An archival deep-dive into the permanent installations and architectural philosophies of the Seto Inland Sea.
"Architecture that refuses to exist on the surface."
Designed by Tadao Ando, the Chichu Art Museum is a masterpiece of subterranean engineering. By burying the structure, Ando preserved the skyline of Naoshima while creating a controlled environment where the only variable is the shifting angle of natural sunlight.
A granite sphere in a hall of gold leaf, illuminated solely by a skylight.
Five 'Water Lilies' viewed in a room paved with 2cm Carrara marble cubes.
Cameras are strictly prohibited to allow for uninterrupted sensory immersion.
Visitors are encouraged to speak in whispers to respect the temple-like acoustics of the concrete halls.
This museum is a collaboration between Tadao Ando and Lee Ufan. It explores the **Mono-ha** philosophy—focusing on the relationship between natural materials (stone) and industrial ones (steel), and the space that exists between them.
The 'Pole and Stone' installation in the outer plaza acts as a lightning rod for the surrounding valley's energy.
The Meditation Room offers a soft, light-filled void where the wall paintings change based on the viewer's breath.
Ando designed the building to be a frame for Lee Ufan's work. The long, triangular entrance path forces a rhythmic walk that prepares the mind for the silence found within the concrete galleries.
"In the encounter between a stone and a steel plate, a spark of the world is revealed." — Lee Ufan
The Yellow Pumpkin sits at the edge of a pier. Its placement signifies the 'end' of the human world and the beginning of the sea. Note: Best visited at sunrise to avoid the midday photo queues.
Look for the glass cubes along the coastline. These are part of Hiroshi Sugimoto's 'Seascapes' series, designed to reflect the actual horizon of the Seto Inland Sea.
Yayoi Kusama's 'Narcissus Garden' features hundreds of stainless steel spheres scattered in a lush valley, reflecting the sky and the trees in a distorted, infinite loop.
Designed by artist Shinro Ohtake, this is not just an installation—it is a fully functional public bathhouse. It is a riot of color, featuring a life-sized elephant statue, ceramic tile collages, and erotica-inspired glasswork.
Unlike the silent museums, the Sento is a place of community. You are encouraged to soak in the hot mineral water while gazing at the collage art on the bottom of the bath.
"The bathhouse acts as a living scrapbook of the Seto Inland Sea's industrial past, mixed with pop-culture chaos."
Located near the Miyanoura Port, Sou Fujimoto's **Naoshima Pavilion** is a stainless steel mesh structure inspired by the 27 islands that make up the Naoshima town jurisdiction. Fujimoto designed this as the "28th Island."
During the day, the white mesh appears like a floating cloud. At night, internal LEDs turn the structure into a glowing diamond on the edge of the harbor.
Visitors are invited to step inside the mesh. The triangular patterns create a kaleidoscopic view of the sea, blurring the boundary between the island and the air.
Yayoi Kusama’s **Yellow Pumpkin** is more than a photo opportunity; it is a symbol of the island's endurance. In 2021, a powerful typhoon swept the pumpkin into the sea. It was recovered, meticulously restored by Benesse's conservation team, and returned to its pier in 2022 with a reinforced attachment system.
"Kusama chose this spot because the pumpkin represents a wild, organic energy that stands in defiance of the vast, indifferent ocean."
Located in Honmura, this museum is a paradox: a traditional 100-year-old wooden house containing a modern concrete heart.
A massive concrete cylinder is inserted into the wooden frame, creating a stark contrast between the warm cedar and the cool, 'silk-finish' concrete.
Slits in the roof allow light to travel down the concrete walls, acting as a natural clock that tracks the movement of the sun over the Honmura village.
"The greatest work of art on Naoshima is not found in a gallery, but in the way the Seto Inland Sea light hits a concrete wall at dusk."
As your pilgrimage through the monoliths of Chichu and the hidden houses of Honmura comes to a close, we invite you to sit by the pier near the Miyanoura Red Pumpkin. Here, the boundary between the "created" and the "natural" dissolves entirely.
The mission of Naoshima is not to show you objects, but to teach you the **Art of Observation**. To leave the island is to carry this new lens back into the world—seeing the harmony in a shadow, the rhythm in a tide, and the love in a shared moment of silence.
The Curator's Farewell
"Carry the light of the Seto Sea with you, wherever your path leads next."