Our story
In 2020, Shikoku Tours joined the All Nippon Travel Agents Association, and in 2021, we joined the Adventure Travel and Trade Association. We work with local government and DMOs to develop new tourism content, establishing Shikoku Tours as the island’s leading DMC.
WHY TRAVEL WITH SHIKOKU TOURS?
Shikoku Tours specialises in travel on the island of Shikoku. Since we’re licensed travel agents, we can also arrange your travel within Japan to Shikoku too.
We work closely with local transport and accommodation providers who would otherwise be left out of the inbound tourism market. Their personal attention to your comfort and enjoyment is what makes your trip to Shikoku special. Shikoku is our home, so we know it best, and we can show you places you wouldn’t otherwise know about.
Shikoku Tours offers both package tours and customised travel options, so you’re sure to find a trip that suits your budget and travel style. Travel around Shikoku requires knowledge of complex transportation and accommodation options. We manage all this for you and provide real time support.
We’re the experts for the Shikoku Pilgrimage and Shikoku adventure travel, with connections to suppliers and guides for all types of outdoor activity.
We look forward to serving you.
12-23-1202 Dogo Yunomachi Matsuyama,
Ehime Prefecture 790-0842 Japan
License No. 2-217 Ehime Prefecture
About us
Yutaka Nakano—Chairman and CEO of Shikoku Tours
A native of Hiroshima, Yutaka Nakano attended Kyoto University and began a career in passenger sales and flight operations at Japan Airlines upon graduation. He was eventually promoted to CEO/CFO of JALPAK Europe (Germany and UK) where he gained experience travel agency management. In 2007 he transferred to JTB Global Marketing and Travel as an executive officer, where he was in charge of developing new inbound-related business, including launching Boutique JTB, an inbound brand geared toward high-income clientele. After retiring from JTB in 2011, he worked as a private management consultant in Ehime prefecture and in the public sector as a member of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, providing management support to 2,000 small and medium-size businesses. In 2020 he launched Shikoku Tours, now Shikoku’s leading inbound tour operator. As Representative Director, he is in charge of general management and domestic sales, including official sales. He has also continued his work as a management consultant, and is active in supporting local enterprises and the development of tourist areas in Shikoku and beyond.
Ayaka Sakamoto – Coordinator, French & English speaking Guide
Ayaka was born and raised in Northern Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture. After gaining professional experience in human resources and IT at major national companies, moved to France, changing gears in order to pursue her passion for the French language.
She undertook intensive fulltime studies in France, attending a language school and doing homestays as well as participating in a language internship in the south of the country. She also traveled extensively throughout both western and eastern Europe. From these experiences, she discovered her fascination with the European, particularly French, tourism industry, as well as the cultural differences between France and Japan.
After returning to Japan, Ayaka spent the next 10 years building a career in the tourism industry as a travel planner and guide, working with major Japanese and French travel agencies to develop authentic, culturally sustainable tourism content before relocating to Shikoku’s Ehime Prefecture in 2021. She quickly realized the enormous untapped potential of Shikoku’s inbound tourism market. With the goal of sharing Shikoku’s natural splendor and cultural heritage with inbound clients, she joined Shikoku Tours in 2022.
Isao Murashita—Coordinator, German & English speaking Guide
Isao is a native of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. He is a national Licensed Guide Interpreter in English and German with diverse qualifications as a Camping Instructor, Sake Advisor, Shrine Guide, Sweets Concierge, Onsen Sommelier and more. Passionate about sustainable tourism, he is a certified Level 1 instructor with Leave No Trace and has a Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism from GSTC. Isao also knows a great deal about Buddhist temples from his long experience as a walking pilgrim. If you’re unsure what to order at a restaurant, just ask Isao! He’s eager to recommend local foods and unique sweets that perfectly suit your tastes. He’s always happy to take fantastic photos to document your adventure.
Koei Ervin—English speaking Guide
Originally from the United States, Koei studied Japanese religions at university and spent time studying abroad in India before coming to Japan in 2016 as an English teacher.
Deeply drawn to the spiritual connection between nature and spirituality in Japan, he began studying Shugendo (mountain asceticism) and the esoteric Buddhism of Kobo Daishi while continuing his teaching career.
In 2022, he relocated to Shikoku to follow in the footsteps of Kobo Daishi. The following year, in 2023, he formally ordained as a priest at Fukusho-ji Temple in Wakayama, and his studies are ongoing. He now plays a vital role as one of our key international team members, contributing to B2B overseas sales and guiding services for the Shikoku Pilgrimage and adventure tourism, as well as advising tourism boards and DMCs on how to include religious activities in their itineraries sustainably and respectfully.