The spring session of Setouchi Triennale 2025 will begin on April 18, 2025! The Setouchi Triennale is a contemporary art festival held every three years on multiple islands in the Seto Inland Sea (Setonaikai). Please take a look at the highlights here as you attend this world-renowned art festival.
Table of Contents
1. Overview of Setouchi Triennale 2025
2. Itinerary overview
3. All The Highlights for 2 Nights and 3 Days to visit Naoshima, Inujima, and Teshima
4. Getting there
1. Overview of Setouchi Triennale 2025
The Setouchi Triennale is a contemporary art festival held once every three years in all 17 areas of the Setouchi islands and coastal areas.
The approx. 100-day festival period is divided into three seasons (Spring, Summer, and Autumn), allowing visitors to experience the charms of the Setouchi region in each season. During the festival period, 1 million people visit from Japan and abroad, making it one of Japan’s leading international art festivals.
– Whole session Naoshima / Teshima / Megijima / Ogijima / Shodoshima / Oshima / Inujima / Takamatsu Port Area / Uno Port Area
– Spring session April 18(Fri) – May 25(Sun) Seto Ohashi Bridge Area
– Summer session August 1(Fri) – August 31(Sun) Shido・Tsuda Area / Hiketa Area
– Autumn session October 3(Fri) – NoVember 9(Sun) Honjima/ Takamishima/ Awashima/ Ibukijima/ Utazu Area
2. Itinerary overview
DAY 1
07:45 Depart Haneda Airport for Okayama Airport
10:30 Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
14:25 Depart from Okayama Uno Port to Naoshima Miyaura Port
15:00 Tour of six Naoshima Art House Projects
17:00 Arrive at the hotel
DAY 2
08:30 Take a walk at Miyaura Port at Naoshima
09:20 Take a ferry from Miyaura Port to Inujima
10:15 Inujima Seirensho Art Museum>reservation required
11:00 Inujima “Art House Project”, Inujima Life Garden
13:10 Take a ferry from Inujima, rent a bicycle at Ieura Port, Teshima
14:05 Teshima Art Museum>reservation required
16:12 Depart Teshima Ieura Port for Naoshima
17:00 Arrive at the hotel
DAY 3
9:00 Check out, tour of Naoshima
9:25 Take Benesse shuttle bus from Tsutsuji-so
9:30 Benesse House Museum
10:45 Lee Ufan Museum, Valley Gallery
11:30 Hiroshi Sugimoto Gallery: Time Corridors>reservation required
12:30 Seaside Gallery
13:30 Chichu Art Museum>reservation required
14:40 Take Benesse shuttle bus
15:10 Take a walk at Naoshima
16:02 Take a ferry from Naoshima Miyaura Port to Okayama Uno Port
19:50 Depart Okayama Airport for Haneda Airport
3. All The Highlights for 2 Nights and 3 Days to visit Naoshima, Inujima, and Teshima
Due to its location and the wide array of attractions, we recommend to spend a few nights so you can really take your time exploring. Read below for our suggested Highlights for 2 Nights and 3 Days visit Naoshima, Inujima, and Teshima to enjoy your art jorney.
・DAY1 Tour of six Naoshima Art House Projects
・DAY2 (mornig) Inujima Seirensho Art Museum
・DAY2 (afternoon) Teshima Art Museum
・DAY3 Benesse House Museum, Lee Ufan Museum, Chichu Art Museum, Time Corridors
DAY1 Tour of six Naoshima Art House Projects
Art House Project is an art project underway in Naoshima’s Honmura district. In this project, artists take empty houses scattered about residential areas and turn the spaces into art works.
Kadoya, Tatsuo Miyajima
Go’o Shrine, Hiroshi Sugimoto
Gokaisho, Yoshihiro Suda
Both the camellia flowers scattered on the tatami mats and the bamboo are not real, but elaborate “wooden” works.
Ishibashi, Hiroshi Senju
Other house projects include “Minaidera” by James Turrell. Kinza” by Rei Naito is very popular by reservation only.
Naoshima Art House Projects
Address: Honmachi District, Naoshima-cho, Kagawa-gun, Kagawa
Closed: Mondays
Hours: 10:00-16:00
Official Web Site
DAY2 (mornig) Inujima Seirensho Art Museum
On Day 2, from Miyaura Port on Naoshima, it took about an hour by ferry through the calm Seto Inland Sea to reach Inujima. It is a small island, so including the museum and Art House Projects, it takes about two hours to get around.
Inujima Seirensho Art Museum
This museum preserves and recreates the remains of a copper smelter on Inujima. Photography is not allowed inside, but we hope you will experience it there. It is very cool!
