Naoshima Art Island in 1 Day Tour — Guide Sam

Title: What Is a Private Day Tour of Naoshima Art Island Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guest was a visitor traveling from Asia. Since arrangements about the itinerary were often handled through a secretary, I had some sense of it beforehand, but upon meeting in person, the guest turned out to be a very prominent figure. This visit to Naoshima was made in order to relax. The day before the tour, the guest had attended and given a speech at an international forum in Hiroshima, and showed me images of dining afterward with local officials.

Under the original plan, given the time constraints, a visit to the Benesse House Museum would have been the most that was feasible, but that seemed far too limited. So I made a special request for an early departure from Hiroshima shortly after 6 in the morning, allowing arrival in Naoshima before 10 a.m. Furthermore, taking a bus to the port when leaving the island can be crowded or a roundabout route, which would leave little time to fully appreciate the museums. The guest kindly agreed to walk about 30 minutes to the port from the final destination, the Chichu Art Museum. Thanks to this, we were ultimately able to spend six hours sightseeing on the island.

As the guest also acknowledged, Naoshima is ideally enjoyed with an overnight stay if the itinerary allows. In fact, on an island with a population of only about 3,000, there are around 80 hotels, guesthouses, and similar accommodations. However, only two taxis are in operation. The guest was full of curiosity, wanting to "see this, see that, and also eat," and in the Honmura district we ambitiously visited five sites of the Art House Project alone. In addition, the guest thoroughly toured the Lee Ufan Museum and the Valley Gallery, which busy tourists often skip.

The guest connected via Zoom with family in Asia, and I was also able to say hello through the screen. Naoshima seemed to be very much to the guest's liking, and there was a wish to visit again. The guest hoped to see the guest rooms at the Benesse House hotel, but the interiors could not be viewed, so we got a sense of the atmosphere by looking at the corridors. For reference, we also visited a guesthouse and captured images of the rooms.

The guest comes to Japan more than six times a year for work and is quite familiar with the country, yet made efficient and enjoyable use of a guide, and it was a highly satisfying day for me as well.

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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.