By Amélie, travel-addict and blogger - Voyagista.fr
Today we head to Japan and to some if its islands that no one would have ever heard about had it not been for the owner of Benesse group (a Japanese publication house), who decided to take up the ambitious project of turning them into an exhibition of his personal art collection…. These lost small fishing islands used to serve as Japan’s rubbish bins, were polluted and slowly becoming deserted. 20 years later Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima now pride themselves as ambitious Modern Art centers, their industrial past seeming ever so far away.
How to get there?
You’ll need patience travelling there as they are quite remote…First you need to get to Takamatsu which is an adventure in itself, then take one of the rare ferries making sure you don’t miss the last one, at the risk of having to sleep on the island. Once there, on top of Art you also get the added benefit of the Japanese countryside. Cycling around the island with electric bikes is great for taking in all the magnificent sea views of the outer islands….
Naoshima, the “precursor”
Tadao Endo, the world’s most famous Japanese artist, is responsible for many of the island’s museums. It hosts masterpieces by Monet, Giacometti, James Turrell, Walter de Maria… But much space is allocated to less commonly known artists and architects. The traditional village of Honmura is our first stop, where you can visit 6 old Japanese houses that have been propelled into the future, a surprising result that probably was our favorite part of the island…. Then you go towards the Benesse House super pricey museum hotel, passing by the Yayoi Kusama island’s iconic Pumpkin, the Korean artist’s Lee Olan museum, finally the Chichibu Art museum, a real bunker of modern art and the last of our Naoshima destinations. A day well spent….
Teshima takes on after her bigger sister
Following the success of Naoshima, other islands joined in, including Teshima, which is bigger in size and much steeper… We didn’t find any electric bicycles with a baby-seat…so we chose the bus to get ourselves to the xxx museum, with its stunning rice terraces that go all the way down to the sea. You’re a constant spectator in Teshima : you dine surrounded by art, you relax… you even play basket ball with art…
Unfortunately we didn’t have time to go to Inujima, an old revamped factory museum… for next time…
Feel tempted? For more information subscribe to Voyagista’s newsletter, with access to my blog http://voyagista.fr
Useful information
- Departures from ports in Uno or Takamatsu, ferries are more frequent on Uno. The closest airport from Hong Kong is Osaka.
- Accommodation on the island is limited or very expensive, so we opted to stay in Takamatsu.
- Make sure you check which days each museum is closed; Naoshima is usually closed on Mondays and Teshima Tuesdays.
- Electric bike rentals are by far the best way to explore the island.
- The entry fees to the different museums and sites are very expensive, come armed with a budget.
