Japan Travel Story: Setouchi Triennale Highlights to Inspire Your Next Trip.
How art and local hospitality rejuvenate old fishing islands into an international art travel destination.
The Setouchi Art Triennale is an international art festival held every 3 years on the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Started in 2010, the triennale is part of a bigger effort to revitalize the islands, ensuring the longevity of the islands’ communities and “bring smiles back to the faces of the islanders, particularly the elders.”
The islands have, over time, become isolated due to political and environmental issues, such as pollution, and as the population ages the islands also lose their vitality and distinctive cultures. The Triennale gives reason to repurpose the old abandoned houses and factories on the islands to turn them into site-specific artworks that blend in or take advantage of the natural surroundings.
The goal was to create a community where local culture, art, architecture, and nature live in harmony, providing an ideal place for local residents and visitors. The Triennale is divided into 3 different seasons, allowing visitors to experience the islands’ different charms across different seasons.
Hot summer with major sunburns and an amazing art experience.
I had the fortune of visiting the Triennale in 2019 and had an amazing experience. this is a travel bucket list destination for those interested in art, design, architecture, and nature.
Back in 2019, the triennale was only held during 1 period between July to August. It was during the peak of summer. The island summer experience is not something that I was prepared for hence major sunburns. But all that was worth it for the other experiences I had. From the art and architecture to the local food and public baths, everything was great. And we promised to return!
We are planning another trip in 2025. and in 2025, the Triennale will be held during 3 periods: Apr-May, Jul-Aug, and Oct-Nov. I will post more on this soon.
A communal-like yut/hut by the beach.
We were on a budget so we booked a dorm-style accommodation where rooms and toilets are shared as our base for the 3 nights and 4 days. The place is called 直島町ふるさと海の家 つつじ荘, SeaSide Park Stay Tsutsujiso. Link to booking.com listing
Fortunately, we got an entire hut to ourselves which was a bit too big for just the 2 of us. but at least we don’t have to worry about the safety of our belongings and additional snoring noises.
The accommodation is a cluster of large huts located right next to the sea. there is a small beach that we can enjoy. along this beach right at the entrance of the complex Yayoi Kusama’s Yellow Pumpkin and a small wooden tori gate both at the edge of the water. it is a nice travel photography spot.
There is a public toilet and showers, and a separate public hot bath. to use the hot bath, we must make a reservation at least a few hours prior and pay upfront. It is reserved for groups, meaning you will only share it with your travel mates, not strangers. There is a time limit of 40 minutes which is more than ample time.
Going to the toilet at night is the most challenging part because I fear the dark. So if you are like me, this might not be an ideal place to stay.
Night view of the hill where Benesse House and Chichu Art Museum is, taken from the Yut accommodation by the beach.
Highlight 1: Experience Monet’s Waterlilies at the Chichu Art Museum, Naoshima
One of the most memorable experiences during this trip would be the Claude Monet Room at the Chichu Art Museum in Naoshima. I did not know much about this prior to my trip, so this was an extremely nice surprise.
This room showcased 3 of Claude Monet’s waterlily paintings. One of them is the Water-Lily Pond, a 2x3 meter painting, which was originally part of Monet’s Grandes Décorations series of paintings. In correspondence to the Art-site concept of the Islands and Monet’s intent with the Grandes Décorations paintings, entering this Claude Monet room, one will feel like entering a different world. As if stepping outside and into the garden where the water lily pond is.
A lot of thought and design has been put into the design of this room. The floor is made of small white marble stones/cubes about 3cm x 3cm small. Each stone has rounded edges, creating the visual effect of soft, textured flooring. The walls are curved to create a seamless visual as if the room extends beyond the painting. At some point, the paintings look like they are floating.
Also, we had to remove our footwear and wear plastic “shoes” to protect the room’s flooring. This also adds to the experience where visitors can feel the marble stones mosaic with their almost bare feet as they walk around the room.
Another critical factor is the lighting in the room. Even though this room, and most of Chichu Art Museum galleries, is underground, the only lighting in the room is natural. As such, the ambiance of the room changes throughout the day and year (based on seasons). The glass ceiling convey the outdoors enough without distracting from the overall experience.
In essence, the focus of the room is everything but the white walls, it is the experience where the paintings blend in with the environment and the environment is very much in tune with the natural environment outside. It is site-specific but also triggers the visitor’s imagination and emotion. A very memorable and inspiring art experience.
No photography was allowed in the room. Read more about this room at the Bernesse official website here + a photo sneak peek and world-architects.com
Highlight 2: Teshima Art Museum
The other highlight is also one of my Japan travel bucket list: the Teshima Art Museum. It is located on the smaller island of Teshima. We took a ferry from Naoshima (Miyanoura Port) to Teshima (Ieura Port). The ferry ride is about 20 minutes. There are other Art sites in this island, but the main attraction is the Teshima Art Museum. The ferry schedule is also based on the museum’s opening hours.
