Osaka Trip Overview
Naoshima is the main island of a township made up of twenty-seven islands administered by Kagawa Prefecture. The island has a documented history going back to the Heian period, but today it’s known for its contemporary art museums, which draw visitors from all over the world, especially during the Setouchi Triennale art event held every three years in the region.
Since the island is part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park, there are strict rules for the visual impact of new buildings, so many of the art museums are built into the ground, creating an interesting aesthetic of their own.
・One day trip from Osaka
・You can enjoy to go around Naoshima island by bicycle (with power-assisted bicycle, e-bike) with Private English Speaking guide.
Additional Info
Duration: 12 to 13 hours
Starts: Osaka, Japan
Trip Category: Day Trips & Excursions >> Day Trips
Explore Osaka Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Osaka, Osaka, Japan
Naoshima is the main island of a township made up of twenty-seven islands administered by Kagawa Prefecture. The island has a documented history going back to the Heian period, but today it’s known for its contemporary art museums, which draw visitors from all over the world, especially during the Setouchi Triennale art event held every three years in the region.
Since the island is part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park, there are strict rules for the visual impact of new buildings, so many of the art museums are built into the ground, creating an interesting aesthetic of their own.
・One day trip from Osaka
・You can enjoy to go around Naoshima island by bicycle (with power-assisted bicycle, e-bike) with Private English Speaking guide.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Shin-Osaka Station, 5 Chome-16 Nishinakajima, Yodogawa Ward, Osaka 532-0011, Japan
Transportation by Shinkansen and local train between Osaka and Uno station in Okayama
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Uno Port, 1-chome Chikko, Tamano 706-0002 Okayama Prefecture
Included the transportation fee of ferry between Uno-port and Naoshima – Round trip
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Naoshima-cho, Naoshima-cho, Kagawa-gun, Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku
Rental bicycle at Naoshima Island- rental charge is included.
For those who don’t want to bother with timetables and wish to enjoy freely the island, you have the choice between renting a bicycle.
The island has some stiff slopes. For you out there, who is not totally confident in your stamina, do not worry: you can rent a bike with electric assistance.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Chichu Art Museum, 3449-1, Naoshima-cho, Kagawa-gun Kagawa Prefecture
Chichu Art Museum (ticket -excluded)
This museum was constructed in 2004 as a site rethinking the relationship between nature and people. The museum was built mostly underground to avoid affecting the beautiful natural scenery of the Seto Inland sea. Artworks by Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria are on permanent display in this building designed by Tadao Ando. Despite being primarily subterranean, the museum lets in an abundance of natural light that changes the appearance of the artworks and the ambience of the space itself with the passage of time, throughout the day and all along the four seasons of the year.
Taking form as the artists and architect bounced ideas off each other, the museum in its entirety can be seen as a very large site-specific artwork.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Art House Project, Naoshima-cho, Kagawa-gun 761-3110 Kagawa Prefecture
Art House Project (ticket exclude)
The Art House Project is an art project underway in Naoshima’s Honmura district. It began in 1998 with Kadoya, and currently comprises seven locations: Kadoya, Minamidera, Kinza, Go’o Shrine, Ishibashi, Gokaisho, and Haisha. In this project, artists take empty houses scattered about residential areas and turn the spaces themselves into works of art, weaving in history and memories of the period when the buildings were lived in and used.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Benesse House Museum, Godanji, Naoshima-cho, Kagawa-gun 761-3110 Kagawa Prefecture
Benesse House Museum (ticket excluded)
This museum opened in 1992 as a facility integrating a museum with a hotel, based on the concept of “coexistence of nature, art and architecture.” Designed by Tadao Ando, the facility is built on high ground overlooking the Seto Inland Sea and features large apertures that serve to open up the interior to the splendid natural surroundings. In addition to exhibiting the painting, sculpture, photography, and installations in its collection, the Museum also contains permanent site-specific installations that artists have created especially for the building, selecting locations on their own and designing the works for those spaces. The Museum’s artworks are found not just within its galleries, but in all parts of the building, as well as in scattered locations along the seashore that borders the complex and in the nearby forest.
Duration: 1 hour
