Planning my first trip to Japan (honeymoon) and we’re staying at Ryokan Roka on Naoshima in early November. Arriving from Osaka on Sunday and leaving on Tuesday for Tokyo.
Our full day is a Monday, when lots of stuff is closed on Naoshima, but the Benesse House Museum and the Hiroshi Sugimoto Gallery: Time Corridors is open.
We can probably squeeze the Chichu Art Museum in Sunday night, and perhaps one place Tuesday morning before we leave.
Should we stay on Naoshima on Monday, given the limited options? Is there other stuff to see by just walking around and exploring? Or does it make more sense to go to Teshima for our full day, and do more Naoshima stuff on Sunday evening/Tuesday morning?
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I think Teshima’s museum is closed Tuesdays, so I’d go to Teshima on the full day. Rent an electric bicycle, the island is absolutely charming.
Try to get to Benesse House in the evening, as it opens late and should be less crowded then. Time corridors closes earlier, but I’ve never seen it so I can’t comment on how worth it it is.
I think the Chichu museum is the most important of the three, but Tadao Ando happens to be my favorite architect.
There’s a ton of stuff to see on Naoshima, but they’re not all next to each other. Perhaps you could think of it as separate areas? You can wander about on foot within, say, Honmura or around the Benesse house hotel, but you’d need some sort of transport between the two.
If you can only make it to one of the art houses, I’d suggest Minamidera. (Don’t research that one beforehand, just get a timed entry ticket and go.) I also am quite fond of Haisha and Kadoya. (Watch your step in Kadoya, I once saw a guy warned to watch where he walked and then he immediately walked into the water and it was fantastic.)