Chichu Art Museum
Chichu Art Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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- SFDANRSan Francisco, California88 contributionsSmall gem on NaoshimaSmall museum, with works by 3 artists. Monet water lilies, similar to those at L'Orangerie in Paris- but done a bit later with changes in technique. Terrific installations by James Turell Ando architecture is interesting Need timed reservation to get in.Visited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 20, 2023
- megUrayasu, Japan16 contributionsComfortable museumBeautiful space. The sun, the sky, clouds, the air,,, all of them are components of the art here. Have a break in the cafe inside the museum, the view from there is very nice. If you visit here by bicycle, the parking lot is near the “Ticket Center”, 100m away from the museum. 自然光や空の様子までもがアートとなる空間。ゆっくりと過ごせます。 美術館内のカフェからは瀬戸内海が綺麗に見渡せるのでおすすめ。 美術館の中では写真撮影が禁止されていますが、このカフェでは食事や景色の写真はOKとのこと。 駐輪場は100mほど離れたチケットセンターにあるので、自転車で行かれる方はそちらに駐輪できます。Visited November 2023Traveled soloWritten December 19, 2023
- Guille B91 contributionsProbably my favourite museumOne of the best museums I’ve ever been and truly the highlight of Naoshima. Tadao Ando architecture blends perfectly and intentionally with unique displays. From Impressionism to light displays, this will be a unique experience. They don’t allow pictures inside…Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 14, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
861 reviews
Excellent
510
Very good
194
Average
73
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44
Terrible
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helenmiumiu
Hong Kong, China105 contributions
May 2019
The wow factor of this Chichu Art Museum started from its website when you book the ticket in advance. It was also positioned as a must do experience in Naoshima. However, I do think the most appealing part of Chuchu was its architecture by Tadao Ando, which you cannot really see from an aerial view, when visiting the Museum.
As for the artwork, there are only three of them. The James Turrell and Walter de Maria ones are inspiring, nonetheless. Just set your expectations right before going. I still like the Benesse Museum better.
As for the artwork, there are only three of them. The James Turrell and Walter de Maria ones are inspiring, nonetheless. Just set your expectations right before going. I still like the Benesse Museum better.
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TW3
1 contribution
Jan 2020 • Couples
We had checked reviews beforehand which all said to book before going. We booked but once we arrived at Uno Port Ferry Terminal we were told boats were all cancelled until further notice due to strong winds. As we had to travel 3+ hours to get there, we were devastated but did not want to wait around not knowing when the boats would resume. Contacted the museum but they refused to issue a refund. The customer service staff said the ferries resumed 4 hours after we had already left and thus a refund could not be issued as the boats were only delayed!! Unbelievable. Highly disappointed in their customer service as this was out of our control and there is no other way to reach the museum.
Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Didi
Paris, France28 contributions
Apr 2020 • Couples
This is a 5 stars architecture museum, to visit more for the Tadao Ando building than the art content. You need to appreciate slowly each space and its design, if not your visit will be done in 20mn, out of which 10 minutes will be spent removing your shoes and putting them back!
It is a shame that there is not much information on display to add value to the visit. Too much minimalism means emptiness...
The view from the café should not be missed.
It is a shame that there is not much information on display to add value to the visit. Too much minimalism means emptiness...
The view from the café should not be missed.
Written April 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bkendrick3
6 contributions
Mar 2021 • Family
It is best is you reserve your tickets online, as you know in advance your time slot. If you just show up at a given time without reservations you will be given a time to come back. We had reservations. It took about and hour to go through with lunch at the cafe. 15 and under are free. No photographs allowed, but some of the art is an experience, one room in particular made this worth it. Monets are always beautiful and worth the view.
