There are twelve castles in Japan with main towers dating back to the Edo period, and of these, four are in Shikoku – Marugame, Matsuyama, Uwajima and Kochi. There are also reconstructed castles and historic battle sites that repay exploration.
On this guided tour, we visit the original castles as well as reconstructions such as Kawanoe Castle, and battle sites like the remains of Yuzuki Castle in Dogo. These castles are home to museums richly endowed with medieval weapons and armour, but which also strongly evoke the peacetime lives of their inhabitants.
The castle towns were, and still are, flourishing cultural centres, with pilgrimage temples and shrines, wonderful sake breweries, and expansive gardens where samurai lords relaxed when they weren’t preparing for war.
This tour uses the railways of Shikoku, which pass through some beautiful scenery. All meals are included.
Learn more about the castles in our Shikoku Castles blog.
Who is this tour for?
This tour is for those who like to travel with a guide and a small group of like-minded people. The focus is on history, architecture, and gardens. You’ll also learn a fair bit about sake and food. All of the places visited on the tour can only be accessed by climbing a lot of uneven steps, so you’ll need to be reasonably fit. We use public transport, so we’ll be taking our luggage with us and using station lockers.