Past Itineraries

Posted on July 9, 2019 by kmichaels11

JAPAN: Honshu & Shikoku

From Osaka across the Japan Sea to the island of Shikoku

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Japan with a close friend who wanted to share her hometown of Osaka, Japan. Japan had always intrigued me as a destination to explore, but I wanted an old cultural experience and not the modern Japan of typical tours. And the language barrier was a little daunting since some areas were quite rural. As Japanese is also my friend’s native language, she curated the following 10-Day journey using Osaka as her starting point, employing Google searches and Japanese travel magazines from ideas I gleaned from some Pinterest searches:

Day 1 – Leave LAX at 1:45PM – Arrive in Osaka KIX at 6:15PM the following night.

Day 2 – Osaka : Sugawara Shrine; JR Kami Station train to Osaka Dotonbori District – Owl Cafe tea with live owls, Kamigata Okiyoe Museum with block printing lesson, Osaka Castle; Eel restaurant; board Orange Ferry for overnight boat to the island of Shikoku (private rooms).

Day 3 – Boat docks at Toyo, Shikoku, Japan. Take coastal train at Nyaugawa Train station in Saijo to Matsuyama. Matsuyama Castle via chairlift; hike a single leg of the Shikoku Henro pilgrimage to Ishteji Temple. ; bath at historical Dogo Onsen (over 1000 years old); Stay at Matsuyama Tokyu REI Hotel for 2 nights.

Day 4 – Day trip to cultural craftsman town of Uchiko, 1 hour by train. (Uchiko provides a free Japanese translator if requested early!) Make traditional Japanese washi paper; Make wrought iron candlestick holders; tour old kabuki Uchiko-za theater; visit cultural museum of merchant’s home; observe process of handrolled wax candles. Return to Matsuyama hotel.

Private experience working with wrought iron

Day 5 – Train to Imabari. Rent bicycles at train station to ride across bridges to Onomichi, Honshu on the Shimanami Kaido across Seto Inland Sea- a bus will pick you up when you’re tired; Pirate Museum on Oshima; take bus from Onomichi to bullet train station at Fukuyama station then return to Osaka. Spend night in Osaka.

Riding bicycles across the connecting bridges on the Shimanami Kaido

Day 6 – Train from Osaka to Kyoto. 2-night stay in traditional Machiya cultural home. Subway into downtown for shopping. Evening walk and dinner along river.

Day 7 – Kyoto: cable car to Arashiyama District. Rent bicycles. Ride through Bamboo Forrest, to Tenruji Temple, Soba noodle restaurant, hike up to Monkey Park at Mt. Iwatayama.

Day 8 – Kyoto: private lesson with Japanese baker making traditional Japanese Wagashi sweets; Kyoto outdoor Antique market; Kiyomizu Temple; Kennin-ji Temple; Higashiyama District.

Another private class making traditional Japanese sweets

Day 9 – Train from Kyoto to Akame – stay in rural mountain village rice terrace villa: Sasayuri-ann; Hike through lush forrest at Akame Falls; private traditional dinner cooked over fire at Sasayuri-ann by private chef. All locally grown food.

A private cooked meal at Sasayuri-ann villa

Day 10 – Breakfast cooked to order at Sasayuri – train to Nara (store luggage in lockers at station). Walk through Nara Deer Park; Gangoji Temple; Todai-ji Temple with great bronze Buddah. Evening train back to Osaka.

Day 11 – Shopping in Osaka. Evening flight from Osaka KIX to Los Angeles.