7-Day Shikoku Trip by Train via Osaka
Day 1 Kansai International Airport → Shin-Osaka Station → Okayama Station → Takamatsu Station
Day 2 Takamatsu Station → Ritsurin Garden → Takamatsu Station → Kotohira Station → Kotohira-gu Shrine → Kotohira Station → Kochi Station → Hirome Market
Day 3 Kochi Station → Akaoka Station → The Ekin Museum → Akaoka Station → Nahari Station → Kitagawa Village “Monet’s Garden” Marmottan → Nahari Station → Kochi Station
Day 4 Kochi Station → Tosa-Kure Station → Kure Taisho Town Market → Tosa-Kure Station → Nakamura Station → Shimanto River Basin Cycling
Day 5 Nakamura Station → Kubokawa Station → Uwajima Station → Nanrakuen → Uwajima Station → Matsuyama Station → Dogo Onsen
Day 6 Botchan Train → Matsuyama Castle → Matsuyama Station → Okayama Station → Shin-Osaka Station
Day 7 Stroll through Osaka →Kansai International Airport
Day 2 Takamatsu Station → Ritsurin Garden → Takamatsu Station → Kotohira Station → Kotohira-gu Shrine → Kotohira Station → Kochi Station → Hirome Market
Day 3 Kochi Station → Akaoka Station → The Ekin Museum → Akaoka Station → Nahari Station → Kitagawa Village “Monet’s Garden” Marmottan → Nahari Station → Kochi Station
Day 4 Kochi Station → Tosa-Kure Station → Kure Taisho Town Market → Tosa-Kure Station → Nakamura Station → Shimanto River Basin Cycling
Day 5 Nakamura Station → Kubokawa Station → Uwajima Station → Nanrakuen → Uwajima Station → Matsuyama Station → Dogo Onsen
Day 6 Botchan Train → Matsuyama Castle → Matsuyama Station → Okayama Station → Shin-Osaka Station
Day 7 Stroll through Osaka →Kansai International Airport
Day 1
Kansai International Airport
50min train ride
Shin-Osaka Station
50min train ride
Okayama Station
1hr train ride
50min train ride
Shin-Osaka Station
50min train ride
Okayama Station
1hr train ride
1
Day 1
Takamatsu Station, Stay in Takamatsu City
Day 2
Takamatsu Station
5min train ride
Ritsurin Garden North Entrance
5min train ride
Ritsurin Garden North Entrance
2
Day 2
Ritsurin Garden
Ritsurin Garden is a daimyo (feudal lord) garden, which was completed in 1745 over a period of one hundred years. Designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, this spacious garden features 6 ponds and 13 landscaped hills. While strolling you can enjoy the changing landscape, therefore it is said that the variety of scenery has the attraction of "ippo ikkei" or a change in scenery with every step. In the garden there are buildings, such as Kikugetsu-tei teahouse, where you can have matcha (powdered green tea) while viewing the picturesque landscape, and the Sanuki Mingeikan (Folk Craft Museum), where Sanuki folk crafts are exhibited. You can also enjoy a ride on a Japanese boat, the “Senshu maru”.
Ritsurin Garden North Entrance
5min train ride
Takamatsu Station
1hr train ride
Kotohira Station
About a 30min walk
5min train ride
Takamatsu Station
1hr train ride
Kotohira Station
About a 30min walk
3
Day 2
Kotohira-gu Shrine
This is a popular shrine, commonly known as Konpira-san. It is the head shrine of "Kotohira" or "Konpira" shrines in Japan and has been worshiped since ancient times as "the God of the Sea".
There is an extremely long staircase, consisting of 1,368 steps. The area around the shrine is crowded with many shops such as cafes, teahouses, souvenir shops and udon restaurants. You can rent a walking stick and go for a stroll or take a ride in a "kago" palanquin and enjoy the sights as you are carried around.
At the mid-way point, you will find the Main Shrine. The shrine is dedicated to many gods including the gods of agriculture, livestock, medicine and marine safety. There are wonderful paintings on the ceiling of the main shrine. On certain festival days you can see the priests and shrine maidens dancing in traditional clothes. You can also purchase a beautiful Kofuku no Kiiroi Omamori (Yellow Charm of Happiness).
There is an extremely long staircase, consisting of 1,368 steps. The area around the shrine is crowded with many shops such as cafes, teahouses, souvenir shops and udon restaurants. You can rent a walking stick and go for a stroll or take a ride in a "kago" palanquin and enjoy the sights as you are carried around.
At the mid-way point, you will find the Main Shrine. The shrine is dedicated to many gods including the gods of agriculture, livestock, medicine and marine safety. There are wonderful paintings on the ceiling of the main shrine. On certain festival days you can see the priests and shrine maidens dancing in traditional clothes. You can also purchase a beautiful Kofuku no Kiiroi Omamori (Yellow Charm of Happiness).
