Naoshima Walking Tours

An unforgettable day on Japan's unparalleled “art island.”

Gain a deeper understanding of Naoshima's art, architecture, and culture with an island resident expert as your guide.

As you stroll the village streets, explore the art museums, and enjoy local cuisine, we’ll share our experiences and knowledge with you.


The best of Naoshima

Art Island Center's unique private tour of Naoshima incorporates years of experience living on and learning about the island. The six-hour itinerary covers Naoshima's best-of-the-best, from the world-famous Chichu Art Museum to the just-opened Naoshima New Museum of Art to the charming Art House Project. With so much to see on the island, we focus on what really makes this place special.


Flexible and fun

Our tour has lots of flexibility built in; if you find yourself drawn to a particular location, we’ll spend more time there. If something doesn’t seem appealing, or if it’s too crowded, we can skip it. We don’t use scripts, so quick adjustments are no problem. We’ll also have backup and second-backup plans for meals to allow for unexpected closures (a frequent issue on the islands).

Go'o Shrine with an installation by Hiroshi Sugimoto, part of Art House Project.



Explore the island on foot

Our tours are conducted primarily on foot, which allows us to appreciate the art and architecture as well as its sublime island setting. We’ll talk about the burnt wood siding that’s characteristic of Seto Inland Sea houses, chat with island residents, or pop down an interesting side street on a whim—things you’d miss if you spent the day in a taxi. (We will make a few short connections between areas on the island via bus, e-bike, or museum shuttle.)

A noren curtain by artist Yoko Kano outside "The Naoshima Plan: The Water" in Honmura village.


Never the same tour twice

No two visits to Naoshima are the same, and this is reflected in our tours. Perhaps you’d like to rent e-bikes for the connections between areas on the island. Maybe you’d like to reduce the stops and spend more time at each one, or perhaps you want to focus on areas where photography is allowed. Or maybe you have accessibility needs, or are traveling with young children. We are happy to make adjustments to ensure you enjoy your trip to the fullest.


Our six-hour tour covers our top picks on the island, including early favorites as well as the latest additions. Over the course of the day, your guide will weave these threads together to reveal a multi-layered story of Naoshima, incorporating insights into its culture and history. We can also recommend additional places to visit after or before the tour, depending on your schedule and interests.

Art House Project   Naoshima New Museum of Art   Chichu Art Museum   Lee Ufan Museum


Art House Project

Art House Project is a collection of seven “art houses” in the historic village of Honmura, on the eastern shore of Naoshima. Honmura's legacy reaches back thousands of years—it was a castle town, and also home to pirates. The oldest house in the village was built four centuries ago. Art House Project stages stunning contemporary art in former residential and cultural sites in Honmura, offering a reflection on the unique convergence of old and new that is characteristic of modern-day Naoshima.

The installation Sea of Time by Tatsuo Miyajima, inside Art House Kadoya.



One popular stop is Art House Minamidera, a Tadao Ando-designed structure built on the former site of a Buddhist temple, with artwork by James Turrell. Visitors enter a pitch-black room, feeling their way along the wall with their hands, and sit side-by-side on a bench. As their eyes slowly adjust to the darkness, a subtle light installation reveals itself in front of them. This disorienting, fascinating experience is a tour highlight. (For parties with young children or people who are uncomfortable in dark spaces, we can skip Minamidera.)



Naoshima New Museum of Art

Since it opened in spring 2025, Naoshima New Museum of Art has quickly become a must-see destination for art lovers around the world. Tadao Ando’s 12th project on Naoshima and perhaps his best yet, the New Museum is also the most “museum-like,” as it regularly hosts new exhibits.

Artwork by Pannaphan Yodmanee, Heri Dono, and Indieguerrilas at Naoshima New Museum of Art.



The focus of the New Museum is contemporary Asian art. This addresses a gap in the Naoshima collection, which until recently was almost exclusively the domain of Japanese and western artists. The museum’s spacious galleries (spanning three floors, two of which are underground) also allow for exhibiting large-scale artworks that would be difficult to show in other settings.

Detail of Head On by Cai Guo Qiang at Naoshima New Museum of Art.



