Shikoku and Kyūshū Testimonial
Shikoku and Kyūshū Testimonial
Occasionally we receive testimonials that are too long for Google Reviews. Here’s one that we particularly wanted to share. Thank you Elaine and Aubrey for visiting and for sharing your impressions!
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Several years ago, my wife and I had a trip to Shikoku planned. We had even made our deposit. And then Covid happened. Years later – after only brief excursions under our belts and with the old Shikoku itinerary in hand – we were ready once again to do some serious traveling. But the original company had retired itself.
Then we chanced upon Shikoku Tours.
With Ms. Aiko Sanagi as our coordinator, an itinerary was developed which covered all we had previously hoped for, with a bonus! Aiko devoted months to our dream vacation and, with the greatest of patience, gave very dependable responses to our many queries and requests.
Our trip, in October and early November, 2024, was filled with memories that will warm our hearts forever. Prior to our departure, we arranged for a portable WIFI device and JR Rail passes for our convenience. (We even got the green passes for additional comfort.)
Landing in Fukuoka with a built-in day to spare, we followed Aiko’s suggestion and traveled by rail to the small station of Yoshinogari, where we ventured on a 10-minute walk to Yoshinogari Historical Park. Here we were absorbed within the history of the Yayoi period (300 B.C. to 300 A.D.) (A volunteer even latched onto us and shared wonderful bits of information about the reconstructed ceremonial halls, pit dwellings, elevated storehouses, tombs, and more.) We finished our tour with a beer and some pupu.
The following day found us at the beginning of our trip’s main purpose – a visit to quiet, hidden Shikoku.
Once again, we had a built-in free day, and – from our base in Dōgo – we took in the historic town teeming with tourists – Japanese and otherwise – dressed in kimono, yukata, haori, and geta. Included in our outings was a guided venture into the 3,000-year-old, castle-styled Dōgo Onsen Honkan, thought to be the oldest hot spring in Japan. We also visited the Dōgo Giyaman Glass Museum, climbed an easy route to the Yu Shrine, trekked along malls and narrow alleyways lined with souvenir shops and restaurants, and scheduled a private soak at Asaka No Yu in an onsen modelled after the Emperor’s own royal bath at the previously mentioned Dōgo Onsen Honkan.
The following day we met our driver, Fuji-san – arranged by Aiko – who proceeded to whisk us through the next eleven days as if in a blur. With only the two of us sharing a spacious van with our driver, we were able to relax and enjoy everything that unfolded before us. We thrilled to Ehime citrus, climbed the steep stairs of Matsuyama Castle, toured the Ehime Prefecture Museum, boated peacefully along the Shimanto River, enjoyed a historical sake brewery, toured a famous Kabuki Theatre, ferried to Naoshima (with its Chichu and Benesse Museums), cherished charming anecdotes behind meaningful scarecrows, slowly and carefully crossed a woven vine bridge, grounded, kneaded, flattened, cut, and boiled soba noodles, then ate them, visited the Heike Museum, trekked through a wax-production manor, ventured through a restored historical pharmacy, learned about the people of the sea (Kaizoku), rode the practically inaccessible Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari scenic rail, peered into awe-inspiring temples and beautiful shrines, wandered through exquisite tranquil gardens, quenched our thirst at a teahouse where members of the second G7 summit met in 2023, interacted with some of the warmest and most generous locals, ate absolutely some of the finest foods on the planet – including, conch, squid, turban shell, and maguro; and smiled broadly – realizing just how lucky we were.
Towns and villages we visited include Okayama, Dōgo, Imabari, Matsuyama, Uchiko, Seiyo, Kochi, Katsurahama, Nakatosa, Kotohira, Takamatsu, Tadotsu, Nagoro, Ochiai, Miyoshi, and Kagawa. Access roads were sometimes long, winding, narrow, and a little frightening. Fuji-san drove with care and skill.
When we mentioned to him that we were looking to replace a faulty shoyu bottle at home, Fuji-san made a slight detour and landed us at a shop where we were not only delighted to find the object of our search, but were surprisingly gifted by the owner with amazingly colourful obi and delicate lacquerware.
Fuji-san continued to astound us with unanticipated wonders. We had been advised that he was not a guide, but a driver. But we found him to be more than resourceful with his local knowledge, easy personality, and polished expertise. Fuji-san’s English was excellent; and his love and appreciation of his home island, Shikoku, and his home town, Matsuyama, shone through.
