Shikoku · Day Tour
An island in the Inland Sea where the museums are built into the ground.
From
¥27,500 per person
approx. US$174
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before
Instant confirmation
A private Naoshima tour with a local guide. The Chichu Art Museum, Benesse House, the Art House Project in Honmura and Yayoi Kusama's pumpkins are the usual candidates. Naoshima is small, the timings are awkward, and a guide is what stops the day becoming a bus schedule.
Chichu is dug into a hillside and lit almost entirely from above, so the works change through the day and the weather. It holds a small number of pieces — Monet, Turrell, De Maria — in rooms built specifically for them. Tickets are timed and must be bought in advance, which your guide will make sure is done before you arrive.
Tadao Ando again, this time above ground and open to the sea. The collection is installed through the building and out into the landscape around it, so you come across work on the shoreline and in the woods. There is no clear line between the museum and the island, which is the intention.
In the village, a series of old wooden houses have been given over to artists to work with as whole buildings. One is flooded, one is entirely dark, one puts a stone staircase through the roof. They are a few minutes' walk apart along ordinary residential lanes where people still live.
Naoshima runs on ferries and a small bus, museums close on set days, and Chichu requires a timed ticket. A day here without someone who knows the schedule is mostly spent waiting. With one, it is one of the best days in Japan.
Meet your guide at the ferry terminal.
Underground, and lit from the sky.
The collection, the architecture and the coast.
The Art House Project, through the village.
Kusama's pumpkins, and a café or a beach.
Miyanoura Port ferry terminal, Naoshima, Kagawa. Your guide will contact you on WhatsApp beforehand to agree the plan.
The price covers your private English-speaking guide. Entry fees, transport and meals are paid as you go, and by convention you also cover your guide's. Bring cash.
Chichu, yes — entry is by timed slot and it sells out. Your guide will tell you what to book and when.
The main museums and Honmura, yes, if the ferry times work. Adding Teshima or Inujima needs a second day.
By ferry from Uno port in Okayama, or from Takamatsu on Shikoku. Your guide will advise which suits your route.
This one uses the island buses and walking. The private car version removes the waiting between sites and suits anyone short on time or mobility.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Bookings are confirmed instantly.
Shikoku · Day Tour
5 hours · From ¥25,000
Shikoku · Day Tour
6 hours · From ¥15,000
Shikoku · Day Tour
5 hours · From ¥15,000
