What Is Naoshima? Benesse Art Site, Chichu and the Art House Project

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide explains what Naoshima is and what visitors go to see. It uses the English pages of Benesse Art Site Naoshima, the Naoshima Town Tourism Association and the Kagawa Prefecture tourism site, all read on 2026-10-04. We give ticket prices as the pages state them, with the date we read them, because they change.

The island

Benesse Art Site Naoshima says the island lies about 3 km south of the city of Tamano in Okayama Prefecture, and that it and its surrounding islands make up the town of Naoshima in Kagawa Prefecture. About 3,100 residents live in three villages: Miyanoura, where ferries arrive and depart; Honmura, modeled on seaside castle towns of the Warring States period; and Tsumuura, a fishing port from long ago. The island's industries are copper smelting, active since the Taisho era, and yellowtail and seaweed aquaculture.

Benesse Art Site Naoshima

The Kagawa Prefecture site says Benesse Art Site Naoshima is the overall name for activities by the education and publishing company Benesse Holdings and the Fukutake Foundation to promote regional development through art, mainly on the three islands of Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima. The project began in 1989 with a campsite called Naoshima International Camp in the southern part of Naoshima. Benesse House Museum, an art museum and hotel designed by Tadao Ando, followed, and Benesse's own page says it opened in 1992. Since 2010 the project has co-organized the Setouchi Triennale, an international art festival held every three years.

Chichu Art Museum

Benesse says the Chichu Art Museum was constructed in 2004 as a site rethinking the relationship between nature and people. It was built mostly underground to avoid affecting the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea. Works by Claude Monet, James Turrell and Walter De Maria are on permanent display in the building designed by Tadao Ando, and the museum lets in an abundance of natural light. On the day we read the page, online tickets were 2,500 yen on weekdays and 2,700 yen on weekends and holidays; on-site tickets were 2,800 and 3,000 yen. Children 15 and under are free but need a reservation.

Lee Ufan Museum, Benesse House and the Ando Museum

• Lee Ufan Museum: a semi-underground Ando structure holding paintings and sculptures by Lee Ufan from the 1970s to the present, in a gentle valley between hills and the sea.
• Benesse House Museum: built on high ground overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, with large openings to the surroundings, and exhibiting painting, sculpture, photography and installations.
• ANDO MUSEUM: an Ando-designed concrete interior inside an about 100-year-old wooden house in Honmura, showing Ando's work and Naoshima history through photographs, sketches and models.

The Art House Project

Benesse says the Art House Project began in 1998 in the Honmura district with "Kadoya." It now comprises seven locations: Kadoya, Minamidera, Kinza, Go'o Shrine, Ishibashi, Gokaisho and Haisha. Artists take empty houses in residential areas and turn the spaces themselves into works of art. There is a multi-site ticket for five art houses, excluding Minamidera and Kinza, and a single-site ticket.

Hiroshi Sugimoto Gallery

The tourism association lists the Hiroshi Sugimoto Gallery: Time Corridors, and its news item on the home page says its admission fee was revised from June 1, 2026. We did not find the new price in the pages we read.

How long does it take?

The association says you can enjoy all the art facilities in about 8 hours, though viewing time varies, and recommends staying overnight to fully enjoy the island. With half a day, choose a few facilities. Benesse says the three islands have more than 30 facilities and more than 20 outdoor artworks.

Tickets and reservations

Since October 1, 2024, online tickets have been used for all art facilities on Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima. Chichu Art Museum, the Sugimoto Gallery, the Art House Project "Kinza" and "Minamidera", the Ring of Fire night work and the Teshima Art Museum are for a specific date and time. Online tickets may sell out.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• Admission fees other than Chichu, and the new Sugimoto Gallery price.
• Opening hours for each facility; they vary by season and day.
• Prices at the island's restaurants and lodging.

Related guides

• How do you get to Naoshima and get around the island from Okayama and Takamatsu?
• What is Naoshima like through the year? Closures, heat and summer fireworks

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. Naoshima, About the Islands (Benesse Art Site Naoshima) — (island)
2. Islands of Art (VISIT KAGAWA) — (history)
3. Chichu Art Museum (Benesse Art Site Naoshima) — (museum, tickets)
4. Lee Ufan Museum (Benesse Art Site Naoshima) — (museum)
5. Benesse House Museum (Benesse Art Site Naoshima) — (museum)
6. ANDO MUSEUM (Benesse Art Site Naoshima) — (museum)
7. Art House Project (Benesse Art Site Naoshima) — (seven sites)
8. Ticket Reservations (Benesse Art Site Naoshima) — (tickets)
9. Naoshima Town Tourism Association — (news)
10. To those visiting Naoshima (Naoshima Town Tourism Association) — (time needed)
11. For First-Time Visitors (Benesse Art Site Naoshima) — (facility count)