Japan Guide
Shikoku
Nao-shima
Less than fifteen years ago NAO-SHIMA, 13km north of Takamatsu, was an island community in decline, its landscape partly disfigured by an industrial waste recycling plant, its population of around 3500 shrinking as young people left in droves. But in 1992, with the opening of Benesse House, an Ando Tadao-designed contemporary art museum and hotel, the island's fortunes began to change. Under the sponsorship of the publishing company Benesse Corporation, the island has become the canvas for a dynamic ongoing art project known as Benesse Art Site Nao-shima, which has introduced new galleries, installations and sculptures from major international names and new Japansese talent.
Touted as a possible location for a future Bond movie, the island is particularly beautiful around the southern Gotanji area, where you'll find the two main galleries – Benesse House and Chichū Art Museum – on rocky headlands overlooking sheltered beaches with glorious Inland Sea views.