Sail through centuries of Japanese artistry and innovation aboard the luxurious 19-cabin Guntû.
Cruising aboard the luxurious, 19-cabin Guntû, enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at islands transformed into open-air museums during the Setouchi Triennale, one of Asia’s largest contemporary art festivals.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Land-and-Sea Adventure
Experience centuries of artistry and innovation with curators on this journey, which also features stays at elegant hotels like Naoshima’s Benesse House, a museum and resort designed by Tadao Ando. Delight in exclusive visits, including an after-hours tour of Hiroshima’s all-new Simose Art Garden Villa, a look at Naoshima’s underground Chichu Art Museum also designed by Ando, and an expert-led tour of Narukawa Art Museum’s collection of nihonga paintings on paper and silk created using traditional techniques in Hakone.
Highlights
- Experience Japan’s art islands with John T. Carpenter, the Mary Griggs Burke Curator of Japanese Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with special visits to museums, art installations, and private collections
- Enjoy guided VIP access to the Setouchi Triennale, one of Asia’s largest contemporary art festivals, meeting curators and artists for behind-the-scenes looks at site-specific installations that turn entire islands into open-air museums
- Join the Museum Travel Alliance as the first Western institution to privately charter the luxurious, 19-cabin Guntû, a floating ryokan (inn) that blends Japan’s traditional aesthetics, culinary excellence, hospitality, and technological innovation
- Cruise to remote Triennale sites not easily accessible to most visitors, taking a front-row seat to spectacular views of Japan’s coastline
- Attend an after-hours reception and tour of Hiroshima’s new seaside Simose Art Garden, a cultural space featuring colorful, cube-shaped galleries that house masterpieces from Matisse, Chagall, and others
- Discover how architect Tadao Ando transformed these islands with innovative structures, including Naoshima’s underground Chichu Art Museum, which uses natural light to showcase masterpieces like five of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies paintings
- Witness a world-class collection of Japanese nihonga paintings, where organic pigments on silk or paper create serene landscapes, on a curator-led tour of Hakone’s Narukawa Art Museum
- Take a curator-guided tour of Hakone’s Okada Museum of Art, with its impressive collection of traditional Japanese art
- Behold stunning art from Henry Moore, Rodin, and an extensive Picasso collection during an evening after-hours visit and reception at the Hakone Open-Air Museum in the shadow of Mount Fuji
