Today we were supposed to take a train back and walk a stretch of the pilgrimage that we did by train on day 44.
However, once we started looking at the train schedule it turned out we would be spending most of the day on trains to get to and fro. Also it is a 20km stretch along a road without any temples or noteworthy sights – in other words, the trip would be purely for the sake of my ego.
In true Buddhist fashion we decided “you know what? f*ck my ego” and 40 minutes later we were on a ferry headed to Naoshima island instead.
Naoshima island is widely known for its many art galleries and sculptures, the most famous of which is probably Yayoi Kusama’s yellow pumpkin by the sea.
Since we had done all of zero research, I did a quick google search on the ferry (this article in particular was super helpful) and found out, that most of the island could be reached by foot or bicycle in a day.
We were also able to procure the last two tickets for a 12.45 entrance to the Chichu art museum (which I’m a so happy about, because it was amazing), and planned the rest of the day around that.
Learning from past successes we rented electric bikes as soon as we got into the harbor. Embracing the tourist vibe we sped off across the island to Honmura, where we bought tickets for the Art House Project.
The Art House Project is a collection of six old town houses that have been renovated and transformed into tiny museums, with each their own unique focus and feel.
We had lunch at a small vegan place before getting back on the bikes. On our way to Chichu art museum we saw the yellow pumpkin (and the long line of people formed to photograph it) and went over a hill that made us extremely grateful we opted for the electric bikes 😅
Photographs weren’t allowed at all inside the Chichu museum, but safe to say it is one of the most interesting and impressive museums I have ever seen.
The building itself is a work of art (literally – it was designed by Tadao Ando) and houses a few select works by only three artists; Monet, James Turrell and Walter de Maria.
I think it’s rare to come across museums that display art in such a bold way and would highly recommend to check it out if you’re ever in the area – just remember to book a ticket in advance, since you can’t buy them at the entrance.
After that, we just had time to get back to the ferry port and check out Yayoi’s other pumpkin (the red one!) before sailing back to Tokushima and catching a bus to Matsuyama.
We have now officially entered Golden Week and will be based in the city for eight full days – the longest we have stayed in place for almost two months!
I can already feel the itching in my feet, but thankfully we still have a good 3-4 days of walking left before we will have visited all temples.