Science! Psuedo-science! Nature! Art! Nonsense!
October 29, 2026
art, travel, wedding ferry, inland sea, japan, moonrise, naoshima, seto bridge, sunset 1 Comment
Naoshima goodbye.
The red pumpkin wore the first yellow light of sunset as the ferry pulled away from port. And we were off. Sunset over the inland sea was amazing.
Watch the sunset and the sunrise at the same time.
Finally the sun disappears below the horizon.
And the red turns up high over the Seto bridge.
Moonrise
And our day of art was complete.
October 29, 2026
art, travel, wedding art, ferry, honeymoon, japan, naoshima, red pumpkin, romey, yayoi, yayoi kusama 2 Comments
After the yellow pumpkin, we were slated to see Minamidera so we headed back into “town” and had some espresso and ice cream. Minamidera was cool, but not as profound as it could have been if you had not spent some time in actually pitch black caves as a boy like I did. Yeah yeah, pupils are amazing.
After Minamidera we headed back to the port to see the red pumpkin, have a cocktail, and wait for the ferry.
You can go in the red pumpkin.
Our last view of Naoshima included the red pumpkin.
October 29, 2026
art, travel, wedding art, honeymoon, honeymoon kiss, japan, naoshima, taxi, yayoi, yayoi kusama, yellow punpkin 2 Comments
The yellow pumpkin.
Honeymoon kiss.
We had some fun at the yellow pumpkin.
Yoshi got involved.
And yes, it was crazy.
<– PREVIOUS (chichu) — NEXT (red pumpkin) –>
October 29, 2026
art, travel, wedding ando, architecture, art, brutalism, cafe, chichu, honeymoon, japan, monet, naoshima, turrel 3 Comments
One of the main targets of everyone visiting Naoshima is the Chichu house, an impressive brutalist architectural monster housing a handful of art. Pictures are not allowed…which honestly is very shortsighted. But there you are. Make the trip.
Four artists, less than twenty works. But displayed with deep thought and verve.
The Monet room is particularly striking.
But my favorite is the James Turrel piece open sky. Echoes of Magritte and Escher are particularly striking, because you are inside them.
Timed entry does little to abate the crowded nature of the space. Avoid the crowds by doing things in your own order. We had some rooms almost entirely to ourselves by going around in circles. We met some fun people in the long lines.
Lunch at the cafe is a must. Go early to get a seat by the big windows.
If you look closely, you can see Romey through the window here on the left. Hi Romey!
Two hours is plenty for a detailed visit and lunch.
And then you are back on the road/garden walk to the parking lot. The gardens are hyped up as a Monet masterpiece. Mmmm hmm. Monet probably did not do roads. But there is tranquility to be found despite the very real crowds.
.
October 29, 2026
who knows art, art island, construction, development, go'o shrine, hachiman, honeymoon, japan, naoshima 2 Comments
We parked by the opposite port (across the island) and made our way into town. Romey’s eye caught the back trail up to the Go’o Shrine. We arrived before even the curator.
Zen morning peace
And then it was down the front path, backwards through the entrance and into town for a look around. Naoshima is small, and was once quaint, but is now quaint painted with artsy hippie tourist makeup and long earrings. Lots of construction means a boom is underway. We suspect if we come back it will be twice the size and as crowded as Disney.
Lots of old school construction with blackened cedar.
Walking every street may take all of 30 minutes.
In Japan, creativity definitely has some rules.
We poked in at the Hachiman shrine which was abandoned by all the morning people who we scared off like cow birds (when the museum across the street opened). Romey opted not to ring the bell.
Order and chaos.
This is what is really happening in town. There were at least three major buildings going up.
.
Everyone does laundry.
And it was back to the taxi for our short drive to Chichu.
<– PREVIOUS (ferry) — NEXT (chichu) –>
October 28, 2026
art art, chaufer, honeymoon, naoshima, tadyoshi, taxi, train fan, video 1 Comment
Lets say you find out that there are only 3 or 4 taxis on Naoshima, and the bus system is helpful but too complicated for perfect timing, and you are too lazy to pedal a bike uphill. What do you do? You work with the super creative staff at Hanajukai to charter a taxi on the mainland and take it across on the ferry. A Japanese-speaking chaufer for the win.
We met our driver, Tadyoshi, at 7:20 on the dot, starting out quiet and formal on our ride to the ferry terminal. Yoshi procured the tickets while I figured out how to make a matcha machine with over 300 buttons do something delicious. (Close, but no cigar.)
We were soon on the water.
And after a brief coffee stop at Mikazukishoten—one where the taxi just parked and waited for us to fuel up—we headed to Go’o shrine just outside of town. When we finished our wanderings, there was our ride!
Next up was Chichu, where we pondered high architecture and its reflection in art. Or was it the other way around? Who knows. We had an early lunch before the line formed.
Look through the window up to the left…
And then it was back in our taxi for a skippable visit to Lee Ufon. Yeah, no.
The Yellow Yayoi pumpkin visit was particularly fun. By this time, Yoshi had become a friend.
We decided to have some coffee before our visit to Minamidera and asked Yoshi to join us.
On the way back to get the battery pack. Yoshi discovered a ringo kakigori stand setting up for the evening’s Fall festival. This was something we had to try.
And then it was back to the port for a visit to the Red Pumpkin and a cocktail or two at Queen’s-Q (which opened on time to the second).
We made it to the car just in time to board the ferry.
The sunset saw us out.
Gorgeous day. And who knew that our driver was such a train fan?
— NEXT (ferry) –>