About a 30min walk
Kotohira Station
1hr 40min train ride
Kochi Station
About a 20min walk
Kotohira Station
1hr 40min train ride
Kochi Station
About a 20min walk
4
Day 2
Hirome Market
Raise a glass in cheers with the locals!There's also loads of great local Kochi food
A food market that feels like you're at a festival!
Hirome Market is a facility where both Kochi Prefecture residents and tourists alike come to enjoy an array of food, from local specialties to international cuisine.
As it's located next to Kochi Castle and packed with approx. 65 stalls, Hirome Market is always full of people. The recommended way to enjoy the market is to buy food and drinks from several stalls and bring them to one of the many tables set up around the market.
Kochi locals are known for their love of drink, so it's not unusual to see people drinking from noon here.
There is also a bar corner called “Hirome Bar” where Italian, Spanish and French food and drinks are also available.
Nicknamed "Kochi's Kitchen", this is one spot you simply cannot miss!
Hirome Market is a facility where both Kochi Prefecture residents and tourists alike come to enjoy an array of food, from local specialties to international cuisine.
As it's located next to Kochi Castle and packed with approx. 65 stalls, Hirome Market is always full of people. The recommended way to enjoy the market is to buy food and drinks from several stalls and bring them to one of the many tables set up around the market.
Kochi locals are known for their love of drink, so it's not unusual to see people drinking from noon here.
There is also a bar corner called “Hirome Bar” where Italian, Spanish and French food and drinks are also available.
Nicknamed "Kochi's Kitchen", this is one spot you simply cannot miss!
5
Day 2
Stay in Kochi City
*The images of the accommodation facilities are for illustrative purposes only
Day 3
Kochi Station
40min train ride
Akaoka Station
About a 10min walk
40min train ride
Akaoka Station
About a 10min walk
6
Day 3
Ekin Museum
The dynamic expression and composition of the artist Ekin
A museum where works by an artist from the late 19th century, known as Ekin, are displayed.
Transforming an old warehouse into his atelier, he painted pictures on medium like Japanese folding screens that common folk could enjoy, and was loved by local farmers and fishermen.
Ekin's art is elaborately displayed in a dark room lit with candles so that the flicker of light brings the vivid colours of the artworks to life. 23 of his original works, showing signs of damage and aging, can also be viewed here through peep holes drilled into the walls.
The Tosa Akaoka Ekin Festival is held here every July and is a great chance to see the whole town painted in Ekin's colours.
Transforming an old warehouse into his atelier, he painted pictures on medium like Japanese folding screens that common folk could enjoy, and was loved by local farmers and fishermen.
Ekin's art is elaborately displayed in a dark room lit with candles so that the flicker of light brings the vivid colours of the artworks to life. 23 of his original works, showing signs of damage and aging, can also be viewed here through peep holes drilled into the walls.
The Tosa Akaoka Ekin Festival is held here every July and is a great chance to see the whole town painted in Ekin's colours.
About a 10min walk
Akaoka Station
50min train ride
Nahari Station
10min bus ride
Akaoka Station
50min train ride
Nahari Station
10min bus ride
7
Day 3
Monet's Garden Marmottan in Kitagawa Village
Enter the world of Claud Monet
In a remote village in the Kochi countryside you will find a reimagined version of the beloved gardens in Giverny of the French painter Claude Monet that inspired the painter’s famous works.
Monet’s Garden Marmottan in Kitagawa Village is divided into 3 sections. In the Water Garden (Mizu no Niwa) the famous multi-colored waterlilies float upon the shimmering ponds; vibrant flowers that canvas the Flower Garden (Hana no Niwa) from the ground up to arches and trellises change through the seasons like a never ending painting; and the Garden of Bordighera brings ambience of the Mediterranean to Japan.
It is said that Monet’s garden is a living museum of plants could actually be his finest masterpiece. Made with his spirit and in collaboration with the Claude Monet Foundation, it is the only other garden in the world that is allowed to bare his name.
Stop by the cafe or bakery after the gardens and enjoy some fresh local produce, wander through the nursery and learn about the plants in the garden, or browse through the gallery store for exclusive Monet design merchandise.
Monet’s Garden Marmottan in Kitagawa Village is divided into 3 sections. In the Water Garden (Mizu no Niwa) the famous multi-colored waterlilies float upon the shimmering ponds; vibrant flowers that canvas the Flower Garden (Hana no Niwa) from the ground up to arches and trellises change through the seasons like a never ending painting; and the Garden of Bordighera brings ambience of the Mediterranean to Japan.
It is said that Monet’s garden is a living museum of plants could actually be his finest masterpiece. Made with his spirit and in collaboration with the Claude Monet Foundation, it is the only other garden in the world that is allowed to bare his name.
Stop by the cafe or bakery after the gardens and enjoy some fresh local produce, wander through the nursery and learn about the plants in the garden, or browse through the gallery store for exclusive Monet design merchandise.