In Nagoro, we chanced upon a competition for the country’s best folksinger of the year. “Please!” Fuji-san implored, politely as always, “Would you mind if I spent a few moments here?” It was a wonderful few minutes as we witnessed a young lady from his own hometown humbly take the warranted victory. The audience was moved as she was bestowed with gifts and rewards.
Our Shikoku Tours itinerary was listed as Unique Accommodation, and the title says it all. From a sheltered seaside family-run resort to a secluded mountain retreat, almost all of our lodgings included onsen – or at the very least – furo. We were able to soak to our hearts’ content, luxuriating in our surroundings. A 2-story townhouse in Uchiko was so roomy we actually got lost navigating our way from room to room. Another 2-story structure blessed us with peaceful sleep in vast traditional, quiet surroundings. Both of these sported expansive, manicured courtyards.
Almost all of the places we stayed offered lavish, multi-coursed Japanese meals with a focus on specialties of the areas. Our 2 nights at the spectacular Tōgenkyo Iya lodging was accessed from a mountainous road across a wooden foot-bridge and consisted of 2 thatch-roofed, 100+ year old cottages, one with a central, warming hearth and the other with a look into a century-old root cellar. Morning and evening views across the valley provided wonderful mountain peaks playing hide and seek with buoyant clouds. Neighbours were nowhere visible.
As rustic as some of our distinctive settings were, they came with all the modern amenities one might expect from five-star resorts – and more! Our lodgings absolutely made the trip!
If there is one thing we would change upon redoing this adventure, it would be to stay a minimum of two nights at most of the lodgings to absorb the uniqueness, beauty, and cultural traditions of each locale – not to mention the graciousness of our wonderfully accommodating hosts and hostesses.
When our time on Shikoku came to an end, we sadly said goodbye to Fuji-san, who had navigated us through many of the customs, history, culinary arts, and beauty of this land of the Four Kingdoms. He had taken us from the Seto Inland Sea to the Pacific Ocean and back. And he even introduced us to an app we installed on one of our phones as an aid when sharing photos and information.
Even with this sounding like a conclusion to our story, our connection to Shikoku Tours was not yet done. With a nudge from Aiko, we had accepted her suggestion to do an overnight trip to Mount Aso from Fukuoka before we departed Japan. With Sekimoto-san as our new driver, we were ushered to the beginning of a gentle scenic hike of picturesque Kikuchi Gorge, where we traipsed alongside a rushing river complete with spirited rapids and cascading falls. We visited a museum with connections to our Hawaiian home and another focused on the volcanic history of Mount Aso, followed by a panoramic view of the mountain itself. We were inspired by Aso Jinja shrine, which was reborn through 7 years of strategic craftsmanship after having been demolished by a powerful earthquake in 2016. We enjoyed sweets at a private tea tasting experience, toured the Koishiwara shop of (and bought from) a retailer with an expansive repository of ceramics, and excited to unparalleled views into the gripping throat of the active, sulphureous crater of Nakodate.
Once again, our lodging was not to be outdone – the ryokan kazokuburo of Iyashi No Sato satisfied our deepest wishes with a view to Mount Aso from its ensuite onsen as well as an exceptional dinner and traditional breakfast beyond compare.
By the time our 18 days in Japan were done, we had consumed barnacles, conch, clams, horse meat, oden (4 times!), tonkatsu, live baby abalone, creamy ramen, ebi, ika, uni, unagi, sea weed, sea bream, sashimi, sushi, and so much more as we delighted to our stimulating adventures which included, of course, riding the shinkansen multiple times, and – on our own – making a side trip to explore steaming Sakurajima Island.
We had created memories to be savoured.
And we came to appreciate ume-konbu tea so much, we sought it out as omiyage to share with friends at home along with Naoshima salted caramels, odd udon candies, delicately crafted hashi, an ornately designed table runner, and other matchless treasures from innumerable points of interest along our unforgettable way.
We highly recommend Shikoku Tours and particularly Aiko Sanagi, who went to extraordinary efforts to include all that we had hoped for during our limited time on the island.
And there was a second bonus – the trip was nothing if not affordable. We got so much more than our money’s worth from all the arrangements Aiko produced, all the questions she answered, and all the investigations she made into our wants, whims, and wishes! We scored!
Thank you, Aiko!
Thank you, Shikoku Tours!
And thank you, Japan!
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