Friday 7^th April 2017

We arrived at the ferry terminal and attempted to buy tickets. The ticket seller asked for the length of the car as there were three pricing categories. I said between 3.8 to 3.9 metres. Looking at the car on the CCTV screen the ticket seller insisted that the car was 5 metres. I said no, and a measurer was then sent out (asking politely if he could do a measurement) and came back all smiling and apologetic that the car measured 3.7 metres. What would the car owner know! The measurer then gave us a certificate in Japanese to let the ticket seller on the island know the car length for the return trip.

Sitting in the car in line to drive onto the ferry a group of South Korean tourists came over to chat and each one of them had their photo taken against the car. The ferry departed right on time and the journey was 50 minutes.

On driving off the ferry we immediately saw the “Red Pumpkin” installation, then the “Another Island”, an artwork comprising 250 pieces of stainless steel network. You can walk inside both of these pieces.

Until the 1990’s Naoshima Island had a dwindling population, mainly a small fishing industry and old aged pensioners, the young having moved to the mainland for work. It now has a thriving art movement with world class galleries and installations.

We then drove to the Chi Chu Museum. The Japanese architect, Tadao Ando insisted that the museum be built mostly underground to avoid spoiling the natural scenery of the island and the view to the Seto Inland Sea. Chi Chu means “ in the ground”. The acquisition of a Monet painting inspired the concept for the building. Along the road to the entrance are Monet type gardens with ponds and spring flowers in bloom.

The building is spectacular. It is a well-designed and constructed reinforced concrete structure which allows light in to display the three large installations. There’s the Monet room with the five Monet paintings, an illumination work by James Turrell and by Walter De Maria a 2.2 metre sphere of a large mass of granite. The granite was processed in Germany to achieve a perfect sphere with a margin of error of less than one millimetre.  Photographs were not permitted so for anyone interested in architecture, have a look at the website

www.benesse-artiste.jp/chichu

Next was Benesse House Museum based on a concept of “co-existence of nature art and architecture”. We only had a short time here so looked at the outdoor sculptures and what has become the symbol of the Island, the Yellow Pumpkin. It is on the end of a short pier with a view to the sea and surrounding mountains.

We were pressed for time as only four ferries run daily so drove a quick tour around the island, through some small villages. In the middle of nowhere we came across a shelter for bicycles and motor bikes made of fibre glass.

Back in Takamatsu , although it was drizzling rain , we went to see the Ritsurin Gardens, a traditional strolling garden in which ponds, hills and small bridges are expertly constructed over a very large tract of land. The garden dates from the mid-1600’s and took more than a century to complete. Lots of cherry trees in blossom and people were starting to lay down large blue tarpaulins ready for their picnics. Lanterns were hung amongst the trees as well as spotlights so it would be a beautiful sight after dark.