Naoshima Art Island in 1 Day Tour — Guide Sam

What Is a Private Naoshima Art Island Tour Like from Okayama? A Licensed Guide's Report

From the morning, strong winds swept through the area, with news reports citing maximum instantaneous wind speeds of 35 meters per second, leaving me anxious that transportation from Okayama Prefecture to Naoshima might be cut off. I had prepared to contact the guests and [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) in case of an emergency, but fortunately the ferry from Okayama to Naoshima was not canceled. On the other hand, the JR Seto-Ohashi Line was suspended. The guests were a group visiting from South America. Under a winter sky with strong winds and hail, we first headed to the Valley Gallery, where a free ticket available to guests staying at the Benesse House hotel was valid, and we viewed the works inside the building and in the garden. After that, we decided to visit the Lee Ufan Museum, which had been left undecided, and thoroughly appreciated both the indoor and outdoor exhibits. We then walked to the Chichu Art Museum, where we admired the masterpieces, and since some of the guests said they were hungry, we had the meal at the museum café instead of the originally planned meal in the Honmura district after moving on. There was only one place to eat, so we waited about 20 minutes before finally being able to have our meal. Also, because it was both a public holiday and a Sunday, entering the exhibition areas was very crowded, and the waiting time alone looked likely to exceed 20 minutes. In that situation, thanks to a wise decision by one of the guests, we skipped the work of James Turrell, the "artist of light," whose works they had already seen in another country. By doing so, we were able to save about 40 minutes. Next, we took a bus, purchased a common ticket for the five Art House Project sites in the Honmura district, and toured four of them, but here too a quick and wise decision by one of the guests came into play: we decided against visiting Gohjinja Shrine and allocated the remaining time to the new art museum on Naoshima that had opened at the end of May last year. Ideally we would have liked to view it at leisure, but we hurried a little and stayed until just before closing, becoming the last visitors to leave the museum. In this way, the guests were able to enjoy a nearly fully satisfying tour. Looking back, the tour with such an amiable and cheerful group, along with very bright younger members, warmed my heart and made me forget the cold. In particular, one of the younger guests was not shy at all and actively spoke to me in English. At the museums, they walked around while sketching copies of paintings and other works. I thought such a sight was very rare. Moreover, they surprised me by writing their own name in katakana and occasionally speaking Japanese. Seeing this, I felt that their future is something to look forward to.

Click here for more details: Naoshima Art Island in 1 Day Tour with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Sam

My name is Susumu Hiramatsu. I am a national government licensed guide interpreter. I became a guide interpreter in 1992. My educational background started with a BA in law, then an MA in English language education, and completed a doctoral course without a degree in English language teaching. My occupational career began with a bank officer, then shifted to a translation and interpretation company, finally became a freelance translator, interpreter, and college teacher. I handle conference interpretation, namely simultaneous interpretation. As for the guide interpreter, my interest covers wide areas including politics and business, but I deem cultural aspects to be fundamental. I am always encouraging myself to be filled with Japanese hospitality.