{"id":2304,"date":"2026-10-22T16:53:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T16:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/?p=2304"},"modified":"2026-10-22T16:53:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T16:53:47","slug":"setouchi-art-islands-off-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/ko\/setouchi-art-islands-off-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Setouchi Art Islands Off-Season: Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima in Winter 2026\u201327"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yes, you can visit the Setouchi art islands off-season, and late autumn is one of the best times to do it: no festival crowds, and almost everything is open. The catch is the calendar. Between now and March 2027 the Setouchi art islands each close on different days, Inujima shuts completely from December to February, and the Chichu Art Museum on Naoshima is closed from 12 January to 19 March 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide is built around that calendar: which days work for which island, what each museum costs and how to book, and the winter ferries from Uno and Takamatsu. Everything was checked on 23 October 2026 against Benesse Art Site Naoshima and the ferry operators.<\/p>\n\n\n

\u00a52,500<\/p>

Chichu weekday ticket, online<\/p><\/div>

Fri\u2013Sun<\/p>

Only days Naoshima and Teshima both open, Dec\u2013Feb<\/p><\/div>

12 Jan\u201319 Mar<\/p>

Chichu closed, 2027<\/p><\/div>

14 Apr 2028<\/p>

Next Setouchi Triennale opens<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Which Setouchi art islands are open in winter 2026\u201327?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Naoshima stays open all winter apart from a maintenance week in January, Teshima goes down to four days a week, and Inujima closes. The table shows the main changes by month, from Benesse Art Site’s January\u2013March 2027 maintenance notice<\/a> and its open days calendar<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Period<\/th>Naoshima<\/th>Teshima<\/th>Inujima<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Late Oct\u201330 Nov 2026<\/td>Open; most museums closed Mondays. Naoshima New Museum of Art closed 24 Nov\u201312 Dec (noon)<\/td>Teshima Art Museum closed Tuesdays<\/td>Open Fri\u2013Mon; closed Tue\u2013Thu<\/td><\/tr>
1 Dec 2026\u201311 Jan 2027<\/td>Open; closed Mondays. Lee Ufan Museum closed 19 Dec<\/td>Open Fri\u2013Mon only (closed Tue\u2013Thu). Needle Factory closed<\/td>\ud734\ubb34<\/td><\/tr>
12\u201318 Jan 2027<\/td>Most museums closed for maintenance; Benesse House hotel closed<\/td>Fri\u2013Mon only<\/td>\ud734\ubb34<\/td><\/tr>
19 Jan\u2013end Feb 2027<\/td>Open, but Chichu closed (to 19 Mar) and Art House Haisha closed (to 22 Feb)<\/td>Fri\u2013Mon only<\/td>\ud734\ubb34<\/td><\/tr>
1\u201319 Mar 2027<\/td>Open, Chichu still closed<\/td>Teshima Art Museum closed Tuesdays<\/td>Open Fri\u2013Mon<\/td><\/tr>
From 20 Mar 2027<\/td>Full programme, Chichu reopens<\/td>Closed Tuesdays<\/td>Open Fri\u2013Mon<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Two more short closures matter right now. Art House Project Kinza has been closed for maintenance since 13 October 2026, with Benesse giving reopening dates of 1 January and 20 January 2027 in different notices. The night-time Lunar session of Ring of Fire has been temporarily closed since 28 August 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\uc138\ud1a0\uc6b0\uce58
Chichu Art Museum, Naoshima. Photo: 663highland<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Which days of the week should you visit the Setouchi art islands?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are the only days when Naoshima, Teshima and (outside winter) Inujima are all open. Monday is Naoshima’s closing day, Tuesday is Teshima’s, and Inujima’s Seirensho museum closes Tuesday to Thursday from March to November. From December to February, Teshima closes Tuesday to Thursday too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ucf54\uc2a4<\/th>Naoshima museums<\/th>Teshima Art Museum<\/th>Inujima Seirensho<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Monday<\/td>Closed (Benesse House Museum open)<\/td>Open<\/td>Open Mar\u2013Nov; closed Dec\u2013Feb<\/td><\/tr>
Tuesday<\/td>Open<\/td>\ud734\ubb34<\/td>\ud734\ubb34<\/td><\/tr>
Wednesday\u2013Thursday<\/td>Open<\/td>Open Mar\u2013Nov; closed Dec\u2013Feb<\/td>\ud734\ubb34<\/td><\/tr>
Friday\u2013Sunday<\/td>Open<\/td>Open<\/td>Open Mar\u2013Nov; closed Dec\u2013Feb<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

