Naoshima, Kagawa
Encyclopedia
is an island town
administratively part of Kagawa District
, Kagawa
, Japan
located in the Seto Inland Sea. As of 2003, the town has an estimated population
of 3,583 and a density
of 251.97 persons per km². The total area is 14.22 km².
The island is known for its many contemporary art museums. For example, the Chichu Art Museum
(literally, "in the earth") houses a number of site-specific installations by James Turrell
, Walter De Maria
and paintings by Claude Monet
. Designed by Tadao Ando
, it is located on one of the highest points of the island, and various exhibits and facets of the museum's architecture take advantage of its commanding view. Another contemporary museum (and hotel) is Benesse House, also by Ando. Another is the Naoshima Fukutake Art Museum, with an outdoor sculpture garden.
The museums and beauty of the island draw many tourists, whose visits help support the local economy. However, it is Mitsubishi Materials
, loosely affiliated with other Japanese companies of the Mitsubishi
name, that dominates industry on the island, as Naoshima has been the site of massive refining by Mitsubishi since 1917.
Benesse
Corporation (one of the largest education companies in Japan and based in Okayama) has directed the creation and operation of the island's museums and other projects since the late 1980s.
Naoshima is the sister city of Timmins
, Ontario
Canada
. It was one of the settings for the 2002 James Bond
novel The Man with the Red Tattoo
by Raymond Benson
.
Towns of Japan
A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...
administratively part of Kagawa District
Kagawa District, Kagawa
is a district located in Kagawa, Japan.As of the January 10, 2006 Takamatsu merger , the district consists of the single town of Naoshima and has an estimated population of 3,583 and a density of 251.97 persons per km²...
, Kagawa
Kagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
located in the Seto Inland Sea. As of 2003, the town has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 3,583 and a density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 251.97 persons per km². The total area is 14.22 km².
Chichu Art Museum
The is a museum built directly into a southern portion of the island of Naoshima in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. It was designed by architect Tadao Ando and opened its doors to the public on July 18, 2004.-Background:...
(literally, "in the earth") houses a number of site-specific installations by James Turrell
James Turrell
James Turrell is an American artist primarily concerned with light and space. Turrell was a MacArthur Fellow in 1984. He is represented by The Pace Gallery in New York...
, Walter De Maria
Walter De Maria
-Early life and career:De Maria was born in Albany, California on October 1, 1935. He studied history and art at the University of California, Berkeley from 1953 to 1959. Although trained as a painter, De Maria soon turned to sculpture and began using other media...
and paintings by Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
. Designed by Tadao Ando
Tadao Ando
is a Japanese architect whose approach to architecture was once categorized by Francesco Dal Co as critical regionalism. Ando has led a storied life, working as a truck driver and boxer prior to settling on the profession of architecture, despite never having taken formal training in the field...
, it is located on one of the highest points of the island, and various exhibits and facets of the museum's architecture take advantage of its commanding view. Another contemporary museum (and hotel) is Benesse House, also by Ando. Another is the Naoshima Fukutake Art Museum, with an outdoor sculpture garden.
The museums and beauty of the island draw many tourists, whose visits help support the local economy. However, it is Mitsubishi Materials
Mitsubishi Materials
, or MMC, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group. It is listed on the Nikkei 225.-Business Summary:Mitsubishi Materials Corporation has 7 business sections, which are:* Cement Business* Metals Business...
, loosely affiliated with other Japanese companies of the Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
name, that dominates industry on the island, as Naoshima has been the site of massive refining by Mitsubishi since 1917.
Benesse
Benesse
is a Japanese company which focusses on correspondence education and publishing. Based in Okayama-City, it is the parent company of Berlitz Language Schools, which in turn is the parent company of ELS Language Centers...
Corporation (one of the largest education companies in Japan and based in Okayama) has directed the creation and operation of the island's museums and other projects since the late 1980s.
Naoshima is the sister city of Timmins
Timmins
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was one of the settings for the 2002 James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
novel The Man with the Red Tattoo
The Man with the Red Tattoo
The Man with the Red Tattoo, first published in 2002, was the sixth and final original novel by Raymond Benson featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond. Carrying the Ian Fleming Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder & Stoughton and in the United...
by Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson is an American author best known for being the official author of the adult James Bond novels from 1997 to 2003. Benson was born in Midland, Texas and graduated from Permian High School in Odessa in 1973...
.