Anyone who truly wants to understand Japan should include Nara and Naoshima in their itinerary. During our three-week trip, we discovered that these places in particular reveal the deepest magic of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Text: Anja Van Der Borght – Photos: WOWwatchers.com
Naoshima, located in the calm waters of the Seto Inland Sea about 225 kilometers southwest of Kyoto, is an island that doesn’t simply display art, it breathes it. Artworks appear where you least expect them: in a forest, hidden inside a fisherman’s house, at the end of a deserted path. Yayoi Kusama’s iconic polka-dotted pumpkins, one bright yellow on a pier stretching out into the sea, one red in the bay near the ferry hub, have become symbols of the island, just like Tadao Ando’s signature concrete architecture. It was the visionary collaboration between the Benesse Foundation and the Japanese architect Tadao Ando that transformed Naoshima over the years from a small, industrial, rather unremarkable island into a true art island, with museums that function as sculptures within the landscape.
The Chichu Art Museum, for example, partly underground, allows daylight to enter in such a way that it artistically enhances the breathtaking light installations by James Turrell and Monet’s Water Lilies. Here, you are not merely a spectator, but a participant in a dialogue between space, color, and silence. The villages of Naoshima are also an essential part of the experience. It’s a joy to cycle through the narrow streets of Honmura, to catch glimpses of temples, and to take in the aromas drifting from restaurants and homes around dinnertime. The Art House Project installations, abandoned traditional houses transformed into art spaces, echo the lives of former residents. In a world full of stimuli, Naoshima offers a rare luxury: space for wonder, contemplation, and stillness.
Chichu Art Museum by Tadao Ando, Naoshima
Open Sky by James Turrell, Chichu Art Museum by Tadao Ando, Naoshima
Breathing deeper
Located 42 kilometers southeast of Kyoto (45 minutes by train), Nara is Japan’s oldest permanent capital (710–784), the cradle of Buddhism, and a city where architecture, nature, and mythology converge. Where Kyoto radiates grandeur, Nara feels more intimate, softer, almost meditative. Hundreds of deer roam freely through Nara Park. In the Shinto tradition, they are considered messengers of the gods, and that divine serenity becomes almost tangible when you offer one a senbei cracker.
Even more impressive are the Buddhist temples, the Shinto shrine Kasuga Taisha, and the palace site, all listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We were particularly in awe of the 13th-century Great South Gate, the largest temple gate in Japan, which forms the main entrance to Tōdai-ji Temple, home to the world’s largest bronze Buddha housed inside a temple. Nara’s charm also lies in wandering through neighborhoods where craft workshops hide behind wooden façades, in the soft sheen of lacquerware and silk. Those who visit Nara and Naoshima return not only with memories, but with a different rhythm, a deeper breath.
New Museum of Art by Tadao Ando, Naoshima
Practical guide: how and where?
Naoshima offers limited accommodation, which is either very expensive or more basic in comfort. We therefore chose Hotel Uno in Uno Port (the ferry hub on the mainland) and took the ferry (20 minutes) from there using electric bicycles rented at the hotel. Renting bikes in Uno means you’re not dependent on Naoshima’s rental shop hours and can take earlier or later ferries. Electric bikes are essential due to the island’s hilly terrain. Exploring on foot is not recommended if you only have one or two days. Guests booking a luxury room at Hotel Uno also get free access to Setouchi Onsen Tamanoyu, a natural hot spring functioning as a public bath, perfectly relaxing after a day of cycling.
www.uno-hotel.com
Relais & Chateaux Noborioji Nara is highly recommended thanks to its location and exclusive dining experience in collaboration with the three-star restaurant Molière from Sapporo. Colorful dishes combine seasonal ingredients from Nara and Hokkaido with outstanding French techniques and refined Japanese influences. Located within walking distance of the station and bordering Nara Park, your suite offers views of the park’s deer, wonderful to fall asleep and wake up to.
www.noborioji.com
www.relaischateaux.com
