Naoshima Art Island in 1 Day Tour — Guide Sam

What's a Private Naoshima Art and Architecture Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guest's accommodation was changed the day before the tour from Naoshima Town in Kagawa Prefecture to Tamano City in Okayama Prefecture, which caused a bit of a scramble. The reason was a mix-up with the JR lines: instead of transferring to the Uno-Minato Line, the guest had stayed on the Seto-Ohashi Line. When traveling solo, such things can understandably happen. I was relieved to meet the guest safely at the accommodation in Uno. Although we started about 45 minutes later than the originally planned tour start time, we were able to explore very energetically. Based on our earlier email exchanges, I had thought the guest was extremely intelligent. The guest walked at a remarkably fast pace, and I could barely keep up. I later learned that, according to the guest's smartwatch, we had walked about 14 kilometers that day, and I suddenly felt the fatigue set in. That distance is comparable to the outer circumference of Naoshima. Under a blazing sun with temperatures reaching 36 degrees, we managed to complete the day safely after taking measures against the heat. The guest's interest lay more in architecture than in the artworks themselves, and they observed the design of the museums in great detail. The guest mentioned wanting to own a second home in Southern Europe in the future and seemed to be envisioning its design — apparently imagining a residence like a museum. Looking back, in just one day we visited 11 architectural sites alone. Adding the artworks installed here and there around the island, we visited more than 20 locations. At this pace, most guests take two days for such a tour, but even though it was busy, we were able to have a very efficient tour, and the guest seemed highly satisfied.

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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.