Setouchi Triennale 2025 Travel Guide for Solo Travelers: Japan’s Must-See Summer & Fall Art Festival

A peaceful day at MMCA: modern architecture, hidden gardens, airy galleries, hanok-inspired cafes, and three shops—perfect for solo travelers seeking art and calm.

In this post, we will cover the 5 ways a solo trip can be good your well-being, mindset, and outlook, which are important factors, at least for me, in defining one’s happiness.

Considering adding the Setouchi Triennale to your Japan travel itinerary? This blog captures the most memorable and inspiring experiences from my first-ever trip to the Triennale. These experiences have motivated me to plan for my next one!

A hidden gem in northern Kyoto, the Garden of Fine Art offers a peaceful open-air museum experience. Designed by Tadao Ando, it features porcelain reproductions of Western masterpieces set among concrete, water, and light—perfect for solo travelers and art lovers.

Museum SAN, designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando, offers a peaceful and meditative escape for art lovers and solo travelers seeking a slower, more reflective experience beyond the busy streets of Seoul.

The exhibition, Jung Youngsun: For All That Breathes On Earth showcased stories from the architect’s 50 years of work transforming South Korea’s landscape architecture. This retrospective was one of the most memorable exhibitions during my trip to Seoul.

A slow‑travel solo visit to the Amorepacific Museum — a hidden museum inside the company’s Yongsan headquarters — exploring Elmgreen & Dragset’s unsettling "Spaces": a drained pool, tense restaurant, an eerie home and more.

Kukje Gallery is one of the most influential art galleries in South Korea. The Gallery’s missions have since expanded to showcasing Korean artists to the world, and cultural and art education. A must-have itinerary in any Seoul travel guide for art enthusiasts.

Set against Seoul’s traditional backdrop, 푸투라서울 Futura Seoul adds a younger and more contemporary art experience to the Bukchon cultural neighborhood. This is an ideal itinerary to include in a Bukchon walking tour.

A must-visit for art lovers planning a Seoul itinerary, the Arario Museum in Seoul offers a unique and unconventional contemporary art experience. With its thought-provoking exhibitions and immersive atmosphere, it’s one of the city’s most forward-looking art destinations.

A quiet and slow Tokyo day trip destination, the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art is an art museum with a serene lake, a large garden, and a traditional Japanese tearoom. It is also one of the few locations of Mark Rothko’s Seagram Murals.

The Hakone Open-Air Museum is an ideal day trip from Tokyo, a sculpture park designed for art lovers, solo travelers, and families. It is a museum experience where lush mountains and valleys serve as backdrops to various sculptures and art installations.

Escape Tokyo to the Pola Museum of Art in Hakone — intimate modern art, a rare Modigliani portrait, and a meditative Art + Nature Trail.