10min bus ride
Nahari Station
1hr 30min train ride
Nahari Station
1hr 30min train ride
8
Day 3
Kochi Station, Stay in Kochi City
*The images of the accommodation facilities are for illustrative purposes only
Day 4
Kochi Station
1hr train ride
Tosa-Kure Station
About a 5min walk
1hr train ride
Tosa-Kure Station
About a 5min walk
9
Day 4
Kure Taisho Town Market
A local marketplace with a retro feel
The Kure Taisho Town Market, has been popular with locals for well over 100 years. The most popular item at the retro market is the ultra-fresh seafood bowl (Kure-don), which is topped with your favorite ingredients. Another touch of retro that colors the market is the fishing flags that adorn the ceilings and stores. Called tairyo-bata in Japanese, these bright and festive flags were flown by fishing boats returning to port with a good haul.
The Kure Taisho Town Market came about after the fishermen's wives began to gather and sell the caught fish. The fish caught that morning by the local fishermen are displayed out the front of each store by 11:00am, so this is the best time to see the market in action. If you're not sure what type of fish you're looking at, feel free to ask the store staff - communication with the friendly locals is part of the fun of the market! While seafood is the main attraction, there are also stores selling local fruit and vegetables, handmade side dishes and even bags and aprons made from the vibrant tairyo-bata fishing flags.
The Kure Taisho Town Market came about after the fishermen's wives began to gather and sell the caught fish. The fish caught that morning by the local fishermen are displayed out the front of each store by 11:00am, so this is the best time to see the market in action. If you're not sure what type of fish you're looking at, feel free to ask the store staff - communication with the friendly locals is part of the fun of the market! While seafood is the main attraction, there are also stores selling local fruit and vegetables, handmade side dishes and even bags and aprons made from the vibrant tairyo-bata fishing flags.
About a 5min walk
Tosa-Kure Station
1hr train ride
Nakamura Station
Tosa-Kure Station
1hr train ride
Nakamura Station
10
Day 4
Shimanto River Basin Cycling
The Shimanto River Basin will make your heart soar!
Take a scenic bike ride through Nakamura, a Kyoto-esque village, or one of its low-water crossing bridges.
Kick back and relax as you watch the clear water of the Shimanto River flow by.
Take a scenic bike ride through Nakamura, a Kyoto-esque village, or one of its low-water crossing bridges.
Kick back and relax as you watch the clear water of the Shimanto River flow by.
1hr of cycling
11
Day 4
Stay in Shimanto City
*The images of the accommodation facilities are for illustrative purposes only
Day 5
Nakamura Station
40min train ride
Kubokawa Station
2hr train ride
Uwajima Station
40min bus ride
40min train ride
Kubokawa Station
2hr train ride
Uwajima Station
40min bus ride
12
Day 5
Nanrakuen
40min bus ride
Uwajima Station
1hr 30min train ride
Matsuyama Station
30min train ride
Uwajima Station
1hr 30min train ride
Matsuyama Station
30min train ride
13
Day 5
Stay at Dogo Onsen
Dogo Onsen Honkan is thought to be the oldest hot spring in Japan is mentioned in the ancient texts of the Kojiki and Manyoshu. The main building, a three-storey castle-style wooden structure has been designated an Important Cultural Property. The bathhouse is an iconic feature of Matsuyama in the novel “Botchan” and many other masterpieces of literature and film. After enjoying the smooth hot spring water, put on a Yukata robe, stroll around the local streets full of culture, and get into the spirit of this Onsen town. A new annex “Asuka-no-Yu”, adopting the architectural style of the 6th to 8th centuries, will be opened in September 2017.
Day 6
15min train ride
(Botchan Train)
Okaido
About a 20min walk
(Botchan Train)
Okaido
About a 20min walk
14
Day 6
Matsuyama Castle
Matsuyama Castle, in the style of the Momoyama period, is one of Japan’s few original surviving castles. Its 21 buildings are listed as Important Cultural Properties, and the castle is regarded as one of the three best ‘Renritsu-shiki Hirayama-jiro’ (Renritsu-shiki: an architectural style where the top castle tower is in the centre with smaller towers on either side; Hirayama-jiro: a castle built on a hill on a plain). The towers are all connected to defend the main castle building. The castle is a well-known symbol of Matsuyama and is written about in the prologue of the novel, “Clouds Above the Hill” by Ryotaro Shiba. It has been and will be guarding the city of Matsuyama for centuries!
About a 20min walk
Okaido
20min train ride
Matsuyama Station
2hr 50min train ride
Okayama Station
30min train ride
Okaido
20min train ride
Matsuyama Station
2hr 50min train ride
Okayama Station
30min train ride
15
Day 6
Shin-Osaka Station, Stay in Osaka
Day 7
Stroll Through Osaka
16
Day 7
Kansai International Airport
GOAL
