Benesse House Museum Café
This café is located on the 2nd floor of the Benesse House Museum, a combination museum and hotel. Natural light shines through the wide open windows on the south and west sides, so you can relax and enjoy a light meal or a drink while looking out over the Seto Inland Sea.
A nice place to take a break after viewing the art.
What makes this place so captivating is how seamlessly it blends with the Seto Inland Sea.
On a sunny day, it’s seriously such a pleasure.
Chichu Art Museum
Across Naoshima you’ll find art installations that blur the line between art and nature. The island is also home to Chichu Art Museum, a gallery designed by world renowned architect Tadao Ando.
Chichu Art Museum, designed by Tadao Ando, truly made me feel the deep connection between the architecture and the artworks. It was beyond what I imagined. Every moment, changes in the weather and light affect how you experience the space.
My favorite was Monet’s Water Lilies. It reveals a unique kind of beauty in every different atmosphere.
When visiting, be sure to follow the rules and only take photos in designated areas. It’s a sign of respect for the artworks and for other visitors. The museum gift shop is also well worth browsing. Buying the Chinese guide turned out to be a wonderful keepsake that helped me gain a deeper understanding.
Umi-no-Eki (Marine Terminal) Naoshima
A Miyanoura Port Ferry Terminal “Umi-no-Eki Naoshima” in Naoshima. An innovative design typical of Naoshima, an island of art with a large roof covering most of the site including a café, waiting area and a tourist information office dotted under the roof in glass box-like structures.
While waiting for the ferry, you can grab a coffee and try Naoshima’s signature macaron dessert. It’s also a great place to shop for exclusive souvenirs.
ANDO MUSEUM
The architect Tadao Ando reconstructed a 100-year-old wooden house here in the Honmura district of Naoshima. The exposed concrete of the building helps to breathe new life into the old wooden structure. The old house has been preserved and fused with aspects of modern architecture.
If you like Tadao Ando’s architectural work, this is a place worth visiting.
The exposed concrete design gives this old house a renewed character, and it’s worth taking your time to appreciate the details.
There are also sketches of related works and souvenirs available for purchase.
Red Pumpkin
Naoshima off the coast of Kagawa Prefecture is the island of modern art, where prominent artists’ works are attracting world’s attention. When a ferry approaches Naoshima’s front gate, Miyanoura Port, the first thing that catches your eye is the Red Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama.
Finally got to see the real thing.
The moment you get off at the port, this bright red pumpkin is the first thing you see, warmly welcoming everyone. It instantly puts you in the mood to appreciate art.
When we stepped inside the pumpkin, we could really feel the unique interplay of light and shadow.
Dogo Milk Cheesecake
Dogo Milk Cheesecake is a specialty cheesecake shop in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. It serves cheesecakes inspired by the taste of milk enjoyed after a hot bath. The cheese is handmade fresh every day in the workshop attached to the shop.
The orange daifuku inside was tasty too, and pretty sweet.
Ehime no Shokutaku 1970
Ehime no Shokutaku 1970 is a juice stand in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. It is known for its unique style, where mikan juice comes out when you turn a faucet. The shop is located inside Dogo Shopping Street, the arcade that connects Dogo Onsen Station and the Dogo Onsen Main Building.
They put photos at the entrance showing the mikan varieties available that day. There are so many kinds of orange juice, so make sure to check carefully for the taste you want—sour, sweet, or bitter.
Dōgo Onsen Honkan
Boasting a history of roughly 3,000 years, Dōgo Onsen is considered by many to be Japan’s oldest hot spring. Its iconic symbol, the Dōgo Onsen Honkan, was rebuilt in 1894 as a public bathhouse and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. After six years of extensive preservation and restoration work, the wooden three-story bathhouse fully reopened in 2024, offering a renewed experience designed to soak in the historical beauty up close.
Getting to soak at Dōgo Onsen Honkan, the oldest hot spring in all of Japan, was such a treat.
This century-old wooden building looks so much like the bathhouse from Spirited Away. Just standing outside, looking at it and taking photos, you can already feel the sense of history. Stepping inside feels even more like traveling through time.
This kind of traditional Japanese public bath is such a welcome convenience for travelers. It really helps wash away the fatigue of the journey.
Botchan Karakuri Clock
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the construction of Dogo Onsen Honkan (main building), this mechanical clock was built in 1994 at the Hojoen Garden, located in front of the Dogo Onsen tram station. From 8 am to 10 pm, every hour (and every 30 minutes on weekends, holidays, during the months of March, April, August, and November, during Golden Week, and over New Year's), the clock performs to its music, giving a vibrant welcome to those visiting Dogo Onsen.
It’s a landmark, and really a great place to meet up.
Cup Noodles Curry Flavor
Nissin Foods, the inventor of the world’s cup ramen “Cup Noodles”, launched its curry-flavored noodles just two years after its start of sales. The noodles have a good body and the curry flavored soup is mild and creamy with the sweetness of vegetables.
The seafood flavor is just as tasty, and it’s super convenient that it comes in large, medium, and small sizes.