010 How to Make the Most of Setouchi Holidays
012 Prologue
014 Setouchi Guide Map

SETOUCHI BY STEP
Travel Preparation & Highlights

STEP 01
PREVIEW
Dreaming of Setouchi

018 01 Setouchi MUST SEE
024 02 Setouchi MUST DO
028 03 Setouchi MUST EAT

STEP 02
PLANNING
Drawing the Setouchi

032 01 Five Keywords of Setouchi
034 02 My own Setouchi travel recipe
036 03 Recommended Setouchi Travel Course
043 04 Setouchi Traffic Information

STEP 03
ENJOYING
Enjoying Setouchi

050 01 Spectacular views as far as the eye can see, Setouchi Observatory
052 02 I want to go to that island
054 03 Setouchi Bicycle Tour Guide
058 04 Restoring the Island and the Sea through Art
062 05 Setouchi Art Tour
066 06 Setouchi Architectural Pilgrimage
069 07 Setouchi's Gifts and Souvenir Shops
072 08 Activities to enjoy on the island and at sea
074 09 Okonomiyaki Road
076 10 Complete Conquest of Sanuki Udon
080 11 The Flower of Korea-Japan Exchange, the Path of the Joseon Tongsinsa

SETOUCHI BY AREA
Regional edition

01 Hiroshima Prefecture
086 Hiroshima Prefecture Setouchi at a Glance
088 Hiroshima Prefecture Keywords
089 Visit Hiroshima Prefecture

Hiroshima City
093 Looking back
094 Map
096 Recommended Course for the Day
097 SEE
102 EAT
104 BUY
107 SLEEP

Miyajima
109 Look Back
110 map
111 Recommended Courses for the Day
112 SEE
116 EAT
120 BUY
122 SLEEP

Kureshi & Takeharashi
125 Looking Back
126 2-day recommended course
128 SEE
139 EAT
142 BUY
144 SLEEP

Fukuyama City & Onomichi City
147 Looking back
148 2-day recommended course
150 SEE
164 EAT
166 BUY
168 SLEEP

02 Okayama Prefecture
172 Okayama Prefecture Setouchi at a Glance
174 Okayama Prefecture Keywords
175 Getting to Okayama Prefecture

Okayama City
177 Looking back
178 map
180 recommended courses for the day
181 SEE
188 EAT
194 BUY
198 SLEEP

Kurashiki City
200 Look Back
201 Recommended Course for the Day
202 Map
203 SEE
209 EAT
212 BUY
217 SLEEP

Tamano City
219 Looking Back
220 Recommended Course for the Day
221 SEE
223 EAT

Setouchi City & Bizen City
225 Looking Back
226 Recommended Course for the Day
227 SEE
236 EAT
237 SLEEP

03 Ehime Prefecture
240 Ehime Prefecture Setouchi at a Glance
242 Ehime Prefecture Keywords
243 Getting to Ehime Prefecture

Matsuyama City
245 Looking Back
246 Recommended Courses for the Day
247 SEE
248 Map
260 EAT
265 BUY
268 SLEEP

Imabari City
273 Looking back
274 Recommended Courses for the Day
275 map
276 SEE
283 EAT
287 SLEEP

Uchiko & Ozushi
289 Looking back
290 Recommended Courses for the Day
291 SEE
298 EAT
299 BUY
299 SLEEP

04 Kagawa Prefecture
302 Kagawa Prefecture Setouchi at a Glance
304 Kagawa Prefecture Keywords
305 Visit Kagawa Prefecture

Takamatsu City
309 Look Back
310 Recommended Course for the Day
311 SEE
312 Map
316 Megijima
318 Don't come
320 Setouchi Triennale Artwork Tour
322 EAT
328 BUY
331 SLEEP

Shodoshima
335 Looking Back
337 Recommended Course for the Day
338 Map
339 SEE342 Shodoshima Soy Sauce Tour
347 Setouchi Triennale Artwork Tour
348 decimals
351 EAT
354 BUY
355 SLEEP

Naoshima
357 Look Back
358 Map
359 Recommended Course for the Day
360 SEE
364 This project
367 EAT
368 BUY
369 SLEEP