National holidays shift this. Naoshima museums and Teshima Art Museum open on a holiday Monday and close the next day instead, so 23 November 2026 and 11 January 2027 are open days on Naoshima. Weekends cost a little more at Chichu, but they are still the only easy way to see both main islands in one trip in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s open on Naoshima off-season, and how do you book?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Naoshima is the main island and the one to base yourself on. Since October 2024 all Benesse Art Site tickets on Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima are sold online, and several are tied to a date and time (Benesse ticket information<\/a>). If online tickets for a timed venue sell out, there is no on-site sale on the day, so book Chichu before your ferry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venue<\/th>Hours (winter)<\/th>\ud734\ubb34<\/th>Adult price (online \/ on site)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Chichu Art Museum<\/td>10:00\u201317:00, last entry 16:00<\/td>Mondays; 12 Jan\u201319 Mar 2027<\/td>Weekdays \u00a52,500 \/ \u00a52,800; weekends and holidays \u00a52,700 \/ \u00a53,000; timed ticket<\/td><\/tr>
Naoshima New Museum of Art<\/td>10:00\u201316:30, last entry 16:00<\/td>Mondays; 24 Nov\u201312 Dec 2026; 12\u201318 Jan 2027<\/td>\u00a51,500 \/ \u00a51,700<\/td><\/tr>
Lee Ufan Museum<\/td>10:00\u201317:00, last entry 16:30<\/td>Mondays; 19 Dec 2026; 12\u201318 Jan 2027<\/td>\u00a51,200 \/ \u00a51,400<\/td><\/tr>
Benesse House Museum (incl. Valley Gallery)<\/td>8:00\u201321:00; Valley Gallery 9:30\u201316:00<\/td>Open daily except 12\u201318 Jan 2027<\/td>\u00a51,300 \/ \u00a51,500; free for hotel guests<\/td><\/tr>
Art House Project (five houses)<\/td>10:00\u201316:30 with a lunch break at some houses<\/td>Mondays; 12\u201318 Jan 2027 (Haisha to 22 Feb)<\/td>\u00a51,200 \/ \u00a51,400<\/td><\/tr>
Minamidera (Art House Project)<\/td>10:00\u201316:30, last entry 16:05<\/td>\uc6d4\uc694\uc77c<\/td>\u00a5600 \/ \u00a5700, timed ticket<\/td><\/tr>
Hiroshi Sugimoto Gallery: Time Corridors<\/td>Timed visits<\/td>12\u201318 Jan 2027<\/td>\u00a51,600 \/ \u00a51,700<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Prices are from Benesse’s \uc2b9\uc120\uad8c \ud398\uc774\uc9c0<\/a> and the venue pages for Chichu<\/a>, the New Museum of Art<\/a>, Lee Ufan<\/a>, Benesse House Museum<\/a> and the Art House Project<\/a>. Children aged 15 and under get in free at most venues but still need a reservation for headcount at the museums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chichu Art Museum: go before 12 January<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chichu, home of the Claude Monet room, closes for extended maintenance from 12 January to 19 March 2027 (Benesse notice<\/a>). For most travellers it is the reason to come, so if your dates are flexible, go in November or December. On Fridays and Saturdays it also runs the Open Sky night programme, timed to sunset, for \u00a53,700 including admission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naoshima New Museum of Art<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The newest museum on the island opened in spring 2025 on a hill near Honmura. Its current show, with Takashi Murakami, Cai Guo-Qiang, Do Ho Suh, Aida Makoto and others, runs to 23 November 2026. The museum then closes for the exhibit change from 24 November until noon on 12 December 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting around Naoshima<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The town bus runs from Miyanoura port via Honmura to Tsutsuji-so for \u00a5100 a ride, paid in coins as you get off (Naoshima Tourism Association<\/a>). From Tsutsuji-so, a free Benesse shuttle runs to Benesse House Museum, Lee Ufan and Chichu (Benesse access<\/a>). Bicycles can’t enter the private museum zone between the east gate near Tsutsuji-so and the north gate near Lee Ufan, so plan to walk or take the shuttle from there.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Inujima
Inujima Art House Project. Photo: saitowitz<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Teshima in winter: Friday to Monday only<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Teshima Art Museum is the other unmissable stop, and the one with the tightest winter schedule. From October to February it opens 10:00 to 16:00 with last entry at 15:30, and tickets cost \u00a51,800 online or \u00a52,000 on site with a date-and-time booking (museum page<\/a>). It closes on Tuesdays from March to November and on Tuesdays to Thursdays from 1 December to the end of February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same Tuesday-to-Thursday winter closure covers Les Archives du C\u0153ur (\u00a5600 \/ \u00a5700), Teshima Yokoo House (\u00a5600 \/ \u00a5700) and La for\u00eat des murmures. The Needle Factory closes entirely from December to February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teshima Art Museum’s late-autumn hours are short: last entry is 15:30. If you are coming from Naoshima on the 12:10 boat, you arrive in Ieura at 12:32 and still have time, but don’t leave it to the afternoon boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Inujima worth it off-season?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In November and from March, yes, on a Friday to Monday. Inujima Seirensho Art Museum, set in a former refinery, opens 9:00 to 16:30 and closes Tuesday to Thursday from March to November; from 1 December to the end of February it is closed every day (museum page<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1 March 2026, visits are by guided tour. You meet at the Inujima Ticket Center at one of seven times between 9:00 and 15:45, and staff walk you through the museum and the F-Art House in about 45 minutes (Benesse notice<\/a>). Tours are in Japanese with English text guides on request, and the Inujima Art Project Pass covers everything on the island for \u00a52,100 online or \u00a52,300 on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about Megijima and Ogijima outside the Triennale?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These two small Setouchi art islands off Takamatsu fill up during the Setouchi Triennale and go quiet between festivals. Between festivals, many indoor festival works close or open only on set days, so check each work on the Setouchi Triennale site<\/a> before you sail. Outdoor works and the islands themselves are always there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n