Do you think about visiting one of Japan’s more artistic islands? Take advantage of my experience and avoid the mistakes I made.
In Poland, there is a saying – a wise Pole after the loss. These words comforted us when we knew what to do in the theory, but in practice, we still made the mistakes we were warned against. That’s exactly what happened to me during a trip to Naoshima. It seemed we were quite well prepared, but still, things went in the wrong direction. Therefore, below I confess and present the mistakes which could have been avoided.
Table of content:
- Too much faith in 7/11
- The early bird does not always catch the worm
- The museum first, and then all the rest
- Sightseeing by walking. It is possible, but not worth it
- Art on the streets, but under controlled conditions
Too much faith in 7/11
Anyone who was in Japan, or watched TikTok videos knows how important the kombini is. Kombini is a Japanese name (combination of two English words – convenient store) given to the three chain stores – 7/11, Lawson and Family Mart – where you can find everything you need. It’s just like the Hermione bag. And besides, these stores are almost everywhere. ALMOST. Unfortunately, on Naoshima, there is only one kombini. On the entire island just one store! What’s more, it’s really close to one of the ports, where the start/finish is for most people visiting the Naoshima. So it’s better to plan when you would do the shopping.
The early bird does not always catch the worm
The reason is quite simple. Many cool cafes and restaurants may just be closed. Don’t think that we were on Naoshima at 7 a.m., hell no. We were there between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. We were looking for a good coffee and something to eat for a longer while but without success. It was a huge pity that the cat cafe was closed, even being open in theory (I mean – the Internet said so). That’s why I recommend taking food/drinks beforehand – whether by taking more snacks with you or checking earlier opening hours (but don’t trust them completely).
The museum first, and then all the rest
In all I read everybody was writing – if you want to go to just one museum on the island, go right HERE. Buy your tickets before your arrival they said, don’t stand in line. This is what I did. However, I bought tickets for the afternoon hour. In the planning phase, it made sense – we would walk around the island, chill, have coffee and lunch, and finally, on the way to the ferry, we would visit the museum. However, the reality was a little bit different than the plan. During our visit, it rained cats and dogs all day, and there was less art than we expected, with cafes you already know how it was. So, at 1 p.m. we had already done everything we had planned, and we had still three hours to go to the museum. It would be better visit the museum and after that just come back home earlier.
Sightseeing on foot. It is possible, but not worth it
I don’t believe that I’m writing this as a huge walking enthusiast, BUT it’s not worth exploring the island on foot. It’s simply a waste of time. It is much better to take the bus or rent a bike and chill in nice places. There is not as much unexpected art as you would expect from an artistic island. So seriously – choose your destinations and travel between them with something on wheels.
Art on the streets, but under controlled conditions
Naoshima is an interesting place, that’s for sure. However, it’s a very different experience from the classic street art discovery. Come here if you want to visit museums, check out the work of specific artists or look at nice installations. Discovering local sculptures of frogs doing strange things is really cool. Just don’t set your sights on art which is a comment on social matters or is created in an unregulated, not necessarily a polite way. Below you can see, some interesting examples of art I found on the island.
That’s where we end. My final advice? Go to the island on a sunny day. Seriously, the experience will be much, much better. Here are not so many cafes to hide in like in ‘normal’ cities. If you are looking for more practical tips, check Queenie Mak’s blog. This page helped me a lot during my Japanese trip preparation.
Bye, bye.
K.
Part of Streets 