Written March 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hiroaki Kaneko
Tokyo, Japan5,468 contributions
Jan 2023
直島の小高い山の地下に建設された、一風変わった美術館。入口こそ地上にあるが、展示施設は全て地中に埋められている。しかも（一部を除き）それぞれの展示室は天窓があり、（作品を傷めないように）外からの採光は調節されている一方、（時間経過や天候による）外からの光による作品の見え方の変化を楽しんでもらいたいからか、通路を含め電灯を使用している場所は少ない。しかしこれが、明るいところと暗いところを行き来することで眼に余計な負担を強いる可能性がある。眼の明暗受容の切り替えが難しい人は、作品鑑賞の際は注意してもらいたい。同時に、通路にあるお手洗いの案内のプレート（男性用・女性用等）が暗くて見えづらいと感じるだろう。
そのような注意点を踏まえながら鑑賞すれば、非常に不思議な空間に彷徨ったような感覚を覚えるだろう。単に展示された美術品を鑑賞するだけでなく、空間そのものが異世界のようで、現実感を忘れさせてくれる。いずれのアーティストの作品も、空間と光を巧みに活用し、人間の持つ常識と感覚を大いに惑わさせる。しかし、それが何とも言えぬ心地のよさを味わわせてくれる。
一部の展示室は、履物をぬぐ必要がある。また、入口からミュージアムショップまでの間であれば撮影可能であるがミュージアムショップ以降は撮影禁止である（施設内のレストラン、及びレストランの外のスペースは撮影可）。エレベーターも完備しているため、車椅子等の障碍を持つ方でも気軽に楽しめる（但し一部の展示室には階段や段差があることに注意）。
It's an unusual art museum built underground on a small mountain in Naoshima. Although the entrance is above ground, all exhibition facilities are buried underground. Each of the exhibition rooms (with a few exceptions) has a skylight, and while light from the outside is controlled (so as not to damage the works), there are only a few areas, including the passageways, where electric lights are used. Perhaps to allow visitors to enjoy the changes in the way the works are seen by the outside light (in the change over hour time or weather conditions). However, this may place an unnecessary burden on your eyes by switching back and forth between bright and dark areas. Visitors who have difficulty switching between light and dark areas should use caution when viewing the works. At the same time, visitors may find it difficult to see the restroom information plates (for men, women, etc.) in the aisles because of the darkness.
If you view the exhibition with such precautions in mind, you'll feel as if you have wandered into a very mysterious space. Not only will you appreciate the artworks on display, but the space itself will seem otherworldly, making you forget your sense of reality. All of the artists' works skillfully utilize space and light, and greatly deceive our common sense and senses. However, it also gives us an indescribable sense of comfort.
Some exhibition rooms require visitors to remove their footwear. Photography is allowed between the entrance and the museum store, but not after the museum store (photography is allowed in the restaurant and outside the restaurant). The museum is equipped with an elevator, so visitors with disabilities such as wheelchairs can easily enjoy the museum (note that there are stairs and steps in some of the exhibition rooms).
そのような注意点を踏まえながら鑑賞すれば、非常に不思議な空間に彷徨ったような感覚を覚えるだろう。単に展示された美術品を鑑賞するだけでなく、空間そのものが異世界のようで、現実感を忘れさせてくれる。いずれのアーティストの作品も、空間と光を巧みに活用し、人間の持つ常識と感覚を大いに惑わさせる。しかし、それが何とも言えぬ心地のよさを味わわせてくれる。
一部の展示室は、履物をぬぐ必要がある。また、入口からミュージアムショップまでの間であれば撮影可能であるがミュージアムショップ以降は撮影禁止である（施設内のレストラン、及びレストランの外のスペースは撮影可）。エレベーターも完備しているため、車椅子等の障碍を持つ方でも気軽に楽しめる（但し一部の展示室には階段や段差があることに注意）。
It's an unusual art museum built underground on a small mountain in Naoshima. Although the entrance is above ground, all exhibition facilities are buried underground. Each of the exhibition rooms (with a few exceptions) has a skylight, and while light from the outside is controlled (so as not to damage the works), there are only a few areas, including the passageways, where electric lights are used. Perhaps to allow visitors to enjoy the changes in the way the works are seen by the outside light (in the change over hour time or weather conditions). However, this may place an unnecessary burden on your eyes by switching back and forth between bright and dark areas. Visitors who have difficulty switching between light and dark areas should use caution when viewing the works. At the same time, visitors may find it difficult to see the restroom information plates (for men, women, etc.) in the aisles because of the darkness.
If you view the exhibition with such precautions in mind, you'll feel as if you have wandered into a very mysterious space. Not only will you appreciate the artworks on display, but the space itself will seem otherworldly, making you forget your sense of reality. All of the artists' works skillfully utilize space and light, and greatly deceive our common sense and senses. However, it also gives us an indescribable sense of comfort.
Some exhibition rooms require visitors to remove their footwear. Photography is allowed between the entrance and the museum store, but not after the museum store (photography is allowed in the restaurant and outside the restaurant). The museum is equipped with an elevator, so visitors with disabilities such as wheelchairs can easily enjoy the museum (note that there are stairs and steps in some of the exhibition rooms).
Written January 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sergio L
Rome, Italy199 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
I dedicated a day just to visiting this museum, and I consider that it was a day well spent, but reading the comments I realize that not everyone thinks the same way. The museum was built by star architect Tadao Ando, and is a structure in itself worth the visit. The rooms are built in such a way as to accommodate the few works it contains. It develops largely below ground level, in reinforced concrete with slits specifically designed to best illuminate the rooms without the need for electric light. I found it to be a very interesting museum concept. Then there are those monumental works by Monet which, well they are impressive, enhanced by the enormous environment in which they are installed. The only disappointment was not being able to take photos, even without flash, anywhere. I recommend dedicating a day and a night to visiting all the sites of Naoshima, an attractive island in itself, transformed into an incredible museum centre.
