Art Islands Experience

If you have been following along, you know that we (Cynthia and Courtney) just returned from an epic trip to Japan. The bulk of this trip was spent on a Backroads multi-adventure trip with 10 friends but after that, three of us continued on to the “Art Islands” - Naoshima and Teshima- located slightly south of Osaka on the Inland Sea.

Let’s just say we were blown away! First of all by the beauty of these islands. The views are stunning from all directions. If these islands were located in the US, the beaches would be packed with sunbathers but in Japan they were empty and glorious— until we got there and grabbed a few minutes of sun.

We stayed at the Bennesse House which is the nicest hotel on Naoshima at the moment —there are very few. A Mandarin Oriental is in the works and will change the island for sure. Bennesse House and all of the museums on Naoshima were designed by modern architect Tadao Ando. He uses a lot of glass and concrete which while beautiful, at times felt a bit dark and cold. The rooms are on the smaller side (we were in Park Deluxe Twin rooms) and line the hallways on one side so that each room has a view. Everything felt very minimalistic— including the service!

We loved every course at the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, the sushi restaurant and the breakfast buffet. Reservations must be made in advance for dinners and are very difficult to change. Their version of room service is a bento box— be warned, this bento box is only to be eaten in your room. We begged to eat in the bar or anywhere else where we could enjoy each others company around a table and they would not accommodate us. Rules are rules in Japan!

And the art!!! It is everywhere. Lining the corridors of the hotel, on beaches, in fields, in museums and in 200 year old homes within the fishing village. The art ranges in style from modern sculpture to light experiences by James Turrell to Waterlilies by Monet. Truly it is crazy. Our favorite museum was the New Museum. The exhibits here were jaw dropping. We also ate lunch at the New Museum, opting for the “Indian Plate” which was delicious and apparently in high demand as the “sold out” sign went up after we placed our order. (Take note, get there early if you want to eat!)

On our second day of touring, we took a ferry to Teshima. The ferry was packed, the ride about 45 minutes and it was windy — so be prepared. Teshima is a bigger island known for its natural beauty (though we though Naoshima to be beautiful as well) and has only a few but very impactful exhibits that are worth the journey. We ate lunch at Umi no Restaurant where they offer a pasta plate and a meat plate both of which we thought were very good, but most impressive was the view.

We had a wonderful guide, Ai, that toured with us each day and provided so much more depth and insight to our experience. There is so much we would have completely missed had Ai not told us to “keep walking” or “look around the corner” not to mention the context she was able to provide for many of the works. We also had a driver which enabled us to see everything we wanted to in a timely fashion— very important as we were strict about our daily mahjong and cocktail hour (or two!).

We have a priceless Oliver Guide to the Art Islands where Kara Roche really breaks down what you need to know. But what you really need to know is, yes you should go!