Moopon

The Ando Museum opened in March 2013 in time for the second Setouchi Triennale in the Honmura town of Naoshima where it joins the buildings of the Art House Project as an additional magnet to contemporary art lovers. The museum is designed by star architect, Ando Tadao, who also designed most other museums on Naoshima.

The Ando Museum seems like a regular, traditional residence from the outside, blending in perfectly into the town's neighborhood. However, the inside of the building combines traditional interior design with Ando's signature use of concrete, creating a rather fascinating atmosphere. Explanatory signs and photographs along the walls document Ando's activities on Naoshima and elsewhere.    

Schedule & cost                                      
Hours: 10:00 to 16:30 (last entry 16:00)
Closed: Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a national holiday)
Admission: 510 yen
                    
Access info
There’re one or two 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 infrequent ferry connections to Uno Port on Honshu.     

Ritsurin Koen (栗林公園) is a landscape garden located Takamatsu City, built by the local feudal lords during the early Edo Period. It is often suggested that Ritsurin Koen deserves a spot on the list of the "three most beautiful gardens of Japan" alongside Kanazawa's Kenrokuen, Mito's Kairakuen, and Okayama's Korakuen. This park got three stars from Michelin Guide in 2009 as a worth visiting place.

The large park features many ponds, hills, historic trees and beautiful pavilions divided into a Japanese style garden in the south and western style garden in the north. The gardens are placed in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a wonderful background and great example of borrowed scenery. In the park there are a number of facilities including a folk museum, shops and a few rest houses where you can take a break and enjoy some refreshments amidst the beauty of the garden. Of particular note is the Kikugetsu-tei teahouse in the southwest part of the gardens where, for a small fee, you can enter and enjoy some tea on its verandas while overlooking the ponds.

Access information
Ritsurin Koen is located two kilometers south of JR Takamatsu Station and Takamatsu Castle. The Shopping Arcades run nearly the entire way from there to the garden. Alternatively, it is most easily accessed by Kotoden or JR train:
By Kotoden: take a train along the Kotohira Line from Takamatsu-Chikko Station to Ritsurinkoen Station (7 minutes, 190 yen, 4 trains per hour). From there, it is a ten minute walk to the park's main entrance.

By JR: take a local train from JR Takamatsu Station in direction of Tokushima to Ritsurinkoen-Kitaguchi Station (5 minutes, 210 yen, 2 trains per hour). From there, the park's north gate can be reached in a five minute walk.

Known for the bridges at the Hiroshima Peace Park, garden at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris and many others, Isamu Noguchi is an important Japanese American artists, sculptor and landscape artist.  The Isamu Noguchi Museum in Mure Town near central Takamatsu is Noguchi’s former Japanese residence and workshop.  Though this museum features his art, work and living space, it can only be entered through a guided tour with advance reservation.

Within the grounds is a storehouse from the Edo Period.  Outside the storehouse are about 150 stone sculptures, the majority of which are unfinished. The finished sculptures are stored in a warehouse from the Meiji Period.  Visitors can see the 3.6 meter tall black Swedish granite sculptor named “Energy Void” on the premises.

From his work area, tour members are taken across the street to Noguchi’s former residence.  Noguchi redesigned his Edo Period merchant residence to accommodate his preferences while maintaining Japanese traditional aesthetic elements. Visitors are also able to see the garden Noguchi designed for his 80th birthday. The garden is located on the hill behind his house.
 
Tours are conducted on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 10am 1pm and 3pm. There are no tours during New Years and Japanese Obon Holidays (mid August).

To make a reservation:
Outside of Japan:
Please fax the following information to  (+81 87 845 0505) at least 2 weeks before the intended visit. Visitors will receive confirmation of their tour date.

Please fax:
*number of people in group
*names of people in group
*ages of people in group
*contact address
*preferred tour time and two alternative tour time

Within Japan:
Please write the same information on a self-addressed , stamped return postcard ("ofuku hagaki"). The request must arrive at the museum (Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, 3519 Mure, Mure-cho, Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa-ken, 761-0121) at least two weeks before the date of your intended visit.  Visitors will receive a reply with the tour time written on the return envelope.

The cost of admission 2160 yen per person.

Access Information:
Via Kotoden train
From Takamatsu-Chikko Station board a train to Kawaramachi Station (5 minutes) and change to the Kotoden Shido Line to Yakuri Station (20 minutes). The cost is 340 yen. 
From Yakuri Station, visitors can walk (25 minutes) or take a taxi (5 minutes).

Via JR train
From Takamatsu Station board a local train to Furutakamatsu Minami Station (20 minutes). The cost is 260 yen.
From the station, visitors can walk (30-40 minutes) or take a taxi (10 minutes). 

Via bus
From Takamatsu Station board the number 73 Kotoden Bus bound for Aji Onsen (庵治温泉) and disembark at Inori Iwa Yoichi Koen-mae (祈り岩与一公園前). The one way journey takes about 30 minutes and the cost is 490 yen. 
From Inori Iwa Yoichi Koen-mae bus stop, the museum is a 5-10 minute walk.