The Garden of Shisou no Niwa
Naoshima has a long history of salt production, and the landscape of salt fields shaped by sand and water has long been a defining feature of life on the island. The forms of sand arranged in this garden, inspired by the island’s original landscape, quietly reflect those memories.
Seven conical mounds of sand are placed within the garden.
In Japan since ancient times, sand mounds have served as yorishiro—sacred vessels for deities—and have played an important role in calming the gods.
The positions of the sand mounds are arranged based on the coordinates of the Big Dipper.
In Japan, the Big Dipper has traditionally been called the “Four and Three Stars” (shi-san no hoshi), referring to its four main stars and three trailing stars.
With its ladle-like shape, the Big Dipper has long been associated with a sense of direction and time in everyday life.
As if scooped up by the ladle, the gently rippling surface of water brings calm to the heart.
Shisou no Ma—the Space of Four and Three—
is a garden where Naoshima’s original landscape and ancient reverence for the Big Dipper come together.
It is a space for centering the mind, inviting introspection, and beginning a journey into the inner universe—
a passage from the everyday into the extraordinary of the guest rooms.