Margie gets up close to Niki's work

The island of Naoshima - about an hour away from Takamatsu by slow, but incredibly reliable, ferry. The island is billed as a hidden gem of surreal art and had been suggested by our tour guide. Being a Philistine by nature, I wasn't sure I would appreciate what was on offer but I went any way and determined to enjoy myself. To get around we hired bicycles so we could guarantee some fun at least. 300 yen didn't get us any gears or electric assist, but that meant less to go wrong and less that could get stolen. There was never any chance of this anyway - I really don't know why they bother with locks in Japan as the ones they seem to fit to every bike at birth could be broken easily but no one seems interested in bikes other than as a means of simple cheap transport.
I had difficulty dragging myself away from just cycling around the island but eventually we entered our first museum and I was staggered by what I saw and how my perception of the world was changed by the exhibit. I will not say what the exhibit was in case you feel the need to visit the place yourself, but will say that the exhibit hall was entered in complete darkness and that the art work was revealed slowly.
The island went on to surprise and amaze us. We saw 5 paintings of Monet's waterlilies displayed in a pristine white gallery, we cycled past open air displays of Niki de Saint Phalle's work, we visited houses that had been turned in to works of art and we marvelled at other tricks of light that made us question what we had been looking at.
So, yes, I am a convert. I would strongly recommend a visit and go with an open mind. And no, you don't need gears on your bike.