Chichu Art Museum

The highest-profile stop on the tour is Chichu Art Museum, which put Naoshima decisively on the art-world map when it opened in 2004. “Chichu” means “underground,” and the museum lives up to its name—galleries devoted to Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter de Maria have all been cut into the mountainside, with light entering through variously designed apertures to the sky above.



This emphasis on natural light means the visitor experience changes dramatically based on the season, weather, and time of day. In the Claude Monet room, where diffused daylight filters down from the ceiling, the five water lily paintings on display seem to almost transform into different artworks when a cloud floats by overhead. An unforgettable experience.



Lee Ufan Museum

Lee Ufan Museum is where we conclude our tour. Lee Ufan, who was born in South Korea but spent much of his career based in Japan, is variously described as a philosopher-artist or an artists’ artist. His particular brand of minimalist, nature-oriented artwork can seem impenetrable to the uninitiated, but it rewards contemplation.



Lee Ufan Museum is a particularly successful partnership between an artist and an architect. Tadao Ando’s design for the museum blends seamlessly with Lee's artwork, which the building both contains and is surrounded by, making the whole project seem like it came from a single mind.

Detail of Porte vers l'infini by Lee Ufan, at Lee Ufan Museum.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who are the guides?


Most tours are led by Andrew McCormick. Originally from Seattle, Washington (USA), Andrew has lived on Naoshima since 2019. He was a Japanese government-sponsored visiting researcher at Hiroshima University from 2019-2021, where he studied the unique convergence of art, tourism, and community on Naoshima. As director of Art Island Center, he plans exhibitions, manages the bookshop, and builds partnerships with domestic and international artists and scholars. Before coming to Naoshima, he worked as a designer and photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Articles about Naoshima by Andrew:
Exploring Japan’s Art Islands
Getting the most out of your trip to Naoshima

Research about Naoshima by Andrew:
 Augmenting Small-Island Heritage through Site-Specific Art: A View from Naoshima
Community resourcefulness and partnerships in rural tourism

We also occasionally work with other expert guides in the area.

2. What languages are available?


Our tours are conducted in English.

3. What days of the week are available?


Our tours are available on weekdays when Chichu Art Museum is open, usually Tuesday through Friday.

We do not currently offer tours on Saturdays and Sundays.

Most Naoshima museums are closed on Mondays, so we don’t offer tours then. When a public holiday falls on a Monday (and Chichu Art Museum is open), we will offer a tour that day but not the following day (when the museums will be closed). Please check the Benesse Art Site Naoshima calendar here.

Please note that we offer only one private tour per day, so we encourage you to book as early as possible to get your preferred date.

4. How much does a tour cost, and what's included?


Please contact us for a quote. Tell us the number of people in your group and any special requests you have.

What’s included:
• A fun, informative tour with your guide
• Admission for your guide to museums on Naoshima

What’s not included:
• Museum tickets for your party
• Transportation (bicycle rental or bus fare; ferry tickets)
• Lunch for your party and your guide*

* Your guide typically eats lunch with you. If so, please pay for your guide's meal. If you prefer to eat on your own and meet up with the guide afterwards, that's OK too. Just let us know ahead of time.

Our tours are private, and we do not combine multiple unrelated parties into one tour. (We are happy to split the payment for a tour among participants, but we ask for only one person to represent the party when communicating with us.)

Academic/school groups may receive special pricing. Contact us for details.

5. What is the typical schedule for a tour?


We usually meet at Miyanoura Port, but sometimes at Honmura Port or elsewhere, depending on whether and where you’ll be staying on Naoshima. (Please tell us about your lodging plans when you make your initial inquiry!)

The approximate schedule for the day is:

09:40 Meet at Miyanoura Port (Optional: Rent bicycles)
Bus or bike to Honmura village
10:00 Art House Project
11:45 Lunch at a local cafe/restaurant
12:45 Naoshima New Museum of Art
Bus or bike to Chichu Art Museum
14:15 Chichu Art Museum
15:30 Lee Ufan Museum
16:00 Tour concludes (Optional: Continue on your own to Benesse House Museum)
Bus or bike to Miyanoura Port, or to hotel

Because no two tours are the same, please don't purchase museum tickets until we finalize the schedule for your tour.

