Naoshima
The art island, 20 minutes by ferry from the ship
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Checked · Researched, not yet visited · times from official timetables and our estimates · Takumi Yamada
Naoshima is the island the Uno ferry was made for. At Miyanoura, where it lands, Yayoi Kusama’s Red Pumpkin and Sou Fujimoto’s Naoshima Pavilion stand on the quay; you can walk into both.
In Honmura, old houses have been turned into artworks, the Art House Project. On the south coast are Tadao Ando’s museums: Chichu, built into the hill, and Benesse House, with the yellow Pumpkin on its shore.
Four things the plaques won't tell you
- Ferries and passenger boats use different piers at Uno and at Miyanoura: check which one your departure uses.
- Carry coins for the town bus: there is no change machine.
- On weekend afternoons the bus back to Miyanoura can be full. Be at the stop early and keep a later ferry in reserve.
- On a Monday the museum shuttle does not run; Benesse House Museum is open and about 1 km on foot from Tsutsuji-so (our estimate).
On the south coast are Tadao Ando’s museums: Chichu, built into the hill, and Benesse House, with the yellow Pumpkin on its shore.
Questions people ask here
How often does the ferry from Uno to Naoshima run?
Shikoku Kisen runs 13 ferries a day from Uno to Miyanoura, 06:10 to 20:25, about 20 minutes, ¥370; passenger boats add a 13:30 and late sailings. Back from Miyanoura there are ferries from 06:00 to 20:25. A few ferries run to Honmura instead.
Can I visit Naoshima on a Monday?
Partly. Chichu, the Art House Project, the Naoshima New Museum of Art and I♥︎湯 are closed, and the museum shuttle does not run. Benesse House Museum is open every day, and the pumpkins and the pavilion are outdoors.