Shikoku?
 

We shall be leaving for Japan in three weeks- our first visit.The purpose of the visit is to see our daughter who is studying there until October.
We intend to see as much as we can and meet up with her at weekends.We have a gap in our plans after leaving Kurashiki when we have two days before we meet her in Fukuoka and would like to see Shikoku.We'll have a railpass and would like to know where is best to base ourselves in Shikoku either for one night(possibly travelling on to Miyajima for the second)or two-and then getting to Fukuoka early evening.
I'd be really grateful for any help.
With thanks

You could take the train to Matsuyama. Visit Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama castle. Then take a hydrofoil across the Seto Nai Kai (Inland Sea), a national park area, to Hiroshima.

You can stay in Hiroshima or continue on to Miyajima. From Hiroshima port you would take a street car to JR Hiroshima station and then take a local train to Miyajimaguchi where you get a ferry to Miyajima and, finally, call the place you are staying and have them pick you up (Momijiso, for one, does this).

So, getting from Matsuyama to Miyajima the trip would be a bus, hydrofoil, street car, train, ferry, and car.

But once you got to the JR station in Hiroshima it would be easy to catch a shinkansen to Hakata (Fukuoka).

It is a scenic trip on the train from Okayama to Shikoku and then again on the hydrofoil.

Hello,
I am just back from a 10 days trip to Japan.

The best place we have seen (I have been there with my 18th daughter Letizia) is Naoshima island with its incredible modern art museums and open air installations. Our daytrip there from Kyoto has been:
- one hour JR train ride (1 change) to Uno port,
- 20 minutes ferry to Naoshima,
- visit to Benesse and Chco museums etc. using public bus,
- one hour ferry to Takamatsu,
- visit to Ritsurin park (in our opinion better than the garden in Okayama.
- back to Kyoto using a Shinkansen train (back to mainland on the Seto bridge)

Really a super day!!

Grazie, ciao.

Gianni (Milan, Italy)

Gianni- Is that your 18 year old daughter or is it really your 18th daughter?? ;;)

I visited Matsuyama several years ago and I really enjoyed it. I was there for about five days and I only ran into other Westerners once during my visit. I went to Dogo Onsen and the castle. I was fortunate enough to be visiting a local resident who gave me a wonderful tour every day I was there. I visited a museum/shop that was a producer of a famous indigo type fabric...I can't recall the name. I was also taken to a ceramics manufacturer. We stayed at the Tokyu Hotel which was across the street from the shopping area. It was more reasonably priced than the ANA hotel down the street but probably much less luxurious. Have a wonderful trip it sounds like a great experience to share with your daughter. I am planning my second visit to Japan in the middle of October and I can't wait. I have been longing to return since the last trip ten years ago!

Hi
we spent 2 weeks in Japan and Matsuyama was a real favourite. I think mainly because it was a laid back city, not overrun by tourists and a really interesting network of bars and restaurants.
hope you decide to go!

Giani, I am glad to hear that you enjoyed Naoshima and Takamatsu. I recall when you were planning your trip and I was telling you about those. So you decided to do it as a day trip from Kyoto. How interesting for a day trip. What time did you leave and get back? You are lucky to have seen the art complexes at Naoshima- I was dying to go and it actually provided the impetus to plan a 2nd trip to Japan, but it turned out that the entire Benesse complex was closed the two weeks I was in Japan in April this year. Thanks for reporting back.

Sorry for the misunderstanding ... my English is really poor, I have to improve it!

1) My daughter Letizia is 18 years old, I have another daughter (Erica) and ... that's all.
2) I am sorry, yesterday evening I did a mistake. Our daytrip to Naoshima / Takamatsu started from Okayama and not from Kyoto.
3) We left Okayama around 8,15 a.m. and we returned back at 8 p.m.. If you give a look to the Benesse web site you can the time of train / ferry from Uno / local bus at Naoshima. I used that info to decide the beginning of the trip. On Naoshima local bus are quite often connecting museume and the port. Chicu museum has a private (free) bus, we used it from nesar Benesse to Chicu.
4) Grazie Emd for all the info you gave me in previous messages.
Naoshima is really super, I am sad because I could have been there for only few hours. I hope to have the opportunity to return there.
5) Our 10 days trip to Japan has been really beautifull, unfortunately we had to return back to Italy before the planned date because my Sister in law died.

Ciao to all of you.
Arrivederci.
Gianni P.

I think Okayama is a better starting point than Kyoto for a day trip to Naoshima and Takamatsu, but I am not convinced that it coudl not be doen from Kyoto-- it would just require timing the ferries and trains and it would be a very very long and fast paced day. I think it would be better to leave from Kyoto or Kurashiki, get to Okayama and on to Uno, get the ferry to Naoshima, see the art complex, then go on to Takamatsu and stay there overnight.

Thank you so much for all of your suggestions. I like the sound of Matsuyama . If we based there for one night (arriving possibly from Kurashiki) could we see any of the rest of Shikoku or will our time be better spent in the city?
Is the Tokyu hotel the best option?
With thanks.

There is a town near Matsuyama that I have read about as being worth visiting but can't remember the name. A Tokyu would be ok, if it is near the station and you are planning to take a day trip from Matsuyama.

I stayed at the Hotel Patio Dogo and liked it a lot. Nice room at a good price and it was across the street from the Dogo Onsen honkan. But it is a streetcar ride from the station, so not best as a base for visiting other towns.

Thank you!