Sakaideshi & Marugameshi & Kotohira
371 Looking Back
372 2-day recommended course
374 SEE
382 EAT
385 BUY
386 SLEEP

SPESCIAL_Awaji Island
389 Awaji Island Tour
390 Recommended Courses for the Day
391 SEE
394 EAT
385 BUY

396 Smart Travel Preparation
408 Index

A guidebook that thoroughly explains the Setouchi region, a treasure trove of small-town travel in Japan!
An in-depth travel guide to the four prefectures surrounding Setouchi: Hiroshima, Okayama, Ehime, and Kagawa!
Everything you need to know about traveling to the heart of Japan, enjoying retro small towns, vintage ports, and artistic islands!

Setouchi: A Treasure Trove of Small-City Travel in Japan

Seto Inland Sea is the sea between Japan's main island and Shikoku Island.
Surrounded by islands on all sides, it is calm and peaceful with no waves, and is called the “Mediterranean of Japan.”
This sea receives warm sunlight all year round, allowing olives to grow well.
Because the sea is so peaceful, it has been a major shipping route between Osaka and Tokyo and Kyushu since ancient times.
The Joseon Tongsinsa procession visiting Japan also passed through here.

Setouchi has recently become a popular travel destination for small Japanese cities.
The small towns and ports along the Setouchi coast, and the islands dotting the sea, are home to quaint alleys and villages with a retro atmosphere.
The old cities, where time seems to have stopped a hundred years ago, are reminiscent of old movie sets.
Once forgotten and worn-out by modernization, these towns have been reborn through the power of art, transforming into unique and captivating travel destinations! With the exception of Hiroshima, these places are unfamiliar even in name, but for travelers dreaming of a trip to a small Japanese city, they are widely recognized as "meccas of small-town travel."


Korean travelers' interest in traveling to Setouchi's small cities is evidenced by the number of flights from Korea to these cities.
The Seto Inland Sea encompasses four prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Ehime, and Kagawa, all of which have regular flights from Korea.
Excluding Hiroshima, even small cities with unfamiliar names have seen regular flights launched one after another since the coronavirus outbreak.
With so many flights to Setouchi, travelers can freely plan their itinerary and travel to their desired destinations without time constraints.


A focused introduction to the four prefectures surrounding the Setouchi region: Hiroshima, Okayama, Ehime, and Kagawa.

Setouchi is surrounded by four prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Ehime, and Kagawa.
If we look a little more broadly, it can include Hyogo Prefecture and Tokushima Prefecture, but the four prefectures above are the center.
"Setouchi Holiday" introduces must-see travel destinations in the four prefectures bordering Setouchi.


Hiroshima, where the Hiroshima Prefectural Office is located, was the site of the atomic bombing during World War II, and there are still historical sites that allow visitors to feel the horrors of that day.
Miyajima is a popular travel destination for Japanese people, with its floating shrines.
Kure, Takehara, Onomichi, and Fukuyama have long been strategic points for maritime traffic, and the prosperous alleys and ports of that time remain like movie sets.
The large and small islands between Kure and Onomichi also invite vintage travel.

Okayama, where the Okayama Prefectural Office is located, is home to Korakuen, one of Japan's three greatest gardens, and Okayama Castle.
The city is also home to many hip cafes and small but distinctive art galleries.
There is an Edo period warehouse on a canal lined with weeping willows.
Tamano, a prosperous port city connecting Honshu and Shikoku, is the gateway to Naoshima, Teshima, and Shodoshima, known as the "Islands of Art."
It is also the main venue for the Setouchi Triennale, held every two years, attracting many young artists.


Ehime Prefecture, located in Shikoku in the southern part of the Seto Inland Sea, is a land of hot springs and bicycles.
Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama is one of the oldest hot spring resorts in Japan and is visited by hot spring tourists all year round.
The downtown area, with its retro trams running through it, offers plenty to see and do.
Matsuyama Castle, located in the center of the city, is also a must-see.
In particular, Imabari, located in the northern part of Ehime Prefecture, is the starting point of the world's best cycling route, the Shimanami Kaido, and the gateway to travel to the Setouchi Islands.


