Tour Duration: 5 days
Number of participants: Minimum 4 people
Price: JPY 299,000
Tour start : Uchiko, Ehime
Day 1
Matsuyama Castle is the first stop on the tour in Matsuyama. We then drive to Uchiko after soaking in the view from the top of the keep. Here, we explore the interesting Uchiko-za Theatre with its wooden stage equipment, the opulent former home of a candle merchant known as the Kamihaga Residence, and try our hand at crafting traditional washi paper. The Ehime Museum of History and Culture in Seiyo is our next site, known for its fascinating recreations of Shikoku through the years. We next travel south and stay at a ryokan by the famous Shimanto River.
Day 2
Today, we travel down the Shimanto River in a covered boat, gliding over its mirror-like surface. We pause to cross a few of the charming underwater bridges that periodically span the river. In the summer, we might even decide to jump off. After lunch in the charming port city of Kure, with its historic fish market, we visit a nearby sake brewery for an introduction to brewing and a sampling. We learn about the history of papermaking and the current applications of washi paper at the Ino Paper Museum on the Niyodo River. We finish the day in Kchi at the bustling Hirome Market, where we can choose from a variety of regional foods and sake.
Day 3
Our first stop is Katsurahama Beach on the Pacific Ocean with its statue of Sakamoto Ryōma gazing into the distance. Then, we visit pilgrimage Temple No. 31, Chikurin-ji, set in a beautiful Japanese garden. Next, we head north into Tokushima where we take a boat through the Ōboke Gorge and walk over the swaying vine bridge of Iya Valley. We then stay at an onsen perched on the valley slope with a fantastic outdoor onsen.
Day 4
We travel from Iya to Kotohira in Kagawa through the mountains in order to ascend the numerous steps to Konpira Shrine. We prepare udon noodles for lunch on our own and then travel to Ritsurin Garden, once the leisurely retreat of Takamatsu’s samurai lords. We sip tea here while looking out over the lake. We are staying in a contemporary hotel in Takamatsu.
Day 5
Yashima, a large tabletop mountain that can be seen from Takamatsu, is the location of a pilgrimage temple as well as a battle from the long-ago Genpei War. We drive to Naruto and take a boat out into the whirlpool under the Naruto Straits Bridge after taking in the sights and panoramas of Yashima. The adventure then comes to a close as we go to Tokushima City.
