3 Best Sights in Shikoku, Japan

A wonderland of indoor and outdoor sculpture both playful and profound, this facility occupies the former studio and grounds of the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904–88). The modernist artist, whose large-scale sculptures grace buildings, parks, and gardens around the world, was also known for his furniture (most notably the Noguchi table), lamps, and landscape architecture. The artist's sensitivity and expressiveness are in evidence everywhere on this site that exhibits his works in stone and other media.

Officially, visitation requires reservation by fax or email at least 10 days in advance, but if you call the museum you might be able to gain entrance on shorter notice. One advantage to early booking, though, is that you'll have a better chance of having an English speaker accompany you as you tour.

The permanent collection of this museum occupying a modern city-center building isn't that big, but the selection of recent Japanese art is terrific, and the temporary exhibits are extensive. The galleries often host exhibits of works by local artists.

About 1 km (½ mile) before buses from Naruto and Tokushima reach Naruto Park, they stop at this impressive and bewildering ceramic art museum. Its founders commissioned more than 1,000 faithful reproductions of Western-art masterpieces on ceramic panels, the concept being that while Picasso's painting Guernica or Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling may fade with time, ceramic reproductions of them will live on forever. Exhibits are arranged by era, from antiquity to modern times, and it's all there, from a Pompeian banquet scene to Rembrandt's self-portraits to Warhol's Marilyn x 100. Cumulatively, the artworks are a bit overwhelming, though certainly not forgettable. You won't forget the price either. The lofty admission price isn't for someone with a mere passing interest in art.