Benesse House Museum
Benesse House Museum opened in 1992 as a facility integrating a museum with a hotel, based on the concept of "coexistence of nature, art and architecture." Designed by Tadao Ando, the facility is built on high ground overlooking the Seto Inland Sea and features large apertures that serve to open up the interior to the splendid natural surroundings. In addition to exhibiting the painting, sculpture, photography, and installations in its collection, the Museum also contains permanent site-specific installations that artists have created especially for the building, selecting locations on their own and designing the works for those spaces. The Museum's artworks are found not just within its galleries, but in all parts of the building, as well as in scattered locations along the seashore that borders the complex and in the nearby forest. Benesse House Museum is truly a rare site where nature, art, and architecture come together, in an environment containing numerous site-specific works created for the natural environs of Naoshima or inspired by the architectural spaces they inhabit.
Hours ＆ Admission
- Hours：
- 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
(Last admittance: 8:00 pm)
- Closed：
- Open year-round
Open Days Calendar
- Admission：
- Online Purchase: JPY1,300; On-site Purchase: JPY1,500
* Free admission for children of 15 and under and overnight guests at Benesse House.
- Tickets：
- Please purchase online tickets here.
- ※" Presentation of Works by Benesse Prize Artists"
（～ 5th Jan 2025 / limited-period exhibition ）
For more information
Benesse House Museum
Valley Gallery is composed of a small building resembling a shrine and the surrounding outdoor area. Built along the valley, which is considered a boundary or sanctuary, the double-walled interior space is introspective, it is open to the semi-outdoors, allowing visitors to directly feel the movement of natural energy, such as light and wind. The architecture and these works, which reflect the surrounding nature and local history, will resonate with each other and promote a renewed awareness of the richness of nature, symbiosis, and the fundamental spirit of prayer and rebirth.
Fee: Included in the Benesse House Museum entrance fee (you can buy this ticket at Valley Gallery as well)
・Yayoi Kusama Narcissus Garden 1966/2022
・Tsuyoshi Ozawa Slag Buddha 88-Eighty-eight Buddha Statues Created Using Slag from Industrial Waste at Teshima 2006 /2022
Art Direction : Akiko Miki
Exhibition to be changed every few years
Museum 2F
These works are on display on the 2nd floor of Benesse House Museum.
・Tadao Ando Benesse House Naoshima Contemporary Art Museum Study Model and Drawings , 1996
・Shinro Ohtake Shipyard Works Bow with Hole , 1990
・George Rickey Four Lines , 1978-88 *
・Benesse House Museum Related Exhibition
☆Site-specific work
* This work is not currently on display.
Benesse House
Museum 1F
These works are on display on the 1st floor of Benesse House Museum.
・George Segal Oriental Woman , 1981
・Sam Francis Blue , 1952-53
・Cy Twombly Untitled Ⅰ , 1968
・Robert Rauschenberg Run-Off (Salvage) , 1984
・Richard Prince Radio On , 2009
・Jean-Michel Basquiat Gua-Gua , 1984
・Yukinori Yanagi One Dollar , 1999
・Alberto Giacometti Diego sur Stele I , 1962
・Yukinori Yanagi The Forbidden Box , 1995
・Yukinori Yanagi Banzai Corner1996 , 1996
☆Richard Long River Avon Mud Circles by the Inland Sea , 1997
☆Richard Long Inland Sea Driftwood Circle , 1997
☆Richard Long Full Moon Stone Circle , 1997
・Richard Long 60 Minute Walk , 1990
☆Site-specific work
Benesse House
Museum BF
These works are on display on the basement floor of Benesse House Museum.
