Discover Polka Dot Pumpkins, Subterranean Museums, And The Charm Of A Rambling Art Based Day Out With Your Date.
For couples on a date, Naoshima offers the opportunity for exploration and discovery, not just of the island and its charms, but of each other as well.
However, Naoshima is a place that should be taken slowly and absorbed thoughtfully. It is not a day-trip for the timid and might be better visited on a long weekend with your potential true love, where a jaunt to the island could be one day of a multi-day trip visiting either Takamatsu in Shikoku or Okayama on the mainland.
Take a 20 minute ferry ride from Uno port (near Okayama), or an hour-long journey from Takamatsu.
Location:
Naoshima, south of Okayama
Time:
Year round
Good for:
- Art and architecture enthusiasts
- Long weekends
- Cyclists
Quick points:
- Accessible by public transportation though e-bike is more convenient
- Close to historic Okayama and Kurashiki
- Part of a collective of over 12 art islands
Household Names
Yayoi Kusama’s instantly recognisable installation – the Red Pumpkin – welcomes visitors to the island every day.
A yellow pumpkin sitting at the end of a pier, surrounded by ocean, is an anchor between nature and artifice. The black dots running in lines down its sides represent boundaries and the overcoming of them. Kusama’s sculpture, along with its red sibling, is now the most recognisable symbol of this art island, as well as a very popular spot for selfies (though on windy days, the more fragile yellow pumpkin gets packed away for safety).
But Osaka-born, self-taught architect Ando has an even larger artistic footprint, having personally designed four museums using his signature Brutalist style.
Concrete, sharp lines, open spaces – all elements found within an Ando structure.
Ando’s architecture is defined by the interplay between the organic world and human-made creations. Smooth concrete walls frame the sky or share a horizon with the sea. Carefully controlled light and shadow highlight each space. Watching people interacting within the frames Ando created is all part of the fun.
As the sun moves throughout the day, it changes the lighting in the rooms, meaning that no two visits to the museum will be the same.
“Time Exposed” by Sugimoto Hiroshi features black-and-white photographs of the horizon from seas around the world, arranged so they align with the Seto Inland Sea beyond.
The Secret of the Sky by Kan Yasuda, invites visitors to lie down and contemplate the sky.
Sashimi, miso soup, pickles, and, of course, dessert. This bento is not like the ones at the convenience store.
Literally.
Built underground, where it will not interrupt the island’s scenery, the vault-like halls hold three permanent exhibitions from Claude Monet, Walter De Maria, and James Turrell. The limited number means that visitors can take their time to soak up each space. Photography is also strictly prohibited, encouraging guests to truly observe the art in detail, without the distracting filter of their phones.
Bunker-like, the entrance to the Chichu museum draws visitors down into the earth.
Walter De Maria’s work, titled “Time/Timeless/No Time” is lit only by natural light, which shifts throughout the day, seasons, and with the weather.
Natural Beauty
There are also a lot of cats.
With that little extra push of energy perfect for the occasional hill, the e-bikes offered around Miyanoura port are the best way to get around the island.
Beware not to get distracted by all the beauty.
For the less adventurous – or for rainy days – a free shuttle bus also navigates between the main points of interest. Be sure to bring 100 yen coins though to cover the cost of a ride.
Final Thoughts
Like relationships, however, the island rewards that effort. The more you give to it, the more it reveals.
Over the course of a day – while riding an e-bike, or sampling sashimi, or watching the waves rolling by while crossing on the ferry – conversations shift, moving naturally into introspections on meaning and questions around values.
Art pushes boundaries and invites new perspectives. A date on the art island of Naoshima extends beyond the work itself, encouraging couples to imagine their world a little differently, and the possibilities of a future shared together.
