Arty farting on Naoshima

After accidentally underbooking my stay in Hiroshima I had a night free so I thought I'd head to Okayama which is the jumping off point on to Naoshima my next major port of call. The first main point of difference is the relative lack of English spoken, and signage for that matter. It's not exactly off the beaten track but outside the Tokyo - Kyoto - Hiroshima route most taken. I found a small hotel near the station for 4500 yen a night and after changing rooms to get wifi reception I settled in for some blogging and postcard writing. I ended eating takeway in the room after an attempt at sushi train with no English menu saw me choosing what I think was raw pork which freaked me out somewhat. I know it's all part of the adventure and I have a cast iron stomach but... a solo traveller freaks occasionally!

So a 30 minute local train the next morning brought me to Uno, the ferry teminal for Naoshima. A short boat ride later (with some of the more colourful ferry decor I've seen) I arrived at Miyanoura, my home for next night. I say night because even though I'd intended to stay two days one of those was a Monday when everything is closed (except for the Benesse House Museum thankfully) so instead of being bored and lonely (and possibly hungry!) I cut my visit short and packed almost everything into my day of arrival. Now don't get me wrong - Naoshima is well worth the visit, just not on a Monday! I dropped my stuff at Little Plum a restaurant and dorm accommodation where I slept in a (well appointed considering) shipping container which I had all to myself. A 40 minute walk later with some lovely views, only slightly marred by the industrial smoke stacks in the distance, I arrived at Chichu Museum one of three built on the island in the 90's by the Benesse Corporation to house its art collection. The buildings are designed by Tadao Ando and are works of art in themselves. Chichu is subterranian and houses a few late Monets and a purpose built installation by Walter De Maria among others. The De Maria is certainly monumental and you have to take your shoes off to view the Monets. But all in all not my cup of tea. Likewise was my next stop the Lee Ufan Museum, very much of the 'a couple of rocks and sheet of metal and call it art' school. Now It might sound like I'm a bit down on the place but things improved imeasurably when I saw this:

The famous yellow pumpkin and sort of mascot of the island. Its so unlikey and adorable! But it was my next experience that made the whole visit worth it, and why I can recommend going there. The Art House Project are a bunch of houses in a quiet fishing port that were given over to a group of contemporary artists. By turns funny, surprising and downright beautiful they have to be experienced. After dinner and an early night watching Howl's Moving Castle it was up early to see the Benesse House Museum before catching the 11.10 ferry. The museum opens at 8am and as it was I got there by 9 after forgetting that the walk there is quite long and uphill most of the way! By 9.30 I was done - the collection is not very big and with few surprises. There was a Bruce Nauman work I liked! So a wander around the outside art and another wander past the yellow pumpkin and it was back on the road (sea, bus, train) to Osaka and the shopping that is inevitable in the last few days of a trip (well for me at least)!