・Yukinori Yanagi The World Flag Ant Farm1990 , 1990
・Hiroshi Sugimoto Time Exposed , 1980-97
☆Jannis Kounellis Untitled , 1996
・Jannis Kounellis Untitled , 1983
・Bruce Nauman 100 Live and Die , 1984
・Thomas Ruff Substrat 26 Ⅱ , 2005
" Presentation of Works by Benesse Prize Artists"（～ 5th Jan 2025 / limited-period exhibition）
・Haegue Yang Sol LeWitt Upside Down - Steel Structure, Scaled Down 10 Times , 2021
・Pannaphan Yodmanee Aftermath , 2016
・Amanda Heng Always by my side , 2023
・Amanda Heng Best Time , 2023-2024
（Supported by the National Arts Council Singapore.）
・Zul Mahmod Quiet Resistance Manifesto , 2024
☆Site-specific work
Benesse House
Park
These works are on display at Benesse House Park.
(Some works exclusively for guests at Benesse House)
☆Teresita Fernández Blind Blue Landscape , 2009
・Michelangelo Pistoletto Affresco-5 (Orange) , 1998
・Michelangelo Pistoletto Affresco-5 (Blue) , 1998
☆Site-specific work
Cultural Melting
Bath: Project for
Naoshima
The "Cultural Melting Bath" was built on the coast of Naoshima with the strongest flow of energy, based on the philosophy of Feng Shui.
☆Cai Guo-Qiang Cultural Melting Bath: Project for Naoshima, 1998
Every Sunday, guests (limited to one group) can participate in a bathing experience in a private setting. Please enjoy a time of relaxation and self-reflection while soaking in the herbal medicine bath. More details are here.
Seaside Gallery
Tadao Ando-designed gallery, located in a terraced plaza on the south side of Benesse House Museum, looks out over the ocean. The space is long and narrow in a north-south direction along the topography, and light pours into the interior through a large opening facing the east.
☆Walter De MariaSeen/Unseen Known/Unknown 2000
Benesse House Museum
Outdoor Works
These works are on display surrounding areas of Benesse House.
・Karel Appel Frog and Cat , 1990
・Niki de Saint Phalle La Conversation , 1991
・Niki de Saint Phalle Camel , 1991
・Niki de Saint Phalle Elephant , 1991
・Niki de Saint Phalle Cat , 1991
・Niki de Saint Phalle Le Banc , 1989
☆Dan Graham Cylinder Bisected by Plane , 1995
・Anthony Caro Final Call , 1988
・George Rickey Three Squares Vertical Diagonal , 1972-82
☆Kazuo Katase Drink a Cup of Tea , 1987-94
☆Walter De Maria Seen/Unseen Known/Unknown , 2000
・Hiroshi Sugimoto Time Exposed Mirtoan Sea, Sounion , 1990
・Shinro Ohtake Shipyard Works: Cut Bow , 1990
・Shinro Ohtake Shipyard Works: Stern with Hole , 1990
・Hiroshi Sugimoto Time Exposed Caribbean Sea, Yucatan , 1990
・Kimiyo Mishima Another Rebirth 2005-N, 2001-05
☆Site-specific work
Architects
ArchitectsTadao Ando
Born in Osaka, 1941. Established Tadao Ando Architect & Associates in 1969. Architect and Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo. Recipient of many Japanese and international awards, including the Gold Medal of UIA (International Union of Architects, 2005) and the Pritzker Architecture Prize (1995).
Significant Works: Children's Museum (1989, Hyogo), Church of Light (1989, Osaka), Benesse House Museum (1992, Naoshima), Awaji-Yumebutai (2000, Awaji Island), Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (2002, Texas), Chichu Art Museum (2004, Naoshima).
Other Facilities
Restaurant & CafeMuseum Restaurant
Issen
This restaurant is located on the ground floor of Benesse House Museum. The large windows allow you to appreciate the view of the Inland Sea and modern art from any seat while you enjoy a meal in this extraordinary space. In addition to a dinner menu focusing on kaiseki cuisine made with fresh Setouchi seafood, breakfast and lunch featuring a wide variety of seasonal ingredients are also available.
- Location：
- Museum, Basement Floor
- Works：
- Thomas Ruff Substrate 26 II, 2005
Hiroshi Sugimoto Time Exposed , 1980-97*
*Outdoor works
For restaurant details, please click here.
