Setouchi Triennale 2025 Travel Tips for Solo Travelers: Japan’s Must-See Art Festival
May 30, 2025
A View of Miyanoura Port, Naoshima
The first time I went to the Setouchi Triennale was back in 2019, and it was such a chill trip. We just picked an island to base ourselves on, booked a place to stay, and pretty much played it by ear. Most days were spent wandering around checking out the Art Houses, with one day set aside for the Benesse complex and its museums.
It was super laidback, barely any planning needed. But that’s definitely not the case anymore. Visiting the Festival’s official site, users will now see a pop-up message reminding visitors to check the crowd map…This is a red flag for anyone looking for a calm, leisurely art village experience.
General Advice: Plan, way, way ahead for almost everything!
The Setouchi Triennale is now drawing more visitors than ever—likely a mix of growing interest in art travel, Japan’s post-pandemic tourism boom, and the upcoming World Expo in Osaka. For many international travelers, Osaka is also the most convenient airport to access the Festival Islands.
I just got back from the Spring Season of the Triennale, and I can't stress this enough: planning and booking in advance is essential, especially if you're traveling solo.
If your ideal Triennale experience includes hopping between art museums and soaking up the quiet charm of island villages, start planning early. And yes, don’t skip the tips I’ve shared below.
A View of Miyanoura Port, Naoshima, with Yayoi Kusama’s Red Pumpkin.
Tip 1: Use Naoshima Island as a Base
The best way to soak in that art village vibe is to base yourself on one of the main islands—Naoshima is easily the top pick. It’s home to most of the museums, the original Art Houses, and, of course, the Yayoi Kusama pumpkins.
Naoshima also has two ports, and some nearby islands like Teshima can only be reached through it. For example, when we stayed in Takamatsu, getting to Teshima meant a 50-minute ferry to Naoshima, followed by a 30-minute speedboat ride to Teshima—not ideal if you’re tight on time.
Another big reason to stay on Naoshima? You get more time to explore the island in the late afternoon without stressing about ferry schedules. The last ferries usually leave around 5 or 5:30 pm, and people start lining up 45 minutes early. So realistically, you need to be at the port by 4:30 pm if you’re not staying overnight—otherwise, you might be stuck.
More tips: If staying on Naoshima isn’t an option, I’d recommend using Uno Port as your base instead. It’s more flexible and time-efficient: the ferry ride from Uno to Naoshima is shorter than from Takamatsu, and there are more ferries scheduled throughout the day.
Tip 2: Book Your Accommodation Early.
Accommodation on Naoshima is limited to either local-run guesthouses or high-end art resorts—and both book out fast. There aren’t many to begin with, and most places only have a handful of rooms. So if you’re planning to stay on the island, you’ll need to book early.
That might sound like a hassle, but it’s also what keeps Naoshima from getting overwhelmingly crowded—especially in the mornings before the first ferry arrives, and in the early evenings after the last ferry leaves.
Once the first ferry arrives around 9:30 am, the island fills up quickly. By 4:30 pm, most day-trippers are already lining up at the port for the last boats out, and Naoshima slowly returns to its quiet pace.
If you really want to experience that mix of peaceful village life, art, and architecture, I highly recommend staying overnight and booking at least two months ahead.
If you can’t stay on Naoshima, your next best bet is Uno or Takamatsu. Just keep in mind: even in these towns, accommodation options are fairly limited. Booking early will give you better choices and better value.
Honmura Port, a smaller port with a unique architecture, in Naoshima.
Tip 3: Book Early: Time-Slot Reservations Now Required for Most Museums in Naoshima and Teshima.
This was a bit of a letdown for me—it takes away from that slow-travel vibe where you can just wander around, pop into a space, and buy a ticket on the spot. With time-slot bookings, you're suddenly bound to a schedule. And with that comes the pressure to plan—and sometimes, rush.
Tickets are also cheaper if you book online, to further encourage reservations over walk-ins. Considering the number of visitors during the trienale, walk-ins are pretty much impossible.
I get why they’re doing this. Judging by the crowds, it’s probably the best way to manage the flow.
But here’s where it gets tricky: the cancellation policy is extremely relaxed. You can cancel up to 30 minutes before your slot with no penalty. While that sounds nice in theory, it also encourages low-commitment bookings. Even restaurants these days have stricter cancellation policies.
As someone who couldn’t get a reservation in time, I didn’t love the idea of spending part of my day constantly refreshing my browser, hoping someone would cancel at the last minute.
So here’s the key takeaway: if you want to visit places like the Chichu Art Museum, Naoshima New Museum of Art, Hiroshi Sugimoto Gallery: Time Corridors, Art House Project “Minamidera” by James Turrell, or the Teshima Art Museum, make sure to reserve your tickets online in advance.
Tip 4: Have a detailed itinerary with enough buffer for transport time.
The reservations mentioned in Tip 3 above are time-based, so putting together a detailed day-to-day itinerary is essential—especially if you're hoping to make the most of your time on the islands.
When mapping out your itinerary, make sure to list all your time-slot reservations first, then look up how to get from one location to the next—and how long each leg of the journey will take.
If you're driving, this will be much easier, as most of the Art Houses are located fairly close together. If you're biking, it's worth checking the distances and the terrain in advance—some routes include uphill and downhill stretches that can be challenging, depending on the weather and your stamina.