Kagawa Prefecture, located in the northern part of Shikoku, is the home of Sanuki udon, which has become synonymous with Japanese udon.
Takamatsu and other cities are full of udon restaurants, so many travelers go on udon tours.
Ritsurin Park, located in the center of Takamatsu City, is also a must-see attraction.
In particular, Takamatsu is the starting point for travel to the Setouchi Islands.
The Setouchi islands, including Naoshima, Teshima, and Shodoshima, are gaining attention as art tourist destinations, restoring declining villages and houses through the power of art and installing works of art that will become new landmarks.


A trip to the Setouchi Islands, reborn from an isolated space into a space of art!

Setouchi has attracted attention not only in Japan but also worldwide for its restoration of islands and seas through art.
The islands and seas of the Seto Inland Sea were damaged and declined by industrialization and urbanization in the 1960s and 1970s.
It was the power of art that restored the islands and seas that had been ruined by developmentalism.
Architects like the Benesse Foundation and Tadao Ando have transformed abandoned houses into art spaces and created structures that could become new landmarks, such as art galleries and museums.
As a result, the islands of Setouchi were reborn as spaces for art.

The large and small islands of Setouchi are a journey to discover works of art reborn through projects by artists and architects.
Naoshima, known as the "Island of Art," is home to Yayoi Kusama's red pumpkin with black spots, as well as art galleries and museums created by Tadao Ando and Benesse.
Inujima has transformed a copper refinery into an eco-friendly art museum, and Teshima has a museum that transforms the island's nature into works of art.
In addition to these, the Setouchi islands are home to art galleries, museums, and architectural structures that travelers should not miss, adding to the enjoyment of their island trip.
"Setouchi Holiday" provides detailed information on the art pieces and islands of Setouchi.


The first introduction to cycling on the Shimanami Kaido, the world's best cycling route.

The Seto Inland Sea is a sea facing Shikoku to the southeast and Honshu to the northwest.
Shikoku and Honshu are connected by bridges across the Setouchi islands, and among these is the Shimanami Kaido, which is said to be the world's best cycling route.
This approximately 80km cycling path, stretching from Imabari in Ehime Prefecture to Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture, allows you to enjoy the picturesque scenery of the Setouchi region while cycling.
The bike path that passes through all seven major islands is safe and not too difficult, so even ordinary travelers can try it.
Each island along the bike path has a well-equipped Michi-no-Eki rest area selling local specialties, as well as restaurants, shops, and lodging facilities such as guesthouses.
You can do your bike trip in one day if you're quick, or split it into two days if you want to take your time.
Imabari and Onomichi, the starting and ending points of the Shimanami Kaido Cycling Route, also have guesthouses, accommodations, and rental shops specialized for cycling, providing convenience for cyclists.


"Setouchi Holiday" provides detailed information on how to fully enjoy the Shimanami Kaido, a dream for cyclists.
We also separately introduce the Tobishima Kaido course, which starts from Omishima Island in the middle of the Shimanami Kaido and takes a ferry to Okamura Island and then goes to Kure.
Even if you're not on the Shimanami Kaido course, the islands in Setouchi are a cycling paradise.
There aren't many cars, so it's quiet and peaceful, and there are many tourist attractions to see, making it a great destination for a bicycle tour.


Sanuki, synonymous with Japanese udon, and okonomiyaki, the "soul food of the Japanese," are just a few of the delicacies and flavors of Setouchi!

The Setouchi region is a gourmet paradise.
Kagawa Prefecture is the home of Sanuki udon, which is synonymous with Japanese udon.
Even if you just search for Sanuki udon, which you can choose from a variety of sizes and methods, the day will be short.
In Kagawa Prefecture, Honesuki-dori, chicken legs grilled over charcoal, is also a specialty.
On the road from Hiroshima Prefecture to Okayama Prefecture, okonomiyaki, known as the "Japanese soul food," awaits.
The method of making okonomiyaki varies slightly depending on the region.
Ehime Prefecture has so many citrus fruits that there is a saying, "Even if you turn on the tap, oranges come out."
It's fun to find and eat juices and sweets made from citrus fruits.
Also, you shouldn't miss the dishes made with Setouchi sea bream.
The Starbucks in Dogo Onsen, which has a train station concept, is also not to be missed.
『Setouchi Holiday』 provides a detailed introduction to the world of Setouchi cuisine.