Restaurant & CafeMuseum Cafe
This cafe is on the second floor of Benesse House Museum. Natural light pours into the interior through large windows facing to the south and west, allowing you to enjoy a leisurely light meal or beverage while gazing out at the Inland Sea below. There is also a shop which has a selection of books on Benesse House Museum, as well as a selection of art goods that make perfect souvenirs.
- Location：
- Museum, Second Floor
- Works：
- Shinro Ohtake Shipyard Works: Bow with Hole , 1990*
*Outdoor works
For cafe details, please click here.
Museum Shop
This shop is on the second floor of Benesse House Museum. In addition to books on Benesse House Museum and Benesse Art Site Naoshima, a selection of art goods that are perfect for souvenirs is available as well. There is also a café where you can enjoy a light meal or beverage while taking in the view of the Inland Sea below.
- Hours：
- 10:00 am-5:00 pm
- Closed：
- Open year-round
- Location：
- Benesse Museum, Second Floor
Library
The library on the second floor of Benesse House Museum is a space flooded with the sunlight of Setouchi through the large windows that are a distinctive feature of the architecture. You are free to view drawings by Tadao Ando made during the designing of Benesse House Museum and the Chichu Art Museum, as well as books relating to the artists in our collection. Please also feel free to use it as a place to rest in between enjoying the art.
For Group visitors / Travel Agencies
For Group visitors / Travel Agencies
Group visitors are also requested to make reservations through the reservation links for each facility.
- Contact us :
- - Group visitors are also requested to make reservations through the reservation links for each facility on this page.
- Please note that some facilities require a specific time only for group reservations.
- If you are coming to the island by chartered bus and wish to pass through the Benesse House Area, please submit a request using the dedicated form at least 3 days prior to your arrival.
Information
Facilities and Services
Payment Methods
Benesse House Museum payment methods:
・Cash
・Electronic payment (PayPay)
・Credit card （VISA / MASTER CARD / JCB / AMERICAN EXPRESS / DINERS/ UnionPay）
Valley Gallery payment methods:
・Cash
・Electronic payment (PayPay)
For handicapped visitors
(1)Accessibility
Due to characteristics of facility, some places are not accessible for visitors with disabilities and special needs.
We ask for your understanding.
We will support you as much as possible when you visit us, so please contact and discuss directly with our facilities.
(2)About lending wheelchairs, etc.
・Wheelchairs: We have 2 wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-served basis.
・Writing tools: Available.
・Multi-purpose toilets: Available.
・You may enter our facilities with a service dog, a seeing eye dog, and/or a hearing assistance dog.
About admission
・No discounts are offered for groups and holders of Disability Certificates (Physical Disability Certificates, Rehabilitation Certificates, or Mental Disability Certificates) are not granted free entry.
Requests to visitors
When visiting the museum
・Please do not bring large objects (suitcases, umbrellas, tripods, etc.) into the museum.
・Pets may not be taken into the museum.
・Smoking is prohibited on the museum premises.
・The use of cell phones is prohibited on the museum premises.
・Other than in the cafe, visitors may not eat (including candy, gum, boxed lunches, etc.) or drink on the museum premises.
・Visitors may be refused entry if they appear intoxicated or otherwise pose a disturbance to other visitors.
When viewing the artworks
・Please do not touch the walls, the glass, or the artworks themselves.
・Please do not take photographs, videos, or make sketches in the museum. Visitors are also requested not to use fountain pens, ink, etc.
About using drone
・It's strictly prohibited to operate Unmanned Aircrafts (UAs) /Drone in Benesse Art Site Naoshima premises without our prior permission due to safety assurance reasons for the people, architecture and artworks.
Contact
Gotanji, Naoshima, Kagawa 7613110 Japan
Tel. +81-(0)87-892-3223
Fax. +81-(0)87-892-2259
Please send from here
* For inquiries regarding staying Benesse House, please send from here.
