Naoshima was once known as a desolate island whose trees were killed by the gases emitted from its copper refinery. Since 1985, the island has been reimagined as a cultural village with a concept of rethinking human life amid the melding of nature, history, and contemporary art. Beginning in 1992 with the Benesse House Museum, and followed by the Art House Project, the Chichu Art Museum, and other facilities, Naoshima has been transformed into an international art destination now at the center of more than ten art islands. This route offers the chance to appreciate Setouchi art with two days of hopping between art islands on guntû’s speed boats.