A baton pass of cherry blossoms. The sentiment of falling petals and buds awaiting what's to come.

2026/04/08

Hello everyone. For the past few days, Naoshima has been swept by a pleasant spring breeze, and the entire island is enveloped in a soft atmosphere. Today, we'll be sharing the "changing cherry blossoms," which will make you want to pause for a moment between art viewings, a sight unique to this time of year. 🌸 Somei Yoshino cherries are entering the "cherry blossom blizzard" season. With every gust of wind, petals scatter, dyeing the ground a pale pink...

Moon-viewing

2025/10/01

I participated in a neighborhood event – a moon-viewing walk! We gathered near Miyaura Port and walked about 4 kilometers round trip to the Chichu Art Museum Ticket Center. After a briefing and warm-up exercises, the enjoyable walk began! We walked along the seaside road near Miyaura Port, my favorite spot with Naoshima's scenery, while watching the sunset. ...

Summer on Naoshima Island

2025/08/30

                  In August, the summer session of the Setouchi International Art Festival was held, and many visitors came to the island. Enjoying the summer, such as combining a visit to art facilities with swimming in the sea...

New arrivals!

2025/07/26

A refreshing cold treat for hot weather! Naoshima MOCOMOCO (choux ice cream) is now on sale at the souvenir shop of Umi no Eki Naoshima. It's made with rice from the Naoshima Rice Cultivation Project and SOLASHIO, salt produced on Naoshima. Delicious as choux ice cream when frozen, or as choux cream when thawed...

The spring exhibition of the Setouchi Triennale 2025 has concluded.

2025/06/19

Nice to meet you. A new staff member who moved here in April will be taking over and updating this blog. We hope to share the charms of Naoshima that we've discovered in our life here, as well as useful travel information, and that you'll enjoy our posts. The spring session of the Setouchi Triennale 2025 ended on May 25th. &n・・・

Now is the recommended season

2024/05/27

  During Golden Week, many visitors enjoyed their island time on Naoshima. Things have calmed down a bit now, so you can enjoy the art facilities at a leisurely pace. (For facilities requiring advance reservations, please check the reservation status on Benesse Art Site Naoshima.) There are still some chilly days, but the ren...

Now is the recommended season

2024/05/27

  During Golden Week, many visitors came to the island and enjoyed their island time on Naoshima. Things have calmed down a bit now, and we can respond to inquiries about our art facilities more leisurely. (For facilities that require advance reservations, please check the reservation status on Benesse Art Site Naoshima.) There are still some chilly days, but rental bicycles...

Maintenance closure

2024/01/18

Winter has fully set in, and the season has become so cold that even car windows freeze. Naoshima is currently in its art facility maintenance period. From January 15th to January 19th, all facilities on the island, including outdoor art works, will be under maintenance. The red pumpkin at Miyanoura Port was also being repainted. Museums and art facilities...

Firefly squid of Naoshima

2023/09/07

You can also observe bioluminescent plankton in the seas of Naoshima! ✨ Bioluminescent plankton are crustaceans, similar to crabs and shrimp, and are small creatures measuring about 3 millimeters in size. They are known as the ocean's clean-up crew, mainly feeding on dead fish and other organic matter.

Summer Island ★Important Notes★

2023/08/02

Summer vacation has begun, and more families are visiting! This year, we've had record-breaking heatwaves, and Naoshima has been experiencing strong sunlight and high humidity days ☀ Please be very careful of heatstroke, as there are few shaded or resting spots on the island!! This is especially true when getting around by rental bicycle or rental motor bike...

Naoshima's sea

2023/07/18

The temperature has been exceeding 30 degrees Celsius lately, and summer has truly arrived! At Kotobiki Beach, located in front of Tsutsujiso, more and more visitors are enjoying swimming in the ocean!

The water lilies on Naoshima are in full bloom.

2023/07/13

The water lilies at Gōtanji Pond have bloomed again this year ❁ Since water lilies bloom in the morning, viewing...

Naoshima's hydrangeas

2023/06/19

Naoshima has entered the rainy season, and we're starting to see a lot of hydrangeas. Currently, the bigleaf hydrangeas along the path to the community center are in full bloom! There are many large, palm-sized hydrangeas, mostly in shades of purple and pink.

Cherry Blossom Viewing Walking 2023

2023/04/10

On April 8th, there was a neighborhood event called "Cherry Blossom Viewing Walk." We walked approximately 6 kilometers from Tsutsujiso to Naoshima Dam and back to Tsutsujiso. After a warm-up, we were off! Walking through the Benesse Area to the dam. We've arrived! If you want to see Naoshima's cherry blossoms, this is the place...

Spring is in full bloom

2023/03/31

Naoshima is starting to feel quite spring-like. The cherry blossoms at the Chichu Art Museum are also in full bloom. The Oshima cherry trees in the cherry blossom labyrinth are still in bud, but they have swelled considerably! (As of March 30th) The Somei Yoshino trees around them are about half-bloomed. They should be in full bloom by this weekend. It's interesting how the blooming status of the cherry blossoms varies from tree to tree on the island...

Naoshima Scenery - Winter -

2023/02/24

This time we'll guide you through a winter landscape. Here's the first picture. Naoshima is famous as an art island, but it is also a major producer of seafood such as "Buri" (yellowtail) and "Nori" (seaweed). This time, we'll introduce a bit about seaweed cultivation. There seem to be two types of seaweed cultivation methods (how to set up the nets for seaweed cultivation: "stake method" and "floating method"...

Maintenance is complete.

2023/01/30

In January, various art facilities and works undergo maintenance, and the number of tourists significantly decreases. However, those who visit during this period have the opportunity to enjoy the artworks in a "private viewing" setting, depending on the timing, or take photos from various angles without worrying about others (in areas where photography is permitted), leading to some very special experiences. Naoshima...

Winter Naoshima

2022/12/28

December has arrived, and while Naoshima had been experiencing relatively warm days, the past week has brought strong winds due to a cold snap affecting the entire country. It feels like winter on Naoshima has truly begun. We recommend bringing warm clothing such as gloves and hats if you plan to visit outdoor art or the Art House Project, which are outside the museum. Many visitors from outside the prefecture at this time of year express surprise, thinking the Setouchi region would be warmer...

Before I knew it...!!

2022/11/17

The Setouchi Triennale 2022 successfully concluded on November 6th, thanks to all of you. We sincerely thank all the visitors for your great cooperation with infection prevention measures and travel plans during the COVID-19 pandemic while the festival was held. Although the number of visitors was about 60% of the previous festival, we were delighted to welcome so many people and felt a sense of bustle for the first time in a while...

In the blink of an eye!

2022/09/01

The Setouchi Triennale 2022 summer session, which began on Friday, August 5th, has only three days left! Most of the summer session has been marked by consecutive hot days, making it difficult to get around the islands. Visitors are enjoying the art and nature while taking breaks at various locations. During the session, Naoshima has been operating temporary buses, and staff members stationed throughout the island are working hard to provide guidance! If you lose something or encounter any difficulties...