If you're walking or relying on public transport, give yourself extra time. We checked bus schedules before arriving, but found a completely different set of timetables once we were on the ground.
During my recent trip to Naoshima, there were actually three different bus services: the local town bus, the Art Express bus (only available during the Setouchi Triennale), and the Benesse Shuttle Bus (which is free, but only stops at a few places).
Because of the crowd, buses weren’t always the most reliable. You’ll need to arrive at the bus stop early and be ready to queue. At peak times, buses were often full and would skip stops without picking up additional passengers.
All of this is to say: detailed planning isn’t just helpful—it’s necessary. Without it, you may miss the artwork or museums you came to see. And honestly, no one wants to spend most of their trip standing in line or stuck in transit.
Setouchi Triennale 2025 Spring Season Art Express Bus in Naoshima
Tip 5: Book your rental bike (or car) early for Naoshima, Teshima, and Shodoshima.
As mentioned earlier, minimizing travel time between art sites is key to making the most of your Setouchi Triennale trip.
Biking or driving not only helps you move between destinations faster, but also gives you the flexibility to explore Naoshima’s quieter neighborhoods and scenic routes at your own pace.
Walking is also an option, but keep in mind—you’ll likely have multiple museum reservations to keep track of throughout the day.
All car and bicycle rentals must be reserved online in advance. While it’s technically possible to walk in and rent on the spot, availability during the Triennale is extremely limited. In most cases, everything will be fully booked before you even arrive.
Some links to kickstart your bike and car rental research:
Islands, such as Naoshima, Teshima, and Shodoshima, are best experienced on the bike. Car rentals are not available in Teshima Island, and Islands such as Inujima and Megijima are small enough to be explored on foot.
Tip 6: Get the Ferry Pass if you intend to cover at least 2 islands.
Beyond getting around each island, you’ll also need to factor in transportation between the islands. Ferries and speedboats can take up more time than expected—especially during the Triennale, when everything is more crowded.
Back in 2019, this wasn’t much of an issue. We could simply arrive at the port 15–20 minutes before departure, purchase a ticket, and board the ferry. This year, things were different.
Buying ferry tickets now often means standing in line for 30 minutes or more, depending on the time of day. Then there’s the separate line to board the ferry, which can take another 30–45 minutes. And that’s not even including the ferry ride itself—which varies in duration depending on where you’re going. If you’re planning to visit two or three islands in a day, those wait times really start to add up.
If you’re traveling during the Setouchi Triennale, you can also buy a special Ferry Pass—but note that it’s only available after you’ve purchased your Triennale Passport.
How this works:
Purchase the Triennale Passport (online via the app or in person)
Download the app, access you Triennale Passport, create an account then purchase the Ferry pass.
when purchase is successful, a ferry pass tab will appear on your app. This tab is where your ferry pass QR code is saved.
Show this QR code before boarding the ferry.
This Ferry Pass basically save you the time to queue for tickets each time.
Note: This pass does not cover speedboat tickets. Islands such as Teshima and Inujima are only accessible from Naoshima via speedboat, so you will need to buy these tickets separately. However, getting these tickets were not an issue for us despite the large crowd for the ferries.
Tip 7: Be flexible with food—and be prepared for smaller, lighter meals
There are a few reasons for this. First, food options on the islands are limited, especially during the Setouchi Triennale when the number of visitors far exceeds the number of cafés or restaurants. For example, Naoshima only has one convenience store, and there are none on Teshima or Inujima.
Most of the eateries (not including hotel or resort restaurants) are small, locally run businesses. Many have irregular hours and days off. In general, cafés and restaurants don’t open until after 10:30 am, and many close well before dinner. Those that are open in the evening usually have a last order around 8:00 pm.
With limited seating and high demand, lines are common—and everything is first-come, first-served. If you have multiple art site reservations during the day, you likely won’t have time to wait around for a table.
So, plan your meals accordingly. I recommend starting with a hearty local breakfast, then keeping lunch flexible with snacks or lighter bites throughout the day. If you can, make time for a proper dinner to wrap up your day on a satisfying note.
Tip 8: Do not sleep on Inujima Island!
Inujima takes a bit more effort to reach compared to the other art islands. There are only two ways to get there: the most common route is by speedboat—from Naoshima to Teshima, and then from Teshima to Inujima. The other option is via Hoden Port on the mainland, which is not part of the Setouchi Triennale circuit.
Since Inujima is only accessible by speedboat, it’s not included in the Triennale Ferry Pass—just something to keep in mind while planning.
The upside? It’s far less crowded than Naoshima. Speedboats are smaller (probably around 80 passengers max), and they rarely reach full capacity. If you manage to get on the first boat in the morning, chances are you’ll have the island almost entirely to yourself.
Personally, Inujima ended up being the highlight of my trip. I won’t give too much away, but it came closest to the quiet, art village experience I had been hoping for.
If you’re an art lover or a solo traveler looking for a slower, more meaningful way to experience Japan, the Setouchi Triennale is absolutely worth the effort.
The art, the landscapes, and the pace of island life come together in a way that’s hard to find elsewhere. I hope these tips help you plan a smoother, more enjoyable trip.
Check out my Naoshima Travel Journal from my first trip to the Triennale back in 2019.