2 day Naoshima Island-Teshima trip

I�fm planning a 2 day trip at Naoshima Island and Teshima. As the transport between points seems to be rather complicated, I would appreciate if you could give me some advice!

a) I will be travelling from Kurashiki (staying overnight there) to Uno on morning of 15th April. I aim to catch the trains between 8 a.m. – 9 a.m., as it takes around 90 mins (according to HyperDia) – so that means I arrive at Uno at around 10:30 a.m. at the latest.

b) From the map at the Japan Guide website (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5476.html?aFROM=5475_5700) it seems most attractions are near or south of Honmura. According to the Shikoku Kisen timetables (http://www.shikokukisen.com/en/instant/), the next ferry departs from Uno at 11:55 and arrives at Honmura at 12:15 – a 20 mins journey. On the other hand, if I aim to arrive at Miyanoura, the next ferry departs at 10:00/11:00 and also takes 20 mins.

c) I understand most museums on Naoshima start closing at around 5:00 (Benesse House being the exception). Whether I arrive at Miyanoura or Honmura, it seems I have around 4-6 hours to explore the museums. I�fm not very able with bikes so I prefer walking + shuttle bus my way through.

d) I intend to stay overnight at Naoshima. My budget only allows me to stay at hostels (unless if I decide to splurge) and it seems most of them are located near Honmura.

e) On the next day, the morning of 16th April, I plan to travel from Naoshima to Teishima. According to the Shikoku Kisen timetables, the earliest ferry departs Naoshima at 9:20 a.m. and arrives at Takamatsu at around 9:42 a.m. According to the Japan Guide website (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5440.html), there�fs a reference to a �gTeshima Ferries�h but I can�ft seem to find any website or reference to it online. I found this link (http://www.naoshima.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/boat_en.pdf) on what I presume is from the tourism office of Naoshima, but I�fm not sure if this is up-to-date (Nov 2015?).

f) I plan to just spend the day at Teshima by walking + shuttle bus. On the same day, I plan to head to Takamatsu either: for an brief overnight stay so that I can fly from Takamatsu to Tokyo the next day; or to board the Sunrise Seto train to Tokyo which departs at 9:26 p.m from Takamatsu.

Again, the Japan Guide website says there is a �gTeshima Ferries�h that operates between Teshima-Takamatsu, but I can�ft find any website/timetables for it. According to the Shikoku Kisen timetables, my last chance to leave Teshima is to board the 3:45 pm ferry, which arrives at Naoshima (Miyanoura) at 4:17 pm. I can then board the 4:30 or 5 pm ferry from Naoshima (Miyanoura) to Takamatsu. This leaves me with around 6 hours to spend at Teshima.

Now here are my questions (thank you for your patience reading all of this!):-

Q1. I�fm guessing it will be very inconvenient for me to carry my suitcase with me (I�fm packing for an 11 day Hiroshima-Miyajima-Kurashiki-Naoshima-Teshima-Tokyo trip) to the two islands. I�fm thinking of using a luggage forwarding service from Kurashiki to ship my suitcase to Takamatsu (if I stay overnight there) or directly to Tokyo.

However, it is my understanding that luggage forwarding services seem to ship only to hotels, and I am planning to stay at hostels throughout my entire trip. Would it be possible to arrange my luggage to be shipped to either the Takamatsu or Tokyo train stations?

Q2. While I intend to stay at a hostel near Honmura, is there any point in arriving to Naoshima at Honmura instead of Miyanoura (assuming that I can successfully arrange luggage forwarding, hence there�fll be no need for me to drop off my luggage at the hostel immediately when I arrive at Naoshima)?

Q3. If my calculation in c) is correct, I have 4-6 hours to see most of the museums on Naoshima. Is this a sufficient time? Are there more unique things to see in Naoshima beside the art?

Q4. Does anyone have any further info, particularly on �gTeshima Ferries�h, about transport for Naoshima-Teshima and Teshima-Takamatsu in e) and f)?

Q5. If my calculations in f) is correct, I have around 6 hours to visit Teshima. Is this a sufficient time?

Q6. Lastly, I'm actually also interested in Shodoshima Island, but I gather that a one-day trip is impossible or not recommended as it's quite a big island and there's a lot more to see besides the art. Is this true? Just out of interest (perhaps for a Shikoku trip next time I visit Japan!), how many days is a reasonable time to spend at Shodoshima?

Use the Benesse House website (access pages) for:
- good info about ferry times
- sample itineraries (including visting the other islands, iirc)

There are buses that go around the island and call at both ferry ports, so it doesn't really matter which port you come into. It takes 15 or 20 minutes to go from one port to the other (it's not far, but people get on and off at the stops, which takes time).

