Blending Heritage and Future in a Cool Retro Art Journey

Cradled by the calm Seto Inland Sea, Setouchi–Shikoku invites you to experience living art—creations that weave centuries-old craft into bold, contemporary vision. Visit during the Setouchi Triennale 2025 and watch Expo 2025 Osaka–Kansai’s theme, “Connecting Lives,” unfold across the islands. A private charter cruiser carries you smoothly from port to port, while festival-accredited guides deepen each encounter. With seamless transfers and carefully curated stops, this journey offers the most effortless—and inspiring—way to immerse yourself in Japan’s premier celebration of contemporary art.

Local Insight

We asked Rie Kawata of ConciergeBANK—who oversees the Setouchi Triennale Charter Cruise—to share her insights into navigating the festival by sea.

Q. What makes this tour special?

Held only every three years, the Setouchi Triennale usually means juggling ferry timetables and ticket lines. Our private charter cruiser sweeps past the queues, linking the art islands in comfort while a festival-accredited guide brings each installation to life. Evenings are equally seamless: you stay at Benesse House (or a hotel of the same class) in Naoshima and the villa-style Anabuki-tei in Takamatsu, ensuring first-time visitors enjoy stress-free luxury from start to finish.

Q. What makes the Setouchi area so appealing?

Setouchi pairs a mild, low-rain climate with postcard views of island-dotted seas, ultra-fresh seafood, and rich local produce. Islands such as Naoshima, Shodoshima, and Teshima are world-renowned for contemporary art scattered across beaches and villages—best explored with a specialist guide. Back on the mainland we visit Chichibugahama Beach, dubbed Japan's version of Uyuni Salt Flat, and Mt. Shiude, whose cherry-blossom panorama once featured in The New York Times. By focusing on key highlights and moving only by private transport, guests experience Setouchi “inside and out” with maximum comfort and efficiency.

Q. In what way does the tour echo EXPO 2025’s theme “Connecting Lives”?

Setouchi has thrived on exchange for centuries—from merchants and sailors to today’s global artists. Our route lets guests experience that network firsthand: islands linked by water, communities linked by craft, generations linked by shared landscapes. A single day can connect a 400-year-old soy barrel, a cutting-edge light sculpture, and a sunset mirrored in Chichibugahama’s tide pools. Moving seamlessly between islands, cultures, and eras, the cruise lets guests feel the very spirit of connection EXPO 2025 celebrates.

Q. Any final message for international visitors coming to Japan for the Expo?

Step beyond Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya to a coastline where contemporary art emerges from tranquil seas and centuries-old traditions. We handle every boat, car, and language detail, so you can simply absorb Setouchi’s perfect balance of scenery, cuisine, heritage, and innovation. Let our charter cruise turn your time in Japan into an unforgettable voyage.

DAY 1

EXPO 2025

Osaka

Provided by: Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition

DAY 2

Cruising the Setouchi Triennale by Private Charter

Naoshima

Kagawa

“Red Pumpkin” Yayoi Kusama,2006 Naoshima Miyanoura Port Square　©YAYOI KUSAMA
Photo／Daisuke Aochi
*Unauthorized use prohibited

Red Pumpkin, the icon of Naoshima, is the first thing you’ll spot as your boat nears Miyanoura Port.

Naoshima New Museum of Art 
Photo: GION

Opening May 31, 2025.

Inter-island travel feels exclusive aboard a private charter cruiser; on-deck BBQ is part of the fun.

Take a two-hour train ride from Shin-Osaka to Takamatsu Station, then hop aboard your charter cruiser at Takamatsu Port bound for Naoshima! Legend says the island was named in the 12th century after Emperor Sutoku (1123–1142) stopped here and was struck by the villagers’ honesty and kindness, a spirit still felt in Naoshima today. Now hailed as a sanctuary of contemporary art, the island is dotted with installations. Its flagship museums—Benesse House, the Chichu Art Museum, the Lee Ufan Museum, and the Naoshima New Museum of Art opening in 2025—are all the work of world-renowned architect Tadao Ando.

DAY 3

Shodoshima

Kagawa

Shodoshima—the ”Olive Island,” home to the Japan’s first thriving olive groves.

Wang Wen-Chih "Embrace・Shodoshima" 
Photo: Shintaro Miyawaki

Wang Wen-Chih’s newest bamboo installation in Nakayama, extending the series he began here for the 2010 festival.

Inside Yamaroku Soy Sauce's brewery, where rows of cedar barrels have fermented soy for over 400 years.

Day 3 sees your charter cruiser glide onward to Shodoshima, the largest of all Setouchi Triennale venues and a trove of scenic wonders—from plunging gorges to picture-perfect terraced paddies. At Nakayama Senmaida, tied to Taiwanese artist Wang Wen-Chih, the stepped fields host time-honored rituals such as rural kabuki and firelit insect-repelling rites that pray for abundant harvests. Shodoshima’s food culture is just as rich: savor hand-pulled somen noodles and tour soy-sauce breweries where the brew still matures in towering cedar barrels, offering a delicious taste of island tradition.

Ritsurin Garden

Kagawa

Japanese-style wasen boat ride on Nanko Pond—an idyllic way to soak in Ritsurin Garden’s vistas.

Cruise back to Takamatsu Port, then ride by private vehicle to Ritsurin Garden, a nationally designated Special Place of Scenic Beauty. Spanning the largest grounds of any cultural-property garden in Japan, Ritsurin Garden holds Michelin Green Guide Japan’s three-star rating. Designed about 400 years ago in the classic pond-strolling (chisen-kaiyu) style, its sweeping ponds, sculpted hills, and teahouses invite an unhurried wander—revealing the 17th-century craftsmanship and aesthetics that shaped every view.

Stunning Vistas and Captivated by Art of the Setouchi Triennale

DAY 4

Chichibugahama Beach

Mt. Shiude

Kagawa

Chichibugahama Beach—at low tide, its tide pools mirror the sky like Japan’s own Uyuni Salt Flat.

Mt. Shiude’s summit offers a breathtaking, 360-degree sweep of the island-dotted Seto Inland Sea.

Swap the ship’s deck for the driver’s seat on Day 4 as your private car heads to two of Kagawa’s world-class photo spots—Chichibugahama Beach and Mt. Shiude. Both frame the island-dotted Seto Inland Sea in vistas so spectacular you’ll reach for your camera before you know it. From mirror-flat tide pools to sky-high panoramas, the grandeur of nature here is a sight worth experiencing at least once.