GUESTHOUSES IN NAOSHIMA: HONMURA AREA

Influenced by numerous evocative artworks seen in the Art House Project, the number of unique guesthouses is on the increase in the Honmura area. Each of these has its own characteristics and features a variety of options: the tasteful appearance of an aged folk house, designed with a mix of traditional Japanese and modern styles, as well as hostels that offer cheap lodgings, among others.

A capsule-style dormitory situated right next to Honmura Port, with a vast view of the Inland Sea. With a curtain at its entrance, each bed is straw-matted with walls in between, allowing guests to have some level of privacy. There is a cozy lounge that was once used as a bar, a kitchen with a fridge, free coffee and tea, as well as free Wi-Fi. It provides access to both Art House Project sites, a five-minute walk in both cases.

[Address] 845-9Honmura Naoshima-cho Kagawa-gun, Kagawa
[Tel] 080-9130-2976
[Access] 1-minute walk from Honmura Port
http://naoshimabackpackers.wix.com/backpackers

A modern Japanese-style guesthouse situated on the hill, overlooking the Seto Inland Sea and the city of Honmura, where the Art House Project is located. Bamboo Village is a female-preferred accommodation. The dormitory is a traditional Japanese house, built with smoked cedar boards and a plaster finish at the top of a steep slope in a bamboo forest. Entering the house, you will be enveloped by the smell of wood and see glass and tin works by Hiroko Hosomi, a female artist, making you feel as if you are in an art gallery. A kitchen, fridge, TV and other amenities are available. Toast and jam is served at breakfast.

[Address] 3299-2 Honmura Naoshima-cho Kagawa-gun, Kagawa
[Tel] 087-892-3739
[Access] 10-minute walk from the Nokyo-mae bus stop
http://www.bamboovillage37.com/top.html

Located in front of “Minamidera”, one of the works of the Art House Project, this is a traditional Japanese-style house that has been converted into a hostel with a dormitory and private rooms. It is a self-catering hostel with a grocery store within walking distance and a kitchen for those who want to prepare meals. The hostel also has a washing and drying machine for shared use. Make a note if you are allergic to cats, because you will find one here in the form of the hostel’s lovely mascot. You can enjoy dining out at the café salon Naka-oku, a neighboring shop that serves popular dishes inside an old, Japanese-style house.

[Address] 729Honmura Naoshima-cho Kagawa-gun, Kagawa
[Phone] 080-3058-3887
[Access] 4-minute walk from the Nokyo-mae bus stop and 5-minute walk from Honmura Port http://rojitoakari.jimdo.com/

Offering a unique style of lodging, the hostel opened in 2013 and utilizes a hundred-year-old traditional house, where guests are allowed to set up tents inside the house. Beneath the aged tiled roof, there is a ceiling covered with soot-coated bamboos. Guests put up a tent inside the building for sleeping at night. There is no bed, no kitchen, shower, bath or other amenities. Most guests use the nearby public bath, the "I Love Yu Bath House" for bathing. In order to create a relaxed atmosphere, curtains hang inside the house instead of using doors. For this reason, the guesthouse is open during spring, summer and fall only. There is a spacious garden beyond the porch where you can relax and share stories with other guests during your stay.

[Address] 882-1 Naoshima-cho Kagawa-gun, Kagawa
[Phone] 090-9808-9244
[Access] 2-minute walk from the Nokyo-mae bus stop and 3-minute walk from Honmura Port [Official Website] http://shimacoya.com/#top

An art gallery that uses a hundred-year-old traditional house, located along the way to the “Ishibashi” Art House Project. Rooms are offered to tourists for staying, in and to artists to be used as galleries. Artists-led workshops and activities are held on the open deck outside. The B&B serves breakfast at an additional fee. The hostel includes basic amenities and free Wi-Fi. Closed during winter.

[Address] 875 Naoshima-cho Kagawa-gun, Kagawa
[Phone] 087-892-2253
[Access] 5-minute walk from Honmura Port, 3 minutes from the Yakusho-mae bus stop
[Official Website]
http://kuraya-naoshima.net/common/pdf/english.pdf
http://kuraya-naoshima.net

Located at the front of an organic café with the same name, Aisunao serves brown rice and vegetarian dishes. The guesthouse began operation in 2015, following refurbishment of a thirty-year-old Japanese- style house. Guests can choose from the following types of rooms: new and fragrant tatami (straw mat) rooms with futon; a wooden-floor room with futon; a room with a bed. Meals are available at an additional fee.

[Address] 789 Naoshima-cho Kagawa-gun, Kagawa Prefecture
[Phone] 087-892-3830
[Access] 5-minute walk from Honmura Port, 3 minutes from the Yakusho-mae bus stop http://aisunao.jp/guesthouse-aisunao.html

A city-run hostel located on the coast, along the Benesse Art Site. Guests can choose from three different types of room: a traditional yurt, or Mongolian tent, a trailer house or Japanese-style cottages. The yurt is comfortably equipped with beds, an electric kettle, a fridge, heating and electric sockets. For the Japanese- style cottages, guest can opt for a single or two-sleeper room. The trailer house includes a sofa bed, bunk bed, electric pot and air conditioning. A barbecue meal is available at an additional charge. The venue has easy access to a store and a café.

[Address] 352-1 Naoshima-cho Kagawa-gun, Kagawa Prefecture
[Tel] 087-892-2838 (9:00-18:00)
[Access] 5-minute walk from Honmura Port, 10 minutes form Miyanoura Port by bus http://www.tsutsujiso.com/english/