Image: Chichu Art Museum, Naoshima
The Lee Ufan Museum in Naoshima will offer a series of private morning tours before opening hours on four Sundays in October 2026, giving visitors access to the museum in a quieter setting and with staff guidance. The program, announced by Benesse Art Site Naoshima on August 14, is scheduled for October 4, 11, 18 and 25.
The museum says the ‘Morning Private Tour’ is designed to let participants experience the museum’s spaces before the day’s regular visitors arrive. According to the announcement, the tour takes place in a calm early-morning atmosphere, with room to take in shifting light, birdsong and the sound of trees while moving through three work spaces. The museum describes the visit as a guided experience reserved for participants in the tour.
Each session begins with check-in from 9:20 a.m. to 9:35 a.m., followed by the tour from 9:35 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The meeting point is the Lee Ufan Museum reception. The program is open to individuals as well as small groups, with capacity listed at around eight people per session. Applications are accepted until 9:00 a.m. on the day of the tour.
Pricing differs depending on how visitors book. Online buyers are asked to reserve a ticket that includes the ‘Lee Ufan Museum Morning Private Tour’ for 1,700 yen. On-site purchase is 1,900 yen, made up of a 1,400-yen admission fee plus a 500-yen tour fee. The museum says visitors aged 15 and under are admitted free of charge and do not pay the tour fee. Local residents, invitation-ticket holders and annual pass holders are charged only the 500-yen tour fee.
The notice also includes practical arrangements for visitors staying at Benesse House, whose hotel shuttle will provide transport on check-in request. For those arriving by private car, the museum notes that there is no parking at the Lee Ufan Museum itself. Visitors not staying at Benesse House are directed to park at the Chichu Art Museum ticket center, the nearest available parking option named in the announcement.
Benesse Art Site Naoshima’s notice says the tour is available only on October 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2026, and that places may not be available once capacity is reached. Inquiries are directed to the Lee Ufan Museum, with a phone number listed for contact during museum hours except on closed days.
