Japan Art Islands

A Day on Naoshima

Yayoi Kusama's famed Yellow Pumpkin on Naoshima

Today, I want to share with you a few pictures from a day spent on Naoshima a little while ago.

Nothing too special, just enough to bring back some memories if you've been there. Or to make you want to go if you haven't.

Enjoy.

An empty ferry? I wish. No, I just was the first one onboard. I think it was full if I remember correctly. Is it ever not full these days?

A glimpse of the south beach (with the *Yellow Pumpkin* and the Benesse House)

Obligatory pictures of the Red Pumpkin (2006) as soon as we're off the boat.

I've become good at taking pictures that make you believe that there was no one else on the island. Almost too good; I'm afraid I give people the wrong impression of the actual situation there.

Sou Fujimoto's Naoshima Pavilion (2015).

Next stop, Honmura:

Sea of Time ’98 (1998, 2018) by Tatsuo Miyajima in the Art House "Kadoya."

Go'o Shrine aka Appropriate Proportion (2002) by Hiroshi Sugimoto.

Under the shrine:

I have a strange fear every time I enter this narrow tunnel (it's very narrow). What would I do if an earthquake happened at that moment? Okay, I don't want to freak you out during your next visit. Since islands are basically part of the bedrock, earthquakes are felt much less than in plains areas, like Takamatsu. Still, if you're in this tunnel during a big earthquake, it won't be fun. However, the probability of that happening is very very slim.

So, I took these two pictures, above and below of the Art House called "Ishibashi," but there are no pictures of the artwork itself. I wonder why. I must have put them somewhere else. I guess you'll see it another day (or if you really can't wait, you can see some in my Naoshima Art House Project page on my website).

Opened in 2022 and designed by Tadao Ando, the Valley Gallery is supposed to house temporary exhibits, but until now, it's been the home of Yayoi Kusama's Narcissus Garden (actually a very old work of art from her). Also, not pictured, Tsuyoshi Ozawa's Slag Buddha 88 (which predates the Valley Gallery).

The outdoors of the Lee Ufan Museum.

Do you see the yellow and the black boats? Well, they're part of an exhibit in the Benesse House Museum (look for them when you're inside the museum)

Why is this the only picture of the Benesse House Museum that I have here? Not sure.

I may have put them somewhere on my computer for a future post. Probably. In any case, you can check this page instead (it's a few years old, so some artworks have changed).

If you're wondering why there are so many rocks on this torii, it's because of an old tradition: if you throw a rock on top of a torii and it doesn't fall down, your wish will come true. As this torii is very short, at no more than 1.5 metres, there have been many cheaters who took advantage of this loophole.

Back in Miyanoura, don't miss Naoshima Bath "I❤湯" (2009) by Shinto Ohtake.

And after this fun visit, it was time to take the last ferry to Takamatsu.

But before that, a last goodbye to the Red Pumpkin, where a tourist had decided to pay it homage by dressing in (roughly) the same colors. I assume it was a coincidence, but it was a fun one.