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- Wednesday, 23rd February
- TRAVEL: NAOSHIMA, JAPAN DESTINATION GUIDE by Lessa...
COLLAGE BY LESSA CHUNG
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NAME:
Lessa Chung
OCCUPATION:
Freelance Art Director
HOMETOWN:
Orange County, California
DESTINATION:
Naoshima, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GO TO NAOSHIMA?
When I moved to Japan this past fall, quite a few people around me recommended that I visit Naoshima—the art island. I'd already the done the classic tourist route between Kyoto and Tokyo, so I was looking for something off the tour bus path. Less selfie sticks, more self-reflection.
An art history nerd, I enjoy passing quiet afternoons in the galleries of art museums. Exploring the art (and space dedicated to it) is a lovely way to get a sense of a place and its people.
Naoshima is small island located in Seto Island Sea between Kagawa and Okayama Prefectures. It's populated with beautiful contemporary art museums featuring works from artists ranging from Yayoi Kusama to Claude Monet to James Turrell. Quite a bunch.
While the artwork is famous and the architecture stunning, the island itself is somehow very quiet and secluded. It’s tucked away from any major city and apparently only has ONE taxi available on the entire island. (Reservations must be made in advance—and in Japanese.)
The image of Kusama's large pumpkin sculpture seated at the edge of the water is synonymous with Naoshima. One look at that bright yellow against the calm deep blue Sea and I was determined to hear the water lapping against the dock for myself.
HOW DID YOU PLAN YOUR TRIP?
First, I decided to make this journey a solo trip. After studying at a Japanese language school full-time for 5 months, I was eager to travel outside of Tokyo on my own to put these kanji and 会話 (kai-wa ; conversation) lessons to use.
As a solo trip, I was willing to make small sacrifices to make it more cost-efficient. Instead of the Shinkansen (high-speed bullet train), I opted to take an overnight bus from Tokyo to Okayama. It's a 10-hour ride each way. A bit daunting, but the round trip fare on bus (¥16,200) cost about the same as a one-way train ticket (¥16,500)*. These buses only run once a day, so it forced a little structure to my itinerary.
With transport booked, I planned my route between the islands. Naoshima is the main island most visited, but I was also keen on visiting a couple neighboring islands as well: Teshima and Inujima. My aim was to keep my itinerary full yet flexible, allowing myself to stay at a spot longer if I wanted to.
*With the Tourist Visa in Japan, you qualify to purchase the JR Rail Pass. This Pass allows you to travel as many Shinkansen (though not the Nozomi trains) as you like within a given period. The cost of the train would be included in this pass and I would certainly have taken this option if I qualified for this.
~2017 |
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