Naoshima: An Island to Live and Breathe Art and Architecture
Benesse House Oval, a suite of six guest rooms standing on a hill and reached by monorail from the Benesse Art Site Museum, Naoshima, Kagawa, Japan
Yayoi Kusama’s Yellow Pumpkin at Benesse Art Site Naoshima, Kagawa, Japan
Teshima Art Museum, Teshima, Kagawa, Japan
Located in a secluded Naoshima island in Kagawa, Japan, the Benesse Art Site Naoshima is a vibrant, light-filled "living" museum dedicated to the convergence of art and architecture with daily life and calling on natural surroundings to elevate and inspire artistic expression.
Opened in 1992, the Museum and original hotel, designed by prominent architect Tadao Ando, have grown to include additional lodging, outdoor spaces known as the Park and Beach and numerous art installations both indoors and out, allowing visitors to experience the juxtaposition of nature, art and architecture in an individual way. The complex also includes a restaurant, café, spa and shop open to the general public. Educational programs, art and solitary spaces are spread across the small islands of the Seto Inland Sea in Japan, including Naoshima and Teshima in Kagawa Prefecture and Inujima island in Okayama Prefecture.
The buildings and art installations live in harmony with the island landscape, and visitors come from throughout the world to experience the artistic synergy, to participate in learning experiences and educational programs, or simply to study the surroundings and benefit from the creative synergy. The underlying theme of well-being gives life and meaning to all of the activities and exhibits at Benesse Art Site.
Touch and feel Yayoi Kusama’s polka-dotted Yellow Pumpkin overlooking calm Seto Inland Sea, experience works of Claude Monet, James Turrell and such at Chichu Art Museum, witness the collaboration of art and architecture at Lee Ufan Museum designed by Tadao Ando to feature Lee’s works, and plan a half-day walking tour across Naoshima island to visit Art House Project sites where artists turn vacant houses into their art site—Minamidera is one of the notable projects designed by Ando to feature James Turrell’s works. On a nice sunny day, simply wander the site as your own pace to drink in the beauty of nature and relax, rejuvenate and meditate in a setting that resonates with personal meaning.
Benesse Art Site Naoshima is a unique cultural treasure that is both museum and hotel offers a distinctive choice for a cultural and artistic experience. The confluence of art and nature is spectacularly evident throughout the islands. Visiting Naoshima is an unforgettable experience.