My recommendations:
Don't miss the art houses. Especially the Turrell/Ando one. I'd typically go straight to the art houses, spend a couple of hours there and have lunch in the village (better choices than elsewhere). There's one art house which you need a reservation for. Make that reservation in advance. Go to the Ando Museum. You can leave your luggage at the visitor centre while you do all these things.

Then get a bus to Benesse House and visit there. Then go to the Chichu towards the end of the day. If you've planned ahead, you will be going on a day when the Turrell Skyspace is open late and you will have booked yourself in advance onto the evening light show. This is amazing and well worth changing the date of your visit for.

If you skip one thing, skip the Lee Ufan.

Thank you for your detailed info! I guess I should have started off looking for transport info from the Benesse House website, much more clearer and concise.

I do have two follow up questions:

1. I may be able to work my itinerary around to Friday/Saturday so to see the Night Viewing of Open Sky (still spaces available for former, waiting list for latter). However, I'm a bit concerned on how I can leave the Museum after the viewing. It ends at around 7:30 pm, and by that time it's my understanding there are no buses available then. Since I won't be staying at Benesse House (fully booked) and can't use their shuttle service, and I'm not very comfortable biking especially at night, it seems the only way is to walk for 30 mins to Honmura (if I'm staying overnight) or Miyanoura (if I'm leaving the island to spend the night elsewhere, likely to be Takamatsu instead of Okayama/Uno). Is this true?

2. What's your opinion on Teishima? I have a limited schedule, and I can only afford two day trips out of these destinations: Hiroshima (I will actually be staying at the city for 2 days right at the beginning of my Japan trip, but so far I can only fit in an afternoon visit of the Peace Museum + dinner, and an evening after visiting Miyajima - I'm not sure if an extra full day is recommended), Kurashiki, Takamatsu, Okayama and Teishima.

I'm leaning towards Kurashiki and Takamatsu so far, but would love to hear your opinion on Teishima (and the other places if you've been)!

I've not been to Teshima. Maybe next time...

Re transport after the Skyspace, I don't know the schedules for the regular island bus...maybe that might be running? Otherwise, I guess you have the options of smiling and befriending either the Benesse bus driver, or one of your fellow visitors and hoping to get a lift from them. Or maybe prebook a taxi (I assume there's one on the island, but may be wrong)?
IIRC they admit circa 30 people to the night view, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's some transport options.
Maybe email a query to the museum direct, and see what they say.
In any case, if you think you have even the slightest interest in the Turrell piece, any inconvenience will be well worth it. Viewing the light show is entirely different from just seeing the skyspace without the lightshow. It's almost beyond words - it messes with your head in the best possible way...

To b)
Would you check Shikoku Kisen time table again carefully?
I want you to realize the differences between Ferry and (Foot) Passenger Boat.
11:55 passenger boat leaves Uno actually arrives at Honmura at 12:15.
But to say about 15th (also 16th)April, 10:00 passenger boat will be suspended.
Just check the comment with asterisk in Shikoku Kisen timetable.
11:00 ferry is available.

To e)+f)+Q4
You wrote; "earliest ferry departs Naoshima at 9:20 a.m. and arrives at Takamatsu at around 9:42 a.m."

Shikoku Kisen's high-speed boat (sort of foot passengers boat) leave Miyanoura Port in Naoshima will arrive at Ieura, one of ports in Teshima around 9:42.

Another choice, you may take Teshima Ferry's 9:37 passenger boat leave Honmura Port to arrive Ieura around 9:57.
The Teshima Ferry website you need is here.
http://www.t-ferry.com/schedule/
Though this site seems be in Japanese language only, the proper nouns of port are written in Roman-ji, so you are be able to understand.

If you take 15:10 passenger boar leave Ieura, you will arrive at Takamatsu around 16:00.
You can save 2 hours than via Miyanoura like you mentioned.

You had better not to check (http://www.naoshima.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/boat_en.pdf) , because it was available only during the triennale terms that already have past.

To Q1.
Check Ta-Q-Bin. You may ask anybody in any information centre at airport (if you send your parcel to Kurashiki prior to visit Hiroshima), at Kurashiki Station.

To extra question
After Open Sky programme, there will be no transportation from Chichu.
You will walk to your accommodation, or you should book the taxi only one (yes, there is only one taxi in Naoshima) up to 9pax in advance.

Btw, since I'm not a native that I don't understand what you meant "still spaces available for former, waiting list for latter." Open Sky programme is required advanced reservation, did you successfully already book it?