Wrapping Up Your Japan Adventure with Miyajima and Shikoku

Unwind in Japan’s countryside with scenic hikes, historic gems, and serene escapes before heading back to Tokyo.

Dear Jane,

Welcome to our last week in Japan. I spent more time in nature, exploring Shikoku, one of Japan’s hidden gems, and wrapped up my whole journey in Tokyo with some shopping. While this isn’t a traditional itinerary, I wanted to share some experiences and suggestions you might not have considered.

There’s a lot I still wish I could have done in Japan! My time in Shikoku was shortened because my friend Japanese Caleb, an English teacher through the JET program, learned at the last minute that he needed to attend his school’s festival. And of course, I didn’t make it to Hokkaido, Japan’s northern island, or Okinawa, Japan’s Hawaii.

Day 1  – Miyajima by Day & Shikoku by Night

Morning: Hiking in Miyajima

Points of Interest

• Momijidani Park
  • Miyajima Ropeway
  • Eternal Flame
  • Mt. Misen Observatory

Route

After eating your incredible Japanese breakfast in your ryokan, pack up your belongings and leave them at the front desk.

Walk to the Miyajima Ropeway, which is located in Momijidani Park. From Jukesio, it’s a 17-minute walk. There’s a shuttle bus that runs from the park entrance to the Ropeway station. I recommend walking to the station now and grabbing the shuttle on the way back.

The Miyajima Ropeway consists of two separate gondolas that take you across a small mountain to Mt. Misen. A round trip ticket costs ¥2,000, and one way costs ¥1,100. It’s possible to hike from Momijidani Park to the summit of Mt. Misen. It takes approximately 1.5-2.5 hours. Note that the Miyajima Ropeway closes at 4:00 pm, so if you miss the last gondola, you’ll need to hike down.

The first gondola seats 4 people, while the second accommodates around 20 standing. From the last station, you’ll see a map depicting multiple hiking routes with little off-shoots.

Mt. Misen is a holy mountain, first climbed by Kobo Daishi, a Buddhist monk. He founded several temples on the mountainside, all of which can be visited.

Upon exiting the station, take the path to your right that goes downhill. This will lead you to the summit and Mt. Misen Observatory, where there are bathrooms and fantastic views. The hike to the observatory takes approximately 1 hour, but it may take you longer if you stop at temples along the way.

One of note is Reikeido, which is home to the Eternal Flame, lit by Kobo Daishi himself. The Flame of Peace in the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park was lit from the Eternal Flame.

Hike back to the Miyajima Ropeway station and return to the bottom. Take the shuttle to the entrance of Momijidani Park. Note that the shuttle is first come, first served. This matters if you’re trying to make a specific ferry time.

From the park entrance, walk to the ferry terminal. This takes approximately 18 minutes. Miyajima Jukesio offers free luggage services, so if you didn’t already arrange a luggage drop-off time with them, call them while you’re walking to the ferry.

Afternoon: Travel to Shikoku

Shikoku is the smallest of Japan’s four main islands and the least visited. In fact, I couldn’t find anything about it in the guidebooks I read! I only learned more about it because my friend Caleb moved there to teach English. For visitors, it’s probably best known for the Shikoku Henro, a Buddhist pilgrimage that includes 88 temples and loops around the entire island. Camping enthusiasts are drawn to it for its mountains, river valleys, and pristine forests. Caleb also mentioned that Shikoku has unique insects that evolved in isolation from species on the larger islands, as it lagged behind in train and road transportation compared to other parts of Japan.

Point of Interest

• Great Seto Bridge

Route

Now begins the journey to Shikoku! Get on the ferry back to the mainland, and back on the JR San’yo Main Line (Okayama-Shimonoseki) and ride it to Hiroshima Station. That’s 9 stops and 27 minutes after a 45 minute long ferry.

At Hiroshima Station, transfer to the Kodama Shinkansen, and ride 6 stops (1 Hr 17 Min ) to Okayama Station. In Okayama, switch to the Nanpu Regional Line and ride 7 stops (1 Hr 20 Min) to Awa Ikeda Station. Along the way, you’ll cross the Great Seto Bridge, which is a set of 11 different bridges that cross the span of the Seto Inland Sea. This is different from the Naruto Strait, but you can see a number of Naruto, aka whirlpools, while the train crosses the bridge.