The museum is designed by Japanese architect Ryue Nishizawa, one of the founders of architecture firm SANAA, the firm behind the New Museum in New York, Towada Art Centre in Aomori, and the Moriyama House, Japan.
As a visitor who does not read too much about the museum before my visit, it is easy to think that the “art” in the museum is the museum itself. There is actually 1 artwork in the museum and it is site-specific. Just like the artwork in Chichu Art Museum and the rest of the Triennale, the artwork here blends in with its surrounding natural environment, and the architecture is the facilitator of this experience. It is more fitting to call this an art experience rather than artwork.
Ticketing lobby entrance to the Teshima Art Museum.
There was a line to enter the museum, as part of crowd control. This might seem frustrating to some, especially those visiting in the heat of summer, but it is absolutely necessary. The fewer people in the museum the more tranquil and meditative the experience is. So Just wait patiently in line or beat the crowd and get there before the museum opens.
As soon as visitors enter the museum they are free to wonder. The curved architecture has 2 large openings, no glass covering, in the ceiling, giving access to the natural environment outside. The artwork involved droplets of water on the ground, resulting in puddles of water at specific spots in the museum. These puddles change and respond to the environment as well. Visitors are allowed to walk around freely and even lie down. See how fewer people make for a better experience here?
Again, no photography is allowed here, but it is less strict as compared to the Chichu Art Museum due to the nature of the museum experience.
Highlight 3: A travel story where daily baths were an art experience in its own right.
We hardly used the shower facility in the hut complex. For most of our showers, we would walk to the public bathhouse. Naoshima Bath “I♥湯” or “I♥You” is a public bathhouse or sento operated by the Town-Naoshima Tourism Association.
It was described as an art facility designed by contemporary artist Shinro Ohtake. It is an art facility that is also fully functional as a bathhouse. This bathhouse is also used by local residents which makes for an even more interesting exchange experience between locals and tourists.
The bathhouse is located just a block from the ferry terminal, about 5-8 minutes walk. This is super convenient as you can stop by for a nice hot bath at the start of your day and/or at the end of your day. Towels and basic toiletries are provided, and you can keep your items and clothes safely in a locker.
If you have not tried a Japanese sento or onsen before, I am working on a quick guide to this. I will update this space once the post is published.
Highlight 4: Colourful Sunset at the James Turrell’s Open Sky Night Program
Another highlight of the Triennale is the Open Sky Night Program by James Turrell at the Chichu Museum. This exhibit is by reservation only, and there is a limited seat. So make your reservation early, as soon as you get to Naoshima. We managed to get a reservation on the same day because we got to the museum at the opening hour.
I have experienced James Turrell’s works that are similar to this before this trip. However, this is only the second time I am experiencing it during sunset. The first one was in New York’s MoMA PS1 museum during winter. This time I get to experience it in Naoshima, surrounded by nature and in the summer sunset. The experiences are quite different. The overall experience in Naoshima is much quieter, slower, more contemplative, and more suited to my personal preferences as well.
The other major difference between the 2 experiences is the crowd and the amount of activity in the room. During the former at MoMA PS1, photography and video recording were allowed and the crowd was also bigger, even though the space was about the same size. This truly impacted the experience, especially the noise level, and the amount of moving light and shadows from the people within the space.
If you prefer a quieter, slower ambience then the Open Sky here at the Chichu Art Museum is a must-visit! Unfortunately, again, no photography is allowed. Here are some links where you can check out some images and be inspired for your next trip:
View of Yayoi Kusama’s giant Red Pumpkin at the port in Naoshima.
Highlight 5: Endless Art and Nature Walks around Naoshima Island, Plus Home Style Local Cooking
The final highlight is, honestly, the experience of living in Naoshima itself. The seemingly endless walks around the different old neighborhoods with older houses, the views of the water and the green hills, and the art-house projects scattered around the island for visitors to discover during their walks.
There are 2 ways to experience the Triennale. Option one: use the Triennale Passport where you have the full list of artwork and art sites to check out then you can collect stamps on the “Passport” itself every time you visit an artwork. Option 2: take it easy, simply rent a bike or use the free shuttle bus then walk your way around the different small roads, meet other tourists, meet the locals, and discover local mom-and-pop eateries and cafes or hole-in-a-wall coffee bars.
We did option two because we are not interested in all of the art. We had our short list of must-visit artwork locations and that’s it. The rest is just a lot of walking, looking and just immersing ourselves in the quiet island vibe.
Also, the food was great. We tried looking up food destinations in the islands before our trip but did not have much success. Most restaurants and cafes close early, as early as 7:30 pm. This is probably why homestays come with a small cafe or food included in the room and board packages. We were not going to splurge on the fancier restaurants the Bernesse House. So the places we ended up going to were all local family owned restaurants. Basically, simple Japanese home cooking with fresh ingredients at affordable prices.
Home-style cooking with fresh local ingredients is the culinary highlight of this trip.
A family-owned ice cream shop located among the Art House projects in Naoshima Island.
Found this helpful? 📌 Pin the image to save it for later and share the inspiration with others!