Naoshima’s Art Museums: Which to See, How to Book Chichu and a One-Day Plan (2026)

Quick answer: Naoshima has more than a dozen art sites, but the one to plan around is the Chichu Art Museum — book a timed ticket online as soon as you know your date, because if it sells out, nothing is sold at the door. Add Lee Ufan Museum and Benesse House Museum (both near Chichu) and the Art House Project in Honmura village. Most museums are closed on Mondays. Online tickets are ¥200–300 cheaper than at the door.

I’ve been to Naoshima from Takamatsu by ferry and got around the island by bus and bicycle. I’ve been inside the Chichu Art Museum, Benesse House Museum, the Lee Ufan Museum and the Art House Project. If you only have time for one, my recommendation is Chichu. Here’s how to choose and how to book.

The museums at a glance (2026 prices)

• Children 15 and under are free at most sites, but at Chichu, the New Museum and Lee Ufan they still need their own ticket.
• There’s no combined ticket for several museums (except the Art House multi-site ticket).

Chichu Art Museum — book this first

Built mostly underground on a hill above the sea, Chichu shows only a few artists, in rooms designed around each work: Claude Monet’s late Water Lilies, light installations by James Turrell and a huge room by Walter De Maria. I’ve been inside, and it’s the museum I’d recommend most on the island.

How tickets work:

• Online only in practice: tickets are for a 15-minute time slot. If online tickets sell out, none are sold at the door that day.
• When to book: tickets go on sale about two months ahead — check the official calendar for the exact release date.
• No changes or refunds, except if the museum closes (for example, in a storm). Credit card only.
• Hours: 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00). Closed Mondays (open on a holiday Monday, closed the next day).
• Long closure: 12 January – 19 March 2027 for maintenance.

Benesse House Museum and Lee Ufan Museum

Both are a short ride from Chichu on the free shuttle, so it’s easy to do all three in one half-day.

• Benesse House Museum: contemporary art in a building that is also a hotel, with works outdoors on the shore. I’ve been inside. Open 8:00–21:00 every day. No photos inside. The ticket also covers the Valley Gallery, with Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden.
• Lee Ufan Museum: a semi-underground space for Lee Ufan’s work from the 1970s to today. I’ve been inside. 10:00–17:00, closed Mondays.

Art House Project (Honmura)

In Honmura village, artists turned old houses, a shrine and a temple into artworks. I’ve visited the Art House Project myself. Buy tickets at the Honmura Lounge & Archive (9:30–16:30) or online.

• Minamidera (James Turrell, building by Ando) needs a timed ticket.
• Kinza is closed until 1 January 2027 for maintenance.
• Most houses close for lunch and on Mondays.

The pumpkins

Yayoi Kusama’s yellow Pumpkin sits on a pier by Benesse House Museum, and the red Pumpkin is at Miyanoura port. The yellow one was temporarily off view after a typhoon on 24 October 2026 — check the Benesse Art Site website for its current status.

Getting there and getting around

• From Takamatsu: ferry to Miyanoura, ¥680, about 50–60 minutes; high-speed boat ¥1,590.
• From Uno (Okayama): about 20 minutes, ¥370.
• On the island: the town bus (¥100, coins) runs Miyanoura → Honmura → Tsutsuji-so. From Tsutsuji-so, a free shuttle goes to Benesse House Museum, Lee Ufan and Chichu.
• No cycling or driving inside the Benesse area: unless you’re a hotel guest, you can’t drive, ride a motorbike or cycle between Tsutsuji-so and the Lee Ufan Museum. Leave your bike and take the shuttle.

See Naoshima and Shodoshima from Takamatsu for ferry tips.

A one-day plan

1. Morning ferry from Takamatsu to Miyanoura; see the red Pumpkin.
2. Bus to Tsutsuji-so, then the shuttle to Chichu (your booked time slot).
3. Lee Ufan Museum, then Benesse House Museum and the yellow Pumpkin.
4. Afternoon: bus to Honmura for the Art House Project.
5. Ferry back — check the last sailing before you start.

Avoid Mondays, when Chichu, Lee Ufan and most other sites are closed.

Staying overnight

Staying on the island, including at Benesse House (museum entry is free for guests), lets you see the museums without the day-trip rush. Rooms are limited, so book early.

Closures to know (late 2026 – early 2027)

• Kinza: 13 October 2026 – 1 January 2027.
• Naoshima New Museum of Art: 24 November – 12 December 2026 (reopens at noon on the 12th).
• Most sites: 12–18 January 2027 (winter maintenance). Chichu: 12 January – 19 March 2027.

FAQ

Which Naoshima museum is best?
For me, the Chichu Art Museum. Book it first and build your day around it.

Can I buy Chichu tickets at the door?
Only if there’s space left online. On busy days it sells out, so book ahead.

Are the museums open every day?
No — most close on Mondays (Benesse House Museum is the main exception).

Can I cycle to Chichu?
Not inside the Benesse area. Leave your bike at Tsutsuji-so and take the free shuttle.

Fees, hours and closures checked on the official Benesse Art Site Naoshima website on 26 October 2026.

Kaz

Tokushima local with family roots in Hiroshima

I live in Tokushima and my family is from Hiroshima, where I also used to live. I still go back several times a year. The guides here come from places I have actually been. Where I haven't tried something myself, I say so.