I really really recommend Naoshima, it is such a unique place. It’s an island on the inland sea which houses a contemporary art collection in two museums, installations in old village houses, and sculptures dotted around the island. This includes the pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama which I was so looking forward to seeing in person. You are not allowed to take pictures within the museums or installations so I don’t have any but there is really interesting work there.
We stayed in the Bennesse House Museum which was truly amazing. The splurge of the trip. It is expensive but so so worth it if you can manage the cost, we had a huge room with two views out to sea and some Joanna Bartlett artwork on the walls. Dinner was a formal Japanese meal in a room with a Basquiat painting on the wall. You can wander around the museum after it has closed. Such a strange experience to be alone with all these famous artworks.
We borrowed electric bikes from Bennesse House which in itself was a fun experience to ride them around in the sun. The island is small so you can get around by bike easily if you can manage the hill. The village is pretty and nice to walk around. The installations are mixed it within the village houses. The other museum is Chichu museum, designed by Tadao Ando and houses super star works such as Monet water lily paintings, a James Turrell open sky and a huge work by Walter de Maria.
If you stay on the island you get to see the pumpkin first thing in the morning :)
The electric bike!
I thought this guy cycling at the dock looked like Paper Boy, do you remember that computer game?
Recommended
I recommend the whole place! Go there and see everything. I know that they are building another museum there now so there will be even more to see soon. Here are some links for further information:
8 Comments
oh how i wished we stayed in benesse! The little ryokan inn we stayed was very nice too but next time i hope to stay in benesse. apparently that yellow pumpkin is now being moved away for maintenance so i guess you got there just in time!! beautiful photos.
Whaaat, I would have been so upset if it hadn’t been there, phew! I really recommend Benesse, I hope that you can stay there next time :)
hiki, i wonder what sort of maintenance it needs. painting, maybe? my miniature pumpkin (paper weight) already has a little scratch from me hitting it with a metal frame (!), and i had to use a sharpie to fix one of the dots!
anyway, lucky you. i’m mostly interested in the bennesse house when i think of naoshima. do you have the photos of the room?
I don’t think I have any good photos of the room, but it was huge, like an apartment with a dining area and sitting area. We had a four person room. You get some free Kusama designed biscuits too :)
hi, i came via hiki’s blog.
naoshima looks amazing!! i originally heard of this place from my mum (of all people) as she asked if i could take her there one day.
after reading and seeing your post i have actually added it to my growing list of places to visit.
I hope you can visit! It is a really unique place.
These photos are great! That pumpkin is fantastic! I can’t wait to see it someday!
Looks like an amazing place. I’d love to visit Japan and I think that Naoshima will definately be on my list when I do finally get around to organising (and saving up for, of course!) for a trip there. I love all your accounts so far – and that pumpkin is great!