If you are coming to Naoshima on the morning of the tour, please plan to catch the 9:22 ferry from Uno Port, or the 8:12 ferry from Takamatsu Port. If you are planning to leave Naoshima after the tour, you can expect to catch either the 16:35 or 17:35 ferry to Uno, or the 17:00 ferry to Takamatsu.

6. Can we ride e-bikes on the tour?


Yes! Our standard tour involves a few bus connections between areas, but making those connections by rental e-bike instead is a fun way to see more of the island, and gives us greater flexibility. The fee for the tour is same whether you opt for the bus or bikes.

Please make your own bicycle reservations using the links below. You do not need to rent an e-bike for your guide.

You can reserve e-bikes online at these two Naoshima shops. Both shops are located at Miyanoura Port.
• T.V.C. Rental (Japanese website only, browser translation compatible)
• Ougiya (English website)

Both shops accept cash or credit cards. Payment must be made in person.

We do not recommend e-bikes for clients staying at Benesse House, as their shuttle service is very convenient. Some accommodations on Naoshima offer their own rental e-bikes, so it’s worth inquiring with your hotel or guesthouse ahead of time.

Note: You must accept all risk associated with riding a bicycle during the tour, and release Art Island Center and your guide from all liability. You should wear a helmet when riding a bicycle—helmets are provided for free at the bicycle shops. Please be sure you understand the road safety information provided to you when you rent your bicycle.

7. I’d like to have a special itinerary / I would like to visit Teshima or Inujima / I have other requests


We offer custom tour plans for parties whose needs go beyond our standard tour. Common requests include tours of additional museums or additional islands (Teshima and/or Inujima), tours for large groups, as well as tours spanning multiple days. As a part of a custom tour, we can also offer meal planning/reservations, inbound/outbound transportation assistance (information only), escort assistance between stations/airports and Naoshima, booking private venues on the island for meetings/events, etc. Please tell us your ideal plan and we can confirm what's possible and give you a rate for the tour and additional services. Custom tours start at ¥60,000 per day.

Note: We cannot book transportation (including land and water taxis) or accommodation, purchase museum tickets or ferry tickets for you, or pay for anything on your behalf—this requires a travel agent.

Our recommended agent: Setouchi Islander
How about booking a water taxi or private cruise as part of your visit? Setouchi Islander can arrange your entire trip—including lodging, water and land transportation, and meals—and also hire us as your guide. (Please request Art Island Center/Andrew McCormick.) Visit their website for more information.

8. How do I pay? What’s your cancellation policy?


After you contact us and we confirm availability and any special requests, we will send an invoice for the tour, which can be paid securely online via credit card. Your tour is not confirmed until we receive your payment.

For your peace of mind, we offer a generous cancellation policy—a full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours prior to the start time for the tour.

If you do need to cancel, we will process your refund within two weeks, and you should see the refund on your credit card balance within one week after that.

Tour bookings cancelled 24 hours or less before the tour start time will not be refunded.

10. Is this an official Benesse/Fukutake Foundation tour?


No. Art Island Center is not affiliated with Benesse Art Site Naoshima.

Our tours are tailored to you, and feature not only the “official” art sites on the island, but also insights about the island’s history, culture, and community. We work with our friends at Benesse and Fukutake Foundation to ensure a positive experience for our tour participants and to stay apprised of recent developments. At the same time, we offer an impartial view of the Benesse Art Site Naoshima project.

Questions? Ready to schedule a tour? Contact us using the form below. You can also email us at info@artisland.jp. Please do not send us tour requests via social media.

Please tell us:
• Your preferred tour date (see FAQ #3)
• The number of people in your party
• Whether you will be staying on Naoshima and, if so, for which nights, and where
• Whether you prefer e-bikes (see FAQ #6) or the public bus for the short connections between areas (Benesse House guests will have access to a courtesy shuttle)
• If you have any special requests, dietary restrictions, or accessibility needs