[Gold-Guide] I went to Naoshima and Teshima!

Setouchi Art Island! The popular Naoshima & Teshima trip

I went to Naoshima and Teshima from Kansai via Okayama in the humid, muggy weather typical of the rainy season! I'll introduce you to my actual itinerary!

1

Okayama station

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2

Uno Port

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We arrived at Naoshima in no time. After disembarking, we went straight to the ferry terminal and got a map and a timetable at the information center. The staff were very kind and gave us a lot of advice about sightseeing. The day we arrived was a Monday, and sadly it was raining. On Mondays, many shops on Naoshima, including the Chichu Art Museum, the Art House Project, restaurants, and cafes, are closed. However, all art museums other than the Chichu Art Museum are open, and outdoor exhibits can be viewed regardless of the day of the week. Since there will be fewer customers, it is recommended for those who are not going to the Chichu Art Museum and those who want to relax. However, access will be reduced due to the suspension of buses on the island, so we recommend that you check in advance before going! Now that we have enough information, we will take a bus to Honmura, an area with many Art House Projects. Buses on the island require cash, so please bring some coins. After arriving at Honmura, we will board a high-speed boat to the next island, Teshima.

We arrived at Teshima (Ieura Port)! We had planned to board a bus from here and move around the island, but the couple we met on the boat made a reservation at a restaurant for lunch and took us there. Apparently, they were worried that we wouldn't be able to board the bus after arriving at the port because there were too many people. The good thing about the island is that you have these kinds of unexpected encounters. The couple was right, not everyone was able to board at once. There are only a limited number of buses on the island, and even when it's not busy, you need to be careful when walking around the island. And what surprised me about Teshima was the number of foreign visitors. Apparently, there are more customers visiting Teshima than Naoshima on Mondays. Wherever we went, we were the only Japanese tourists. You can see how popular it is. Furthermore, everyone wore raincoats and walked or cycled around the island, even though it was raining. With all these energetic people by their side, they drove us to the restaurant. Thank you very much to the kind couple.

We arrived at Shima Kitchen, the place we were looking forward to having lunch, about 10 minutes from the port. Here, too, we were the only two Japanese tourists. There were customers from various countries. We ordered the Shima Kitchen lunch set. We paid the bill first. I thought there was a high chance we wouldn't be able to get in unless we made a reservation. When the lunch we were looking forward to came, we were surprised at how much it was. The fried fish was freshly fried and very delicious. It was made using ingredients grown on the island and had a natural taste. If we come to Teshima again, we'd definitely like to stop by. Another restaurant recommended was the Seaside Restaurant near the port where we arrived. We stopped there the last time we visited Teshima, and the view of the sea was amazing.

After eating, we headed for Karato Port. On the way, we passed the Teshima Art Museum, and the view from this area was truly spectacular. (If you are going around by bicycle, please be careful as this area is prone to speed and there have been many injuries). We passed a coast lined with convex mirrors and finally saw the port. There is a small information desk and a toilet. We were originally planning to board the boat from here, but since we were picked up and dropped off today, the journey progressed faster than expected. We decided to return to the port where we arrived and go directly back to Uno Port. Anyway, the bus from here was full. It looked like it was quite difficult for tourists with suitcases. We recommend that you wear light clothing when going to the island. And what surprised us was the payment of the fare. This bus accepted payment by IC card. And what surprised us even more was that even though the bus was full and everyone except us was a foreign tourist visiting Japan, most of them had IC cards.

After arriving at Ieura Port, I strolled around the area to see some art. While I was leisurely strolling around the port town, taking in the Yokoo Tadanori Museum and the magnificent rock garden, an islander called out to me and introduced me to a recommended cafe. "Espoir Inn" is a recently opened facility. You can stay overnight and also use it as a cafe. The view was also very nice. Due to time constraints, I was unable to have coffee, but I returned to Ieura Port thinking that this would be a good place to stay.

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Spots introduced in this model course

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