At a Glance

Naoshima is a small island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea and the heart of the Benesse Art Project, begun in 1992. Architecture by Tadao Ando and works by Monet, Turrell, and Kusama weave together into something closer to an outdoor museum than a city of galleries.

1. Chichū Art Museum

Opened in 2004 and built underground, Chichū is the island's core. Natural light only. Five late Monet Water Lilies, three Turrell spaces, and Walter De Maria's monumental Time/Timeless/No Time each have their own room. Booking required.

2. Benesse House Museum

The 1992 origin point of the project: Ando's hybrid museum-hotel with Nauman, César, and Jasper Johns. If you stay, you can roam the galleries alone in the evening—strongly recommended if your schedule allows.

3. Lee Ufan Museum

Opened 2010, also by Ando. A spare, stone-and-steel landscape devoted to the Korean Mono-ha master. Three Ando buildings in a row is one of Naoshima's best sensory contrasts.

4. Kusama Pumpkins & Honmura Art House Project

The red pumpkin at Miyanoura Port and the yellow at Benesse are the island's visual hooks. In Honmura village, seven old houses have been turned into installations by Turrell, Tatsuo Miyajima, and others—a walk-in gallery of narrow lanes.

Getting Around

Reach Naoshima by ferry from Okayama or Takamatsu. A solid morning loop is Chichū → Lee Ufan → Benesse House by shuttle bus; spend the afternoon in Honmura. Book tickets at least a week ahead in peak seasons. To round it out, add the Teshima Art Museum (Ryue Nishizawa) on the neighbouring island for a full Seto art triangle.