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The rooms at Benesse House in remote Naoshima Island on Japan‘s Inland Sea are, quite literally, works of art. A unique hybrid of art museum and boutique hotel, it is the inspiration of Soichiro Fukutake, president of Benesse Corporation, a publisher of books for children and the parent company of Berlitz language school.

Featuring the work of a dozen internationally recognized names, and a handful of rising Japanese artists, the museum takes a revolutionary approach to displaying its collection. The difference between Benesse and other galleries is that there the visitors do not leave, they stay for the night. Benesse also has a very hands-on approach to art. Guests can touch scluptures and get up close to paintings, and they can do it any time of night or day.

Japanese architect Tadao Ando, best know for his pared-down places of worship, designed Benesse House. Carved out of a rocky headland on the southern tip of the island, it burrows into the earth, then opens out onto vast terraces, sun-filled patios, and sculpture-flecked lawns. The galleries are lit by strategically placed skylights and have massive, sliding glass doors. The chapel is like a central gallery crowned by a jutting glass pyramid that pierces the lawn above. It is one of the few parts of it that can be seen from the sea.

The beauty of the architecture is seen in the way the gallery space seamlessly blends into the bedrooms. Polished concrete walls and pale wood floors are evident throughout, punctuated by pieces of modern art. Location: Naoshima Island, Kagawa, Japan.