Japan Art Now! An art tour by Walking Softly Adventures featuring Japanese modern art and its roots. Visit the Miho Museum, Kenroku-en, the Benesse Art Site Naoshima and the studio of Isamu Nogushi

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5 Cut Bow by Shinro Ohtake, Naoshima.

July 21-30, 2010
Plan your arrival in Osaka/Kyoto for July 20, 2010
Plan your departure from Osaka, Japan for July 31, 2010

June 29 - July 8, 2011
Plan your arrival in Osaka/Kyoto for June 28, 2011
Plan your departure from Osaka, Japan for July 9, 2011

Printable version of itinerary

Beyond the treasures of traditional Japan and the iconic experiences of Tokyo and Mount Fuji lie the riches of the art that is being made and exhibited right now in Japan. Come and see the latest museums, marvel at the generosity of new art patrons, and experience art inspired by the centuries-old culture of this island nation! Follow in the footsteps of Europeans and Americans who for over a century were drawn to the often exotic and alluring art of Japan.

We begin in Kyoto with the juxtaposition of old and new. Here, the traditional museum setting of the Kyoto National Museum contrasts with the I. M. Pei-designed museum masterpiece known as the Miho Museum. Continue to Kanazawa, home to the innovative 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. Relax in Matsue on the Sea of Japan and visit the stunning Adachi Museum of Art. Traverse the main island of Honshu to the south shore, then board a boat for the island of Naoshima. The Benesse Art Site Nao-shima is a world class contemporary art experience with two museums designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando. Continue across the Inland Sea (Seto Naikai) to the island of Shikoku where the Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi maintained a home and studio. Upon the artist's death in 1988, the New York Times called Noguchi "a versatile and prolific sculptor whose earthy stones and meditative gardens bridging East and West have become landmarks of 20th-century art."

Arrival Day
Arrive in Osaka, and transfer to the hotel in Kyoto.

Day 1: Kyoto
Start with a visit to see the many national treasures housed in the Kyoto National Museum. Then continue to the nearby home of ceramics artist Kawai Kanjiro who helped revive traditional arts after the "rush" of the late 1800s to embrace everything new and non-Japanese. Revel in the magical mix of old and new, traditional and contemporary, as you enjoy Kyoto. Dine together and celebrate the beginning of your Japan art adventure!

Facade of the Kyoto National Museum.

Day 2: Kyoto
Journey southeast of Kyoto to the I. M. Pei designed Miho Museum. This $215 million project opened in 1997 and houses the private collection of Koyama Mihoko and her daughter Hiroko. Here the philosophy is that “spiritual fulfillment lies in art and nature.” The setting, the building, and the art (treasures of porcelain, sculpture, jewelry, textiles from Japan, Egypt, China and Iran) all combine to create a spectacular experience. Return to Kyoto and overnight.

Day 3: Kanazawa
After traveling from Kyoto by train, visit the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa which opened in 2004 and was designed by the architectural firm of SANAA (which also did the recent renovations of the Museum of Modern Art in New York). Next door, view contemporary examples of Kanazawa art including lacquerware, dyed silk, and pottery at the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum for Traditional Products and Crafts. If you wish, continue to the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art to experience a beautiful collection of historic artifacts.

Scene from Kenroku-en, Kanazawa.

Day 4: Kanazawa
Go behind the scenes and visit a local artist's studio. Then stroll through one of the top three gardens in Japan, Kenroku-en, and be inspired by the setting. Adjacent to the garden, visit a house (Seison-kaku) built in 1863 by the local lord (daimyo) and study the home’s paintings and adventurous wall colors.

Day 5: Matsue
Depart Kanazawa by train to the coastal town of Matsue. Enjoy views of the Sea of Japan from the top of the local samurai castle built in 1611 and one of only twelve medieval castles remaining in Japan. Continue to the museum and home of Lafcadio Hearn, an English/Irish/Greek man who arrived in Japan in 1890 on assignment for Harper’s Monthly. He became so enamored with Japan that he married Koizumi Setsu from Matsue, had four children, and stayed to teach. While on a lecture tour abroad in England and the U.S., Hearn died suddenly. He was buried in Tokyo. Hearn’s book Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan, captures the beauty of traditional art in Japan which he felt was quickly disappearing by the end of the 1800’s.

