World Traveller March 2020

JAPAN
Got more time?
These three stops are also perfect
for first-timers — sandwich one or all
between Kyoto and Hiroshima
NAOSHIMA (1-3 DAYS)
Japan’s ‘art island’ is Insta-famous thanks
to its Yayoi Kusama spotted pumpkin
sculptures, perched along the silvery-blue
coastline. But art lovers will find a lot
more to get excited about here, with three
Tadao Ando-designed contemporary
museums, including clifftop Benesse
House (also a hotel, it’s the place to stay).
Don’t miss the Art House Project, a series
of quirky installations inside homes in a
local village. You can see everything in a
day or two, but allow a third if you want
to visit some of Naoshima’s neighbouring
Setouchi Islands — less famous, but also
art-filled.
OSAKA (1-2 DAYS)
Japan’s third-largest city is more compact
and gritty (locals would say more fun)
than Tokyo. It’s just a 15-minute bullet
train ride from Kyoto, too. Get stuck into
okonomiyaki pancakes and shopping
in neon Dotonbori; wander around the
Kuromon Ichiba wet market (nearby
‘kitchen street’ Sennichimae Doguyasuji
is famous for cheap Japanese crockery),
and stroll by whitewashed Osaka castle (a
reconstruction, but still pretty).
NARA (1-2 DAYS)
Japan’s 8th-century capital is a mini-
Kyoto, with temples, landscaped gardens,
tile-roofed Edo-era teahouses and
roaming sika deer (adorable, although
they bite). Gawp at the Buddha at Todaiji,
see the oldest wood structures on
the planet at Horyu-ji, and pop over to
Naramachi, the Old Town.
This image: O-torii rises
from the sea
Right: The Japanese
sika deer is known for its
distinctive spots
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