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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Abyssight on 2024-12-08 08:22:05+00:00.
I completed a two week trip in Japan in November 2024. This was my fourth trip and I had seen enough of Tokyo and Kansai already. So for this trip I wanted to explore other cities and some of the islands in the Inland Sea.
Day 1 - Osaka: By the time I got out of Osaka Itami airport, it was already night. I stayed at a hotel near Shin Osaka station in order to catch an early Shinkansen to Okayama the next morning.
Day 2 - Naoshima: I first shipped my luggage to the hotel at Takamatsu. took an early train to Okayama, changed to a bus to Uno port, and finally took the ferry to Miyanoura port on Naoshima. It was about 11am when I reached the island. The bike rental places were right across the ferry terminal and they all charged the same price for the whole day. Fortunately I managed to get one of the last e-bikes still available. It would have been difficult for me to ride up the roads to Chichu Art Museum without an e-bike.
My only reservation of the day was Chichu Art Museum at 14:00. This gave me some time to visit the Honmura side of the island where the Art House Projects were. I ended up visiting the Ando Museum, which was a rather small place that introduced the architect Ando Tadao. In retrospect, I probably should have visited the Art House Project places instead.
Riding from east to west towards Chichu was rough, even with an e-bike. I did not properly adjust the seat height and my calves suffered for it. By the way, the Benesse museum staffs do not allow people to ride their bikes along the coastal path where the Yellow Pumpkin is. Chichu Art Museum however was very much worth visiting, with its interesting architecture and art works, plus a rewarding view at its cafe.
The island notably did not have too many places to eat, relative to the number of tourists. I went to Chikurin 5 minutes before the old man opened the door. The man managed the entire place on his own and only served 8 guests for the evening. While the food was not the best I had for the trip, the place easily had the best vibe. It was just fun and relaxing to talk with other locals and tourists for the 2 hours I was there.
Day 3 - Teshima: There was only one item on the itinerary today: Teshima Art Museum. I took a ferry from Miyanoura port to Teshima, and quickly started exploring after picking up the e-bike I reserved ahead of time. This island was beautiful, with its old villages, farms along the hills, and the seas around it. After a few turns I found a scenic spot to take some photos. The Teshima Art Museum was amazing. Some people recommend against looking it up before going, and I'd agree. Take your time there. After the museum, I just rode the e-bike around the rest of the island. I'd suggest visiting the south side of the island. There are no tourist attractions but I liked the views there also.
I returned to Naoshima for the night. Dinner was curry rice near the hotel.
Day 4 - Naoshima, Takamatsu: Started the morning with a very nice cup of cappuccino. I rented an e-bike again, and revisited the Honmura area for Minamidera, which I should not spoil. I spent a bit more time visiting roads and outdoor attractions that I missed on day 2. Then I took the ferry to Takamatsu before noon.
Obviously I had to try udon in Takamatsu once I arrived. For the afternoon I visited the Shikoku Mura, a very good place to see historic buildings and artifacts from the region. Outside the museum, there was an infrequent bus that took me uphill to Yashima temple and observation deck. From there I could see the city, the hills behind it, and the nearby islands.
It took more than an hour to take the bus and train from Yashima to Kawaramachi, where my hotel was. The location was excellent, just one stop from Ritsurin-Koen and the harbour. The Kotoden line to Yashima also started there.
Day 5 - Takamatsu, Ogijima: Another early start to visit Ritsurin-Koen to avoid the crowd. This is the best garden I visited on this trip (out of two). The lakes, trees, bridges, and rocks are all masterfully laid out. The hill behind it forms a nice backdrop. Walking the entire garden took about 2 hours.
I had a beef udon for an early lunch with some tempura on the side. The place was popular with locals. The food was good and quite cheap even by Japan standard. I took a ferry to Ogijima. There is a village built along the hill facing the harbour. I really liked the view from the shrine at the top of the village towards the sea. The village itself noticeably has quite a few abandoned houses, and most of the locals are old, but there is a surprisingly nice school building.
I took a late afternoon train to Okayama. Unfortunately for me, there was a marathon in Okayama the next day and the hotels were expensive for the night. I ended up staying at a guesthouse about 15 minutes walk away from the station.
Day 6 - Kurashiki, Okayama: I spent the morning in Kurashiki to avoid the marathon. The main attraction was of course the historical quarter with the canal. The view was alright, and I took a nice photo or two. There was even a couple taking wedding photos on a boat. For me the shops selling denim products were more interesting. I saw a few rather unique designs that I did not recall seeing elsewhere. I would later regret not buying a jacket there.
In the afternoon I visited the main attractions Okayama had to offer. With Ritsurin still fresh in my mind, I was quite disappointed by Okayama's Korakuen. It just felt too open and flat, with only a handful of beautiful spots. I am sure it'd be much better during cherry blossom and peak autumn colour. The Okayama castle nearby was nice from the outside. Inside may be worth a visit if you are interested in its history.
Day 7 - Onomichi: Took a long local train ride from Okayama to Onomichi. Here I met up with my sister and a cousin (they each had other plans). The small city is beautiful and absolutely worth at least one whole day. We took the cable car up to the observation deck. The view from there is phenomenal. Then we slowly strolled downhill through some temples, stopping here and there for a drink or snack. The shopping street across the railroad had some nice shops and cafes to chill for the rest of the afternoon. The ramen lunch at Shoya was the best ramen I had for this trip, very much worth the 15 minutes wait.
Day 8 - Shimanami Kaido Onomichi to Omishima: We picked up a cross bike from the rental place near the ferry. With a reservation you can avoid lining up for too long. The short ferry ride (with dozens of school children) took us to the starting point on the nearby island. The routes are clearly marked the whole way. With the provided map and smart phone, it's very easy to navigate. There were uphill sections when approaching a bridge, but they were not hard to ride up with the cross bike. I saw other people struggle with those city bikes with a basket. So may be don't get those. The oranges and lemons from the local area are very, very good. And needless to say, the views are fantastic. We ended the day at Omishima, staying at an Airbnb guesthouse.
Day 9 - Shimanami Kaido Omishima to Imabari, Matsuyama: A special mention for the host because she kindly booked the dinner for us, and advised us to take a turn to the northern coastal path on Oshima. The hardest part of the cycling route is probably the uphill section on Oshima. We took the right turn as suggested at about halfway through the island. It took us to some shipbuilding industrial area, where we randomly walked into the best pastry shop that I can remember. After that was more great coastal views and the longest bridge of the trip. we ended the ride at Imabari station and took a bus to the Dogo Onsen area in Matsuyama. We stayed at a ryokan to reward ourselves with onsen and kaiseki ryori after two days of biking.
Day 10 - Matsuyama, Hiroshima: Visited the Matsuyama Castle in the morning. Being lazy, we took the ropeway to go up. The castle area is on top of a hill and the castle complex is quite large, with several watchtowers and gates. Inside there are some exhibitions with the usual armors, weapons, and other artifacts. From the top floor of the tenshukaku, one can see a sweeping view of the nearby area.
I also should mention the orange juice. There are quite a few places selling orange juice. Some offer a variety of orange juice. Some offer orange juice on a tap. I would soon come to miss the orange, hassaku, and lemon from this area.
The ferry to Hiroshima was quite a long trip, but the ship was comfortable with many types of seats to offer. There is even an area where you can lie down, if you like. We arrived in late afternoon. There was not much to do other than okonomiyaki (at Nagataya, expect long lineup) for dinner and some shopping.
Day 11 - Miyajima: Everyone knows about the famous torii gate in the water. We checked the high and low tide times and made sure to visit at both times. It was unfo...
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