Illustration from Lafcadio Hearn's book, Japanese Fairy Tales.

Day 6: Matsue
A day trip east of Matsue takes us to the stunning Adachi Museum of Art. Founded by Adachi Zenko, an avid gardener, the museum combines exhibitions of modern and contemporary Japanese art with views of the surrounding gardens thus blurring the separation between interior and exterior spaces and between the art of man and the art of nature. Included are ceramics by Kawai Kanjiro, a locally-born potter whose home is in Kyoto, and pottery by Kitaogi Rosanjin.

Day 7: Naoshima
Traverse the island of Honshu, from Matsue on the northern Sea of Japan coast to Okayama on the southern Inland Sea. Board a ferry for the short ride to the tiny off-shore island of Naoshima. Settle in at your overnight lodging and relax on the rocky headlands or sheltered beaches enjoying fine views of the sea.

Day 8: Naoshima
Tour the Benesse Art Site Nao-shima, and experience the two museums designed by Tadao Ando (Benesse House and the Chichu Art Museum). Then continue to the village of Honmura to experience the site-specific installations created by artists in houses and even an old shrine. There are seven art sites in the village, and the most recent art was created in 2007.

Day 9: Takamatsu-Mure, Shikoku Island
Cross the Inland Sea to the island of Shikoku and travel to Mure, a renowned stone-mason's town and site of Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi’s home and studio. Tour the site viewing 150 of Noguchi’s sculptures, some still in the process of being sculpted. Celebrate and contemplate the art, nature, traditions, and current energy of art making in Japan over dinner tonight.

Day 10: Okayama
Today, travel by train across the Inland Sea to the city of Okayama to pay a visit to the eighteenth century Koraku-en which along with Kanazawa's Kenroku-en is widely considered one of the three best landscape gardens in Japan. Nearby, you'll also visit the reconstructed Okayama Castle (Okayama-jō) originally built in the 16th century and colloquially known as the "crow castle" (U-jo) because of its black exterior. Your accommodation in Okayama this evening and breakfast the following morning is included in the trip price.

Other Details about this Trip
Trip dates: July 21-30, 2010
Trip dates (2011): June 29 - July 8, 2011
Price: $4.895 per person, double occupancy
Single room for entire trip: $550
Meeting Point: Hotel in Kyoto on the morning of July 21, 2010 (or June 29, 2011). We suggest that you plan to arrive in Kyoto by the evening of July 20, 2010 (or June 28, 2011). The nearest international airport to Kyoto is Osaka's Kansai International.
Departure Point: Trip services officially end on the evening of July 30, 2010 (or July 8, 2011) in Okayama but your accommodations for this evening and breakfast on the morning of July 31, 2010 (or July 9, 2011) are included. Plan your departure from Kansai Airport for the afternoon of July 31, 2010 (or July 9, 2011).
Lodging: Eleven nights in small hotels/inns. Some evenings may be spent at traditional Japanese inns. At these inns those traveling in pairs can expect to have a private room; those traveling as singles may need to "double up" though we will endeavor to secure you private rooms as well. At inns, bathing and toilet facilities will be shared. There are normally separate bathing rooms for men and women with showers and a hot water tub (ofuro) intended for use only after showering. On other evenings you can expect private hotel rooms (either Western or Japanese-style) with private bath facilities. Note: Your hotel in Kyoto for the evening of July 20, 2010 (or June 28, 2011) is included in the trip price.
Meals: Eleven breakfasts, eight lunches (packed lunch or restaurant depending on the day), and ten dinners are included and will normally be Japanese-style.
Trip Begins at hotel in Kyoto, Japan
Trip Ends at hotel in Okayama, Japan

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The image in the top banner is from a photo by Amy Osaki.
The Naoshima image is a derivative work of a photo by 663highland available under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.
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