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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Naoshima
直島
Go for one night, two if you want both Chichu and the Art House Project without rushing. Skip Mondays: most museums close.
Naoshima is a 3,000-person island in the Seto Inland Sea, administered by Kagawa Prefecture but reached by ferry from Uno on Honshu or Takamatsu on Shikoku. It is a contemporary-art destination: Tadao Ando museums, the Art House Project in Honmura village, and outdoor works including the two gourds. One night covers the core; two nights lets you see both villages and the museums without a ferry-clock rush. Book beds and museum tickets before you travel.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 直島
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Mondays (museums closed), mid-August, typhoon season Sep
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–9,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥9,000–15,000 excl. bed · High ¥15,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Chichu Art Museum entry | ¥2,060 |
| Benesse House Museum entry | ¥1,030 |
| Art House Project, six houses | ¥1,030 |
| Naoshima Bath House I ♥ Yu | ¥510 adult |
| Town bus ride | ¥100 |
| Coffee or a light lunch | ¥600–1,200 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TAK · Takamatsu Airport
- Bus to Takamatsu port, then ferry to Miyanoura, about 1 h 30 min total
- OKJ · Okayama Airport
- Bus to Okayama station, train to Uno, then ferry; about 2 h 30 min total
Typical fares
- Ferry Uno → Miyanoura
- about ¥300, 15–20 min
- Ferry Takamatsu → Miyanoura
- about ¥520, 50 min–1 h
- Town bus, Miyanoura → Tsutsuji-so
- ¥100
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The island is small and hilly: Miyanoura port to Chichu is about 30 min on foot, Miyanoura to Honmura about 30 min. Rent a bicycle (about ¥500/day push, ¥1,000/day electric) or use the town bus (¥100, timed to ferries, not frequent). The Benesse House shuttle links the southern sights about every 30 min; check the current timetable.
See and do
Known for
- Chichu Art Museum
- Benesse House Museum
- Art House Project in Honmura
- The yellow and red gourds
- Naoshima Bath House I ♥ Yu
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Teshima | Ferry from Miyanoura or Honmura, about 20–30 min | About 1 h |
| Takamatsu | Ferry from Miyanoura, about 50 min–1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Shodoshima | Ferry via Takamatsu or a seasonal direct sailing | 2–3 h |
| Kotohira | Ferry to Takamatsu, then JR to Kotohira | 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Miyanoura
- Main port; guesthouses, the bath house, 7-Eleven and the 24 h ferry link. Best for a one-night trip with bags.
- Honmura
- Art House Project village on the east side; quieter, closer to the Ando Museum and the eastern ferry pier.
- Benesse / Tsutsuji-so
- South coast near the museums; Benesse House hotel and the yurt lodges. Few shops, so eat where you sleep.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Most museums and the Art House Project close on Mondays and on the day after a public holiday: plan around it.
- Museum tickets are dated or timed at busy periods and Chichu tickets are bought at a separate ticket centre about 50 m away: check the official site before you sail.
- Many guesthouses and shops take cash only and close early; carry yen and eat before 19:00.
- Last ferries leave in the early evening: confirm the day's timetable at the port, not from memory.
- The road from Miyanoura up to Chichu is a steady climb; an electric bike or the bus saves the walk.
Very safe; the real risks are the ferry timetable, Monday closures and heat on the hill walk. Carry cash, keep to the road, and note there are no lifeguards at Gotanji beach.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Naoshima yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Chichu Art Museum
- Benesse House Museum
- Art House Project in Honmura
- The yellow and red gourds
- Naoshima Bath House I ♥ Yu
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Naoshima official tourism guide: naoshima.net/en/
- Benesse Art Site Naoshima: benesse-artsite.jp/en/
- Wikivoyage: Naoshima, revision 5137881 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5137881
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Naoshima直島
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on the island; most are in Tokyo, with consulates in Osaka. US citizens: consulate-general in Osaka (check the address).
Ferries are the only way on and off; confirm the last sailing before you book a bed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/naoshima). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.