After a successful two days of sightseeing on Naoshima and Shodoshima, our final destination was Teshima, the smallest of the three islands we visited. This island is famous for its art museum that contains a single sculpture called “The Matrix” and also has houses that were turned into art projects like on Naoshima. Teshima is ideal for a day trip because it is close to the other two islands, but I don’t recommend staying overnight here because it’s extremely rural and there aren’t as many food options available compared to the other islands. However, Teshima is just a 30 minute ferry ride from Naoshima making it very easy to access. You can easily see all of the majors sights within 4 hours so take that into consideration when booking a trip here. The buses here are limited but there is much less ground to cover so you can see things easily.
This is the final article of my art island series, so I hope you enjoy it!
Teshima Art Museum
The Teshima Art Museum is the most famous destination here and contains a single piece of art which is a giant shell called “Matrix” nestled in the hills of the island. This concrete shell has two oval openings at the top so streams of light can reach the inside and you can here the sound of the wind and the ocean when you enter the Matrix (pun intended). Little droplets of water continually trickle from the ground and are pulled by gravity towards the oval openings. The composition of this building is like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life and is said to represent the passing of seasons and flow of time. Though this was the only exhibition in the museum, it was truly awesome.
The disappointing thing about this attraction is that no photography is allowed inside, but it is definitely worth seeing if you come to this island because its architecture is one of a kind.
Entrance Fee: 1570 yen
Finding Food on the Island
We tried to go to two restaurants on the island, but they were full of reservations and had a waitlist which was really surprising because we went on a random weekday. Thankfully right outside of the Teshima Art Museum there was a pizza truck, and the gift shop had bagels and rice gelato (which had quiet the interesting texture). If you want to eat a proper meal at one of the restaurants here, be sure to call in advance or consider packing your own food for Teshima!
Yokoo House
The Yokoo House is a traditional Japanese house that has been completely transformed into one of the trippiest art museums you’ve ever seen. Some of the windows are tinted red which makes the outside area look very neon and retro. The outdoor garden has a golden turtle and the stones have been splashed with bright red, yellow, and green colors. Inside of the house photography is prohibited, but all of the works are worth seeing. There is a room full of mini waterfall tiles, DMT inspired artwork that depict various entities hanging on the wall, and clear glass on the floor so you can see fish swimming below you in the main room of the house. There are a lot of things to take in here. Even the outdoor toilets have metallic surfaces making them extremely aesthetic. The Yokoo House was my exhibition on Teshima for sure!
Entrance Fee: 520 yen
Art House Project (Your First Color)
“Your First Color” is an art house project that has an orb-shaped projector inside and flashes trippy images of flowers and different colors. It is very small and only contains a single room, but it is worth seeing to kill time while waiting for the bus. I personally enjoyed its visuals.
Entrance Fee: 300 yen
Dinner in Takamatsu
After 100% completing our travel itinerary, we decided to head back to Takamatsu via ferry so we could catch our evening flight back to Tokyo. We found a delicious seafood restaurant called Tenkatsu near the port and decided to get a teishoku set there. The meal was so delicious and looked even better than the picture online. In the center of the restaurant is a giant pool of fish that they use in their cooking. While we were eating, one of the larger fish jumped out of the pool, but fortunately one of the workers was able to help it get back in the water. What a way to end our long journey! I would recommend this place to people who love sushi and sashimi.
Final Thoughts
Visiting Naoshima after 5 years and seeing Shodoshima and Teshima for the first time made this trip worth it, because these islands have a lot of unique art that can’t be seen anywhere else in the world! The coexistence between art and nature is forever present in all of the works here, and all of the architects have such beautiful messages to deliver. Additionally, the architecture of the exhibits on these islands teaches you how beautiful natural lighting can be. It is up to you on how you interpret the true message of the artwork on these islands, but to me it shows how minimalism can have a huge impact on the way we view things. The Art House Project also shows how old and abandoned spaces can be completely transformed into something vinrant and new.
My favorite part of the trip was seeing the garden from Kiki’s Delivery Service on Shodoshima, but every day we spent on these three islands was memorable. I would recommend them to people who really love Japanese art and are down for a long adventure. I also would recommend traveling to Okinawa before coming to these islands because it is more accessible and there are more activities to do there.
My next destinations are Akita and Iwate later this month, which are the final two prefectures of Japan I haven’t seen yet! Please look forward to me writing about seeing the entirety of Japan!