• Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art - Designed by the renowned architect Tadao Ando, the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art is situated along the Kobe coastline and is celebrated as the largest art museum in western Japan. The building itself is an artistic marvel, featuring iconic exposed concrete and glass facades that create pure geometric beauty through the interplay of light and shadows. Embracing the concept of “dialogue between the city and nature,” the interior spaces cleverly incorporate the greenery of Mount Rokko and the views of the Seto Inland Sea through stairways, corridors, and viewing platforms. In addition to its permanent and special exhibitions showcasing modern and contemporary art from Japan and abroad, exploring the architecture offers an immersive aesthetic experience. The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art is closed on Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday).
• Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge - The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, connecting Kobe and Awaji Island, stretches approximately 3,911 meters with a record-setting 1,991-meter central span. This magnificent “Pearl Bridge,” with its iconic white towers, is not just a crucial transport link but a breathtaking engineering marvel. Its graceful silhouette complements the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea, providing a captivating landmark view throughout the journey.
• Honpuku Temple - Honpukuji Temple Water Temple, also known as the Water Temple, is one of Tadao Ando’s most Zen-inspired architectural masterpieces. It reimagines the form of a traditional temple: visitors first descend along a curved exposed concrete wall, pass through a tranquil lotus pond, beneath which an oval Buddhist hall is hidden. Upon entering the hall, the light transitions from dim to bright, with vermilion pillars and natural light creating a sacred and awe-inspiring atmosphere. This “sunken temple” perfectly embodies Ando’s philosophy of “coexistence with nature,” integrating the Buddhist concept of transmigration into the architectural sequence, offering a profoundly tranquil experience for the soul.
• Awaji Yumebutai - Awaji Yumebutai is a large-scale integrated landscape designed by Tadao Ando to commemorate the reconstruction after the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake. Located on the northern coast of Awaji Island facing the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, the complex includes the Hundred-Step Garden, the Sea Chapel, the Miracle Star Botanical Garden, and the winding Mountain and Sea Corridors. Most remarkable is the “Shell Beach,” paved with one million white shells, creating a striking contrast with the blue sea and sky. More than a physical embodiment of Ando’s philosophy of “dialogue with nature,” it symbolizes hope and vitality born from disaster. Every step here reveals a harmonious resonance between architecture, earth, and ocean.
• Marine Chapel “Cappella Di Mare” - The Sea Chapel, the most serene and romantic among Tadao Ando’s “Trilogy of Light Churches,” is perched on a cape within the Awaji Yumebutai complex. Unlike the austere beauty of the renowned “Church of the Light,” it incorporates the vast scenery of the Seto Inland Sea as an architectural element through a glass corridor extending toward the ocean and a separate triangular bell tower. The interior is remarkably minimalist, with its most exquisite feature being a slender horizontal opening in the wall behind the altar. This allows moving sea light to flood directly into the space, casting ever-changing shadows on the white walls and exposed concrete. Here, Ando used light and the sea to create a tranquil sanctuary that breathes with the ocean.
• Awaji Yumebutai - The Mountain and Sea Corridors form a serene passage at Awaji Yumebutai that connects nature with architecture, meticulously constructed by Tadao Ando using his signature geometric language. Winding between hills and the coastline, this corridor skillfully frames distant mountains, greenery, water features, and the vast scenery of the Seto Inland Sea in a sequential visual experience. As visitors walk through, light and shadow continually shift through concrete slits and glass panes, creating a cinematic sense of moving frames. More than a physical pathway, it is a spatial expression of Ando’s philosophy of “dialogue with nature,” guiding one to feel the harmonious resonance of landform, light, and ocean in an immersive journey.

• Driver and Tour Guide
• Tadao Ando’s Architectural Aesthetics Journey in Kansai

• Admission fee
• Personal Expenses
• Lunch fee

Tadao Ando’s Architectural Aesthetics Journey in Kansai
Small Group Tour: 4–9 guests / 7–10 seater vehicle, departs with a minimum of 4 guests.
Important Notice: A minimum of 4 participants is required for the tour to proceed. If this requirement is not met, participants will be informed 3 days in advance and the tour will be canceled.

• 08:30 Meet at Nipponbashi Exit 2, Osaka
• 09:30-11:30 Enjoy a self-guided visit to the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art (designed by Tadao Ando, the largest art museum in western Japan). (Admission not included)
• 11:30-12:30 Free time for lunch.
• 12:30 Depart for Awaji Island, passing by the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge for scenic views.
• 13:30-14:30 Visit Honpukuji Temple Water Temple (designed by Tadao Ando). (Admission not included)
• 15:00-17:00 Free exploration of Awaji Yumebutai (National Akashi Kaikyo Park), including the Sea Chapel, Mountain and Sea Corridors, and other attractions.
• 17:00-18:30 Return by vehicle to Osaka.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.