Monday, September 12, 2011

KAGAWA

NAOSHIMA
Hotels
Benesse House – Gotanji; 011-81-87-892-3223; benesse-artsite.jp Western-style rooms in various buildings; example: Bennesse House Museum contains 10-room hotel; guests may wander galleries after-hours in their pajamas.
Services
Naoshima Tourism Association – Marine Station Naoshima (in front of Miyanoura Quay); 011-81-87-892-2299; naoshima.net/en/index.php; includes detailed bilingual map.
Sights & Sites
Art House Project (Honmura Lounge & Archive) – 850-2; 011-81-87-840-8273; benesse-artsite.jp/en/arthouse; 6-7 old village houses converted into art spaces showcasing Japanese and international artists; combined ticket for 6 projects can be bought at Honmura Lounge & Archive Building, Ueda Tobacco Shop, Cafe Maruya, Benesse House, Marine Station Naoshima, and Haisha Art House; Art “houses” include (1) Minamidera (“Backside of Moon” by James Turrell and house, lavatory by Tadao Ando), (2) Kadoya (“Sea of Time ‘98,” “Naoshima’s Counter Window,” and “Changing Landscape” by Tatsuo Miyajima), (3) Go’oh Jinja/Shrine (“Appropriate Proportion” by Hiroshi Sugimoto [enter shrine by taking little path to right, i.e., sea side]), (4) Ishibashi (“Falls” by Hiroshi Senju), (5) Haisha (Zetsujomu [“Dream Tasting on Tongue”] and Bokkon “peeper hole” by Shinro Ohtake), (6) Gokaisho (“Camellia” by Etsuhiro Suda); and (7) Kinza (not included in Art House Project combined ticket).
Benesse House Museum – Gotanji; 011-81-87-892-3223; benesse-artsite.jp.
Chichu Art Museum – 3449-1 (town bus' last stop); 011-81-87-892-3755; benesse-artsite.jp or chichu.jp/en; lovely garden, too; unique modern art museum built into hillside overlooking southern coast; designed by Ando Tadao and building itself is artwork; mostly underground and solely utilizes natural light to illuminate artwork, creating viewing experience heavily influenced by surrounding natural environment; rather small collection; 1st gallery displays large Claude Monet “Water Lilies” murals; next, few works by James Turrell, who uses light as medium, including “Open Sky” room from his “Skyspaces” series, which has sister exhibits around world; finally, deepest part houses Walter De Maria “Time/Timeless/No Time” installation; arrange private evening viewing for Turrell works.
007 “Man with Red Tattoo” Museum – 2310 Miyanoura; 011-81-87-892-2299; 007museum.jp; curiously small showroom erected as a museum to feature Raymond Benson’s recent Bond novel Man with Red Tattoo; important story part takes place in Benesse House during G8 summit; museum aims to present Naoshima as Bond location on national scale; attached to rather shabby gift shop and café; 2 minutes on foot from Miyanoura Port.
Naoshima Bathhouse – 2252-2; 011-81-87-892-2626; naoshimasento.jp; fully functional art installation with Japanese traditional public bath; designed by Shinro Ohtake (collaboration); name is pun, word-play on “you” and yu, latter meaning “hot water” in Japanese.
Naoshima Fukutake Art Museum – 850 Naoshima-cho; 011-81-87-892-2550; benesse-artsite.jp or fukutake.or.jp; includes sculpture garden.
Lee Ufan Museum – Gotanji; 011-81-87-761-3110; island’s 3rd art museum; also designed by Tadao Ando; displays Lee Ufan’s works only.

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