Honmura (本村) is a small port town on Naoshima's eastern coast and home to the Art House Project, a collection of abandoned houses, a temple and a shrine, which have been converted into art installations and venues for contemporary art by artists from Japan and abroad.

The art houses are scattered throughout town, and most of them are unassuming from the street, blending into the surrounding traditional Japanese neighborhood. The interior of each, however, has been given over to artists to convert into whatever suits their artistic vision.

Below is a list of the art houses in Honmura:

  • Minamidera
    Architecture by Ando Tadao, Artwork by James Turrell
    Visitor numbers are limited by a reservation system
  • Kinza
    Designed by Naito Rei
    Visitor numbers are limited by a reservation system
  • Kadoya
    Main artist: Miyajima Tatsuo
  • Go'o Shrine
    Designed by Sugimoto Hiroshi
  • Ishibashi
    Artwork by Senju Hiroshi
  • Gokaisho
    Artwork by Suda Yoshihiro
  • Haisha
    Artwork by Otake Shinro

The Honmura Lounge, a few steps from the bus stop in the center of town, serves as an archive and information center for the Art House Project. Here you can find material on the artists and architects involved with the projects as well as information on the various art houses. Not part of the Art House Project, but also found among the traditional buildings of Honmura Town is the Ando Museum.

Getting there and around

There are one to three buses per hour from Miyanoura Ferry Terminal bound for Tsutsujiso that stop at the Nokyo-mae bus stop in Honmura (5 minutes, 100 yen) along the way. Alternatively, it is a 2.5 kilometer bicycle ride (10 minutes) or walk (35-45 minutes) from the Miyanoura Ferry Terminal. Honmura has also its own port with ferry connections to Uno Port on Honshu (20 minutes, 300 yen, five round trips per day).

How to get to and around Naoshima

Hours and Fees

Art House Project

Hours

Closed

Admission