Art House Project F Art House, Kohei Nawa
Inujima is also dotted with Art House Projects, which can be seen on foot in an hour. A walk along the beach is a pleasant. After circling tiny Inujima, we will go to our next destination, Teshima!
Inujima Seirensho Art Museum
Address: 327-4 Inujima Higashi-ku Okayama-shi, Okayama Google map
Hours: 9:00-16:30
Opening days vary each season, so please check the official website.
Inuima Art House Project
Address: Inujima Higashi-ku Okayama-shi, Okayama
Getting there: There are two routes to Inujima: one from Naoshima via Teshima and the other from Hoden Port in Okayama.
Official Web Site
DAY2 (afternoon) Teshima Art Museum
Teshima’s art museum is about 5 km from the port. There is a town bus service, but it is infrequent, so we rented a bicycle.
Teshima Art Museum
This is a museum where Rei Naito’s works are integrated into a huge, organic concrete shell without a single pillar. Photography is also prohibited inside. Inside, the sounds of wind and water can be heard slightly. A small fountain appears and disappears at the foot of this wonderful work.
Teshima Art Museum
Address: 607 Teshimakarato Shozugun Tonoshocho, Kagawa Google map
Hours: 10:00-16:00
Opening days vary each season, so please check the official website.
DAY3 Tour of Art Museums in Naoshima
It was the nice weather, so we started with a morning walk. Benesse House Museum is vast, but we cannot drive in, so we will either rent bicycles or take the shuttle bus.
Pumpkin, Yayoi Kusama
The original one was washed away by a typhoon! This is the most famous and popular pumpkin in Japan and makes people smile.
Benesse House Museum
Naoshima’s first art museum by Tadao Ando. If you look closely, you will see small weeds growing out of the concrete. This is a “wooden” plant by Yoshihiro Suda, so exquisite that it could be mistaken for the real.
Lee Ufan Museum
Korean contemporary artist Lee Ufan is an internationally acclaimed artist. His dynamic works are made of stone and iron.
Valley Gallery, Yayoi Kusama
Yellow and Black boat, Jennifer Bartlett
A painting based on this motif is in the Benesse House Museum, and the original boat is placed in a spot at the bottom of a cliff that cannot be seen unless one is very careful.
Hiroshi Sugimoto Gallery: Time Corridors
The Glass Tea House and other works by Hiroshi Sugimoto from his early days to the present are on display.
Chichu Art Museum, designed by Tadao Ando
Works as Monet’s Water Lilies, James Turrell, and Walter de Maria are on permanent display.
Photography is not allowed inside, but the architecture and art are breathtaking. No matter how many times you come to this museum, you will be impressed, so please experience it there!
Ozuchijima Island seen from Naoshima
It was truly a luxurious and wonderful time to spend three days on Naoshima, Inujima, and Teshima, experiencing plenty of art. I hope to be able to come back in a few years!
Benesse House Museum
Address: Gotanji Kagawa-gun Naoshima-cho, Kagawa Google map
Closed: None (open year-round)
Hours: 9:00-21:00
Official Web Site
Lee Ufan Museum
Address: Gotanji Kagawa-gun Naoshima-cho, Kagawa Google map
Closed: None (open year-round)
Hours: 10:00-17:00
Official Web Site
Hiroshi Sugimoto Gallery: Time Corridors
Address: 3418 Tsumuura Kagawa-gun Naoshima-cho, Kagawa Google map
Closed: None (open year-round)
Hours: 11:00-15:00
Official Web Site
Chichu Art Museum
Address: 3449-1 Kagawa-gun Naoshima-cho, Kagawa Google map
Closed: Mondays
Hours: 10:00-17:00
Official Web Site
4. Getting there
On the mainland side, the gateway is Uno Port (Okayama Prefecture), and on the Shikoku side, Takamatsu Port (Kagawa Prefecture), the main port of the Setouchi International Art Festival. From there, take a ferry to each island. Shodoshima Island is a transit point between the mainland, Shikoku, and the islands of the Seto Inland Sea.
Car ferries are available, but to avoid congestion during the Setouchi Triennale, cars are not allowed outside the mainland area and Shodoshima. The islands are well served by convenient shuttle buses and rental bicycles, so you can get around without a car.
Okayama/ Uno Port Ferry Port Google map
Kagawa/ Takamatsu Port Ferry Port Google map
Shodoshima Ferry Port Google map
The official app also offers 3-day unlimited-ride tickets for 6 ferry routes only and 1-day unlimited-ride bus tickets that can be used during the Setouchi Triennale.
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