Naoshima New Museum of Art

So glad I booked this museum for 10am opening since it got busy quickly. This architect has a presence in every corner of the space. Beautiful ultra modern building in a breathtaking landscape

I waited so long to see it. Beautiful space, as you walk up the stairs, amazing views from the café. It is new, has a nice gift shop, not crowded. Worth it!

If you're on the island for some art you have to check this place out! The art pieces have a wow factor to them and I actually enjoyed this museum more than the chi chu museum (did not allow photos or videos but they had some beautiful monet pieces). You can take pictures here but no videos. It is a small museum with only a few art pieces but they were so great to look at. Definitely come check this place out while you make your rounds around the island. My photos don't do this museum enough justice but I hope it will entice you to go visit it! Seeing these art pieces with your own eyes is way better.

Opened in May 2025, very new museum by Tadao Ando. Artwork by Doho Suh and Cai Guo Quiang are the best. The coffee shop has a very nice view.

The Naoshima New Museum of Art is an incredible new space that perfectly reflects the spirit of Japan’s “art island.” Designed by Tadao Ando, the museum blends beautifully with nature — full of light, silence, and balance. Every corner feels intentional, from the gentle curves of the concrete walls to the way sunlight moves through the galleries. The highlight for me was a stunning large-scale piece by Takashi Murakami. It combines his signature pop-art characters with traditional Japanese folding-screen style — colorful, playful, yet deeply meaningful. Seeing it here, surrounded by Ando’s serene architecture, was absolutely breathtaking. The overall experience feels calm and meditative. Even the underground galleries feel bright and alive. The café overlooking the Seto Inland Sea is the perfect place to end your visit — especially at sunset. A few quick tips: buy tickets online (¥1,500 vs ¥1,700 at the door), plan at least two hours, and note it’s closed on Mondays unless it’s a public holiday. If you love art, architecture, or quiet beauty, this museum is a must-visit. Murakami’s piece alone makes the trip to Naoshima unforgettable.

My favorite museum on the island. Very interesting pieces of art

An awesome gallery experience with fantastic large scale exhibits of incredible art. A must see.

The one not to miss in Naoshima! If you have a limited time on this enchanting little island make a bee line to the latest addition to Naoshima 's many artistic attractions . In my taste it had by far the most interesting and refreshing art works. Enjoy .

LOWER your expectations. Small gallery, with ~10 or fewer artworks, decent Monets and James Turrells. Overpriced admission for size, breadth of collection and experience. To see the Monets, you have to take off your shoes and wear undersized slippers. If you are a guy, your heels will hang over the back ends and you will walk like your are crippled. Dumb idea... get right size slippers for under-lit artwork on cloudy days. The Turrells were much less impressive than the works at other major museums and of course they are freakish about any photography. No buses at lunch - so if you don't want to eat at one of their overpriced restaurants - enjoy the. nature hike for several miles up and down hills... really annoying on hot days... or if you are not a good walker. Bikes not allowed in the Museum road area - limited restaurants in the museum area, no photography or we will pounce on you!!! Do it for the nature, architecture - but not the art.

I'm going to disagree with the other reviewers here and say this is the best art museum I've ever experienced. It's good to go in with the right expectations: this is unlikely to be like any museum you've been to in the past. It only has about 10 pieces but the architecture of the museum was designed with these permanent pieces in mind. Because of this, the works are displayed in the most elegant, perfect way possible to reach their full potential. Sometimes the staff members ask you to wear their slippers or to not speak, which enhances the experience further. A lot of the pieces play with natural light, making each of these works of art a different experience based on the time of day and the season. I had chills walking into a few of the exhibits. Also, there are only 10 works but did I mention 5 of them are Monets? Admission was a little pricey, but it was regarded by many to be the best museum on the island. No regrets! Of note, the museum is underground to not disturb the natural beauty of the island. Subsequently, it was super fun trying to determine which part of the museum we were in based on the aerial photo they gave us at the beginning.

BOTTOM LINE: Go to IG to see pics of the amazing space and exhibits. I have mixed feelings about *all* of my museum visits on Naoshima. On the one hand, the most impressive aspect of these museums is easily the phenomenal design and vision of the spaces, all made to specifically highlight the exhibits (as such, the exhibits do NOT seem to change). The Chi Chu are museum is no different; in fact, for me, it was the most impressively designed museum on Naoshima. From the winding path to the entrance, the the multi-leveled spaces with cavernous rooms that play with light, sound and design, and outdoor verandas that meld into the landscape, it truly was an unforgettable experience. For me, walking through the dark ante room before being blinded and showered by light before you eyes can adjust to Monet's "Water Liliies" was pretty much the closest thing to a religious experience for me. HOWEVER, the aggressive "no picture" policy was so incredibly disruptive that even if you weren't taking pictures, the constant piercing gazes of staff and the bee-line they made for others who did try to take picture made for an incredibly jarring experience in what should've been relaxing and zen-like. Sure, a place can set their own rules, but if you feel that art should be shared and discussed (as many world class museums seem to shaer; e.g., the Broad, MOMA, the Pompidou, Tate Modern, etc.), then this will surely be a downer.

Chichuu is a work of art. I would love to return at different times of the year and day. For example, there's a space that's a square with an open roof. During my visit it was raining creating a monochromatic space. The rain fell into the room and made a Hypnos sound. Each space is designed in accentuate the works of art. This is a one of a kind place that should not be missed.

Came to Naoshima for a day trip and did Benesse House, Chi Chu and Lee Ufan, in that order. This is probably the most interesting and worthwhile of the three museums, but you aren't allowed to take pictures in the museum and there are attendants in every room, so it's hard to break this rule. I thought this museum was more interesting, not necessarily because of the pieces themselves, but the way they are displayed in the museum. After this, I came away with more appreciation of the thought in curation and display. Note that I am not an art enthusiast, so I didn't particularly care about seeing Monets, but the way one particular one was shown was stunning.

Probably one of the most overrated and overpriced museum (2060¥) that I have ever seen. The number of "art" works is very limited and highly disappointing. The only little interest was the building architecture by Ando Tadao. Except if you want to play it posh and pseudo intellectual, pass your way and rather go to the Benesse House Museum for half the price.