Shikoku Tours

14/11/2024

One of our clients who enjoyed a trip to Shikoku with us asked us for a tour of Kyushu in similar style. We were happy to oblige with a 9-day circuit of northern Kyushu staying in characterful accommodation, seeing a mix of the main and lesser known places. Please consult us if you'd like to see Kyushu too.

28/10/2024

Today we guided a group of textile experts from California on an exploration of Iyo Kasuri, one of Japan’s three major ikat fabrics. We visited a workshop where the techniques are sustained through the efforts of a local company and enthusiasts. Shikoku Tours is glad to enable these exchanges between overseas specialists and local craft practitioners.

23/10/2024

We got another very nice review for one of our recent custom tours.

★★★★★ "We asked Aiko and Rod at Shikoku Tours to customize a hiking tour of some of Shikoku’s most beautiful temples and shrines. Our demands were very specific and complicated. We wanted challenging hikes with beautiful views, we wanted to stay in Onsen (traditional Japanese hotels), an...

05/10/2024

In autumn, when the rice is ripening just before harvest, red and white spider lilies flower on the banks of the rice fields. These dramatic flowers attract equally dramatic butterflies. After the rice is harvested, it's hung upside down to dry. This is the perfect time to visit Shikoku.

27/09/2024

Various fascinating religious expression around Hirado in Kyushu — Catholicism brought by Iberian Jesuits and Shinto shrines to the spirits of whales who died so that people could live.

05/09/2024

Why are lotuses such a popular symbol in Buddhism? Because they lay their roots in mud but produce beautiful flowers. This is a metaphor for enlightenment that blossoms from the mire of daily life. This particular lotus is brightening up the often misty compound of Shosan-ji Temple in the mountains of Tokushima, the start of one of our pilgrimage walks.

15/08/2024

The Shiden Kai fighter was the successor to the famous Zero. In 1945, a huge American carrier-based force attacked Kure, and Japanese fighters took off from Kyushu to confront them. Six never returned and in the 1970s, one was discovered on the sea floor off Ainan in Shikoku. It was raised and restored, and now forms the centrepiece of a fascinating museum.

11/08/2024

If you’re interested in little things like insects and traces like animal poo on the trail, we can throw some light. Shikoku’s insects are big and beautiful.

04/08/2024

Those summer nights…

03/08/2024

Here's a quick look at one of our most popular tours.

Embark on a cultural odyssey through Shikoku's sacred sites with our 7 to 18-day guided tours. Visit the most interesting temples of the Shikoku Pilgrimage &...

28/07/2024

Please give a warm welcome to our sister site, Setouchi Tours, offering unique tours and adventure in western Japan.

27/07/2024

♪ Happy Birthday dear Kuuuu-kai! ♫
Today, July 27, was the birthday of Kūkai. Born Saeki no Mao, posthumously called Kōbō Daishi, he was a Buddhist monk, calligrapher, engineer, and poet who founded the esoteric Shingon school of Buddhism. He's also widely regarded as the founder of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. You can meet him in various forms all over Shikoku and western Japan.

19/07/2024

The cool depths of Kōchi's Niyodo River, the perfect antidote to a hot summer day.

The crystal-clear waters flowing down from Mt. Ishizuchi are famous for their "Niyodo Blue" color.

Offerings from Shikoku Tours include rafting and SUP trips in this otherworldly river, as well as cycling trips along its banks.

For more information on the Niyodo River, visit https://shikokutours.com/points-of-interest/kochi/niyodo-river/

For retail opportunities, contact us by DM or by email at [email protected]

17/07/2024

https://shikokutours.com/trip/shikoku-pilgrimage-with-walks/

Our most popular tour, the Shikoku Pilgrimage with Walks, is now guaranteed for November 8-15. It's a perfect opportunity to experience the autumn splendour of Shikoku's temples.
Contact us at [email protected] for more details.

Visit the most beautiful and interesting temples of the Shikoku Pilgrimage and walk the toughest trails.

11/07/2024

Just some insects around Shikoku now. Mostly dragonflies.

11/07/2024

Temari - The World in the Palm of Your Hands

Walking into a temari workshop in the city of Takamatsu in Shikoku, your eyes are immediately overwhelmed by dozens of multicolored spheres. Hundreds of pastel-dyed threads come together to form mesmerizing patterns which evoke natural scenes like blooming lotuses and whirlpools. These balls are said by enthusiasts to represent the globe itself, marked with poles and divided into hemispheres which are adorned in gorgeous symmetry.

Shikoku Tours offers a number of tours that include making temari in Kagawa, and participants have nothing but praise. "There's nothing quite like the crunch of the needle as it hits the rice husks," one participant said. "What's not to love?" said another, "The process is meditative, the result is satisfying, and they're just beautiful!"

For more information about temari, visit https://lnkd.in/gVeqdv7u

To view the stunning array of temari at Sanuki Kagari Temari, one of Kagawa's most renowned workshops, visit https://lnkd.in/gJ8b5HRw

06/07/2024

Western Japan's tallest mountain is called Ishizuchi-san: Mount Sledgehammer. For over 1,500 years it has been revered as a place of austerity; the merit of scrambling up its craggy face is believed to crush any obstacle, hence the name. At just under 2,000 meters, views of Mt. Ishizuchi dominate much of Ehime prefecture, and it can be seen looming in the distance from cycling routes on the Shimanami Kaido as well.

As one of Japan's 100 famous mountains, Ishizuchi remains popular among both hikers and religious practitioners. Joining any of Shikoku Tours' many adventuresthat visit Ishizuchi, you'll likely hear the sound of ascetics' conch shell trumpets echoing through the valleys.

For more information on Mt. Ishizuchi, visit our website: https://shikokutours.com/points-of-interest/ehime/mt-ishizuchi/

For retail opportunities, email us at [email protected]

01/07/2024

Shikoku boasts the best of Japan's picturesque townscapes, traditional cuisine, and magnificent architecture...and you don't have to elbow your way through a crowd to get a good look.

The internet is abuzz with articles discussing the record-breaking numbers of visitors in Japan's tourist hubs. This situation of over-tourism is leading to cultural and economic conundrums for localities in Japan, and no doubt disappointment for many visitors.

The best of Japan awaits you in Shikoku.

Contact us for more information and retail opportunities at [email protected]

Above: a streetscape in Uchiko, once a hub of candle production
Below: a street in Kyōto choked with tourists (photo credit to Lance Kita)