. It runs virtually each hour and prices simply 100 for adults and 50 for youngsters. The free Benesse shuttle bus operates between Tsutsujiso and Chichu Artwork Museum, stopping at Benesse Home Museum and Lee Ufan Museum. It comes round each half-hour and each 15 through the excessive vacationer season.
Eating and Consuming
The most effective elements of Naoshima, an island so full of latest options, is that the island feels prefer it hasn’t sacrificed its authenticity and hasn’t uprooted its legacy as a fishing city in change for contemporary tourism. All of that is to say you may discover as many – possibly much more – charming native and comfy companies as you’ll slick new institutions. To do Naoshima correctly is to attempt them each.
To get an actual style of the island, have lunch at an area teishoku joint like Yuunagi, which serves up freshly caught fish in numerous types. Seize a bowl of low cost however satisfying udon from Udon Shiroobi. You might be in Kagawa Prefecture – the house of udon – in spite of everything.
Early birds can get the most effective view of the island by taking a stroll alongside street Route 256, which cuts by way of the middle of the island, connecting the east and west coasts. It is a great, possibly two-hour loop, which is properly price it you probably have the time and inclination. Keep cool with a espresso from Akaito Espresso, a quaint little espresso joint that hand roasts its personal beans and opens on the spritely hour of 7am.
Because the day rolls on, and it is time to decide on a dinner vacation spot, take into account Ebisukamo. This can be a cozy Japanese izakaya that feels as very like eating in an in depth good friend’s front room because it does an official eating institution, however that is the attraction of all of it. The store has an English menu, a formidable collection of native sake and a number of the finest seafood dishes you may discover on the island.
For these trying to kick on a bit of later within the night, do not get too excited for an excellent late one, or be ready to carry the celebration again to your home as a result of most spots shut fairly early; it’s nonetheless inaka (regional Japan) in spite of everything. That mentioned, in the event you’re on the hunt for a 9pm nightcap, Little Plum is a vibey café and bar housed in a renovated marine container. Sit out on the deck with a cool, crispy Naoshima beer or one of many different virtually 100 cocktails and soak within the island ambiance. When you’re getting too boozy, relaxation straightforward within the consolation that the bar’s second ground can be a dormitory.
Triennale 2022 Summer season Version
Held each three years, the Setouchi Triennale is a celebration of artwork, tradition and the great thing about the Setouchi area. It kicked off in 2012, and this yr marks the fifth version of the occasion. A little bit completely different from the common happenings on the island, the competition takes over a cluster of islands within the Setouchi space – together with Shodoshima, Teshima, Oshima and Inujima – and hosts occasions and pop-up reveals through the festive interval.
The Triennale runs in three legs all year long, with spring performed and dusted; subsequent up is the summer season version which kicks off in early August and runs by way of to early September. The autumn version is later in September.
The place to remain
Earlier than visiting Naoshima, it’s straightforward to be below the impression that Benesse Home, the resort that you can say began all of it, is the be-all and end-all of lodging on Naoshima, however in actuality, there’s a lot extra. When you do plan on visiting, it’s worthwhile reserving not less than one, possibly two nights of lodging on the island to keep away from the back-and-forth timing of the ferries.
There are a couple of choices to select from on the lodging entrance, relying on what you are after. Funds vacationers will do finest with the hostels like Naoshima Backpackers, or in the event you’re in search of one thing extra old-school and native, take into account a minshuku (Japanese visitor home keep).
Roka is a brand new resort making waves in luxurious resort circles. Impressed by the elegant hospitality of a ryokan, and the fashionable, glossy and considerate minimalism of a way of life resort, it hosts a sushi restaurant, kaiseki eating and a tranquil, virtually hidden location.
All that mentioned, there’s a purpose why Benesse Home has the repute it does. The ability is positioned on the southern coast providing unparalleled views, wonderful eating services, well-designed rooms (of assorted types) and wonderful entry to a number of the island’s greatest drawcard.
Going Past
If you wish to look additional, Teshima is the commonest ‘subsequent island’ spot, with east ferry entry and the Teshima Artwork Museum drawing crowds, nevertheless, in the event you’re in search of one thing a bit of greater by way of measurement and panorama range, take a look at Shodoshima, the soy-sauce island or Takamatsu (on the Shikoku mainland) for udon and gorgeous Japanese landscapes.
Lucy Dayman stayed at Roka + Benesse as a visitor for TARO Luxurious Journey Specialist & Media.