Written September 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aung YeMun
Okayama, Japan204 contributions
Apr 2021
This museum is very good to explore! You need to reserve your tickets and set your schedule. You can enter 30mins earlier than the reserved time. You can park your bicycle near the ticket center and walk to the Chichu art museum. You can also take the bus from this museum to reach Benesse House Museum. It's good to eat lunch inside although there are few choices. One of the best museums in Naoshima.
Written June 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
秀治 小
Tokyo, Japan1,491 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
I was told that it was definitely worth visiting when I was in Naoshima, so I made a reservation in advance. Since it was the off-season, I arrived earlier than my reservation time, but I was able to enter early. Works by three artists are exhibited in a building designed by Tadao Ando. In Monet's room, for some reason you have to take off your shoes and change into slippers, but I wondered why. It's a magnificent work, but it felt like this is all there is in such a large space? I looked at the exhibition afterwards, but it was difficult to understand, and it was over in a flash. Walter De Maria's work is 27 sets of three completely different arrangements of triangular prisms, rectangular prisms, and pentagonal prisms, but the artist himself said that they have no meaning, so I thought that people who see things that they don't know the artist won't understand. The number of works was extremely small for the price, and I came to the island just to see this, and paid the not-so-cheap admission fee, and I had a hard time understanding it. I thought that with that much space, they could have held a special exhibition, but they probably won't replace the works. So there will be no next time.
Written January 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
laurensY9972KF
Brisbane Region, Australia10 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
Having travelled from Australia and keen to show our friends this place, we were extremely disappointed when we missed our appointed session and were not able to change sessions. We were offered another ticket for all of us on a different day but could not return on another day due to prebooked travel plans.
Very inconsistently, we could not change sessions on the day we attended, however the exchange ticket could be used at any time, no booking required.
While we return to Japan twice a year and always bring guests here, our friends are unlikely to return to Japan and have missed out entirely.
We are now reconsidering future trips and seeking recommendations for other places, rather than ever returning to Naoshima, and ChiChu art museum in particular.
Very inconsistently, we could not change sessions on the day we attended, however the exchange ticket could be used at any time, no booking required.
While we return to Japan twice a year and always bring guests here, our friends are unlikely to return to Japan and have missed out entirely.
We are now reconsidering future trips and seeking recommendations for other places, rather than ever returning to Naoshima, and ChiChu art museum in particular.
Written March 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ytnyc
Brooklyn, NY43 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
I would advise anyone to avoid all of naoshima unless you enjoy pretention, inconvenient hours like closing for an hour in the middle of the day? We walked in the heat 40 minutes only to arrive an hour before our ticket and you are not allowed to use the café until after you go through the museum. In general, you're treated like a second-class citizen unless you are a guest at the Bennese Hotel. Fortunately, since I was an hour early, I was able to get my ticket refunded and hike back to the pier, I would've stayed at home in New York City with my art snob friends for free.
Written August 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do you have to go through total darkness for any of the exhibits, particularly Open Field? Asking for someone who has a phobia of total darkness... thanks!
Written July 25, 2019
No, there is no total darkness. There are some spaces with limited daylight, but no total darkness. No fear!
Written August 3, 2019
Is the cafe and store accessible only with admission?
Written February 25, 2018
I think you can access without entrance fee (the shop anyway). Cafe lovely, great panoramic window and view and food good. Shop small.
Written February 26, 2018
Is this museum open in late December through the new year? Was planning to come to Naoshima when many of Japan’s other museums are closed during the year-end holidays.
Written February 15, 2018
Sorry, but I have no idea.
I'd try to look it up on their website, or phone: Tel. +81-(0)87-892-3755
Best of luck!
Written February 15, 2018
It doesn't look like we can't squeeze in a night on Naoshima or near, like Kurashiki. Is it at all worth it to take a day trip to the island from Kyoto?
Thank you all
Written March 22, 2017
I believe you would be commuting for at least 6-7h that day so unless you absolutely love one of the artists in the collection I think you mostly ruin a day for yourselves - and I absolutely loved the collection - it just requires more time than you have to spare at this moment.
Written March 23, 2017
Can i take a ferry to the island from kyoto? Thanks
Written March 14, 2017
Sure but u have to take JR trains from Kyoto to the nearest port first, either Uno port or Takamatsu port. Uno port provides more ferry to Naoshima island. don't forget to check the schedule before u go. Please spare few minutes to buy ferry tickets at Uno port coz ticket office is not the same place where getting on ferry.
Written March 15, 2017
How do I get there using public transportation
Written February 12, 2016
We had a Japanese Rail pass, so we used that to get from Hiroshima to Uno. We then walked from Uno station to the ferry port which was a 5min walk and bought a ticket at ferry port office and caught the ferry. It was a very short distance about 10mins. We arrived on island and then caught a bus to our destination,very easy
Written February 14, 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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