Naoshima New Museum of Art

This newly built gallery also designed by Tadao Ando offers a mesmerinzing yet down-to-earth experience for patrons visiting it. The scope of content that the gallery has to offer is not massive, which is reflected in its entry price, but they did a GREAT job in organizing the flow of each exhibit area and managed to provide a short but super comprehensive introduction to each piece. After viewing the artworks, I highly recommend to stop by the cafe for a beverage or snack, you’ll definitely be amazed by the panorama view overlooking the gorgeous Setouchi Sea. One last thing that is worth mentioning is that the only access to the gallery at the moment seems to be a steep staircase, and patrons requiring mobility support are required to call a number for the staff to come help them, which doesn’t sound really accessible to me.

It is a museum seamlessly integrated into nature, where the architecture of Tadao Ando allows visitors to admire the works of Claude Monet under natural light. This thoughtful interplay between space, light, and landscape transforms the visit into a truly extraordinary and immersive experience.

An Ando Tadao designed museum. The staircase is stunning. The current exhibition is Japanese contemporary art and it may not be to everyone's taste but it will definitely provoke a reaction. Well worth a visit.

Contemporary museum with many post-modern art pieces. There were several intriguing exhibits, but the museum itself wasn't that large. I breezed through it pretty quickly, probably spending around 30 minutes in total. You can buy tickets in person, but you will save a bit if you buy online in advance.

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

Pictures to share after. Out visit to the New Museum was triggered because we enjoyed our first stay so much. It's a little hidden unlike Benesse and Chichu and requires a stair climb to reach. There are different rooms to explore with several large scale installations and painting by, - at the time of our visit - Takashi Murakami, Cai Guo-Qiang, and others. The light and architecture is something to witness. It is convenient to walk to from Art House Project: Minamidera.

Naoshima New Museum of Art is far more than a place to view contemporary art. The works here are deeply narrative-driven—each piece carries a strong story that invites reflection rather than passive observation. Several artworks made me feel unexpectedly connected, as if I were stepping into the emotions, histories, or perspectives behind them. What makes the experience even more powerful is the architecture itself. The building and its carefully designed spaces feel like an extension of the artworks—thoughtful, quiet, and expressive. Walking through the museum feels like moving through a living piece of art, where structure, light, and atmosphere are as meaningful as the works on display. This is a museum that stays with you long after you leave.

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!

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.