Evening: Arrive in Shikoku

From Awa Ikeda, we took a local bus to my friend’s apartment. After settling in for a moment, we ran some errands and drove through several mountains to a local conveyor belt sushi restaurant.

Accommodations

I stayed with my friend, but a nearish-by option is Heso Salon & Camp. It’s a hostel. There are three other inns in Ikeda that range in price from about $60 to $200 per night.

Day 2 – Shikoku Walkabout & Tokyo Travel

Shikoku may be the smallest of the four main islands, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get around! It’s very mountainous and traveling takes a long time. It’s gorgeous and not as developed as other places in Japan, so there’s plenty to take in on your journey.

Late Morning: Walk Around the Block

Points of Interest

• Yoshino River
• Okawa Bridge Ruins
• Site of Ori Post Office

Route

Without time to complete the Shikoku Henro, I settled on a 2-3 hour walk “around the block.” From my friend’s apartment, I was able to see the Okawa Bridge ruins and the Site of Ori Post Office. The latter is a former movie set.

This walk took me along the beautiful Yoshino River and up through some mountain roads. The mountain roads were pretty slippery but incredible.

Afternoon: Ikeda

Points of Interest

• Ikeda
• Ikeda Dam

Route

After my walk, I gathered my things and took the Iya or Deai bus to Ikeda, which is not a major city, but it’s a major transportation hub in this area. These buses take cash only, and display the fare on a stop by stop basis. You pay upon disembarkation.

I ate lunch and then walked through town, viewing the Ikeda Dam before going to the train station. The water at the Ikeda Dam is beautiful!

Dining

Lunch at Heso Salon & Camp. 1804-9 Ikedacho Sarada, Miyoshi, Tokushima 778-0002, Japan

Yes! This restaurant is at the alternative accommodations I suggested. It is a cute little café that sells local handmade goods as well as food comprised of local ingredients, like boar. Their dinner menu features a more expansive game menu, but for lunch, you can get a boar-dog.

Shopping

Heso Salon & Bar is located on a sheltered shopping street, and there are a few shops to wander in and out of. The 7-11 at Ikeda Station is also a great place to pop into. It has an entire section dedicated to regional gifts.

Mid-afternoon: Travel to Tokyo

Route

Back to Tokyo! Take the JR Nanpu Regional Line seven stops back to Okayama (1 Hr 27 Min) and switch to the Sakura Shinkansen. Take the Sakura two stops to Shin-Osaka (45 Min). At Shin-Osaka, transfer to the Hikari Shinkansen and ride that to Tokyo Station. You’ll spend 2 Hr 45 Min on the Hikari.

Transfer to the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line-Negishi Line, and ride for six stops (12 Min) to the Nippori Station.

Evening: Arrive in Tokyo

Nippori

Nippori is Tokyo’s textile district, and it’s a bit more residential and less active than Asakusa. It has a collection of buildings with older architecture, small cafés and shops, and is well connected to other parts of Tokyo and Narita Airport. In fact, it’s home to the terminal station for the Keisei Skyliner.

Accommodations

Hotel Owl Tokyo Nippori. 6 Chome-59-3 Higashinippori, Arakawa City, Tokyo 116-0014, Japan

This is a hostel with pod dorms, which emulates capsule hotels. The best feature might just be the live owl that lives in the dining area. He’s just for looking at, no petting.

Day 3 – Last Chance Tokyo & Shopping Day

Morning: Ghibli Clock

Points of Interest

• Ghibli Clock

Route

From Nippori Station, catch the JR Yamanote Line or JR Keihin-Tohoku Line to Shimbashi Station. Both lines will take you on an 8-stop, 30 minute journey. At Shimbashi Station, you’re going to walk underground for quite a bit, following signs towards the exits for the Shiodome. However, you’re not going to follow them all the way.

Upon exiting the station, you’ll find yourself outside the Nippon Television (NTV) headquarters. Go upstairs or escalators to find the NTV Big Clock, also known as the Ghibli Clock. It’s a massive cuckoo clock designed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. The clock has four “shows” throughout the day, starting at 12:00 pm noon and continuing at three hour intervals.

If you’ve arrived early in the morning, you may not want to stay. This area has a lot of retail that opens a bit later in the morning, and is otherwise a business district.

Mid-Morning: Ikebukuro & Sunshine City

Ikebukuro is a commercial and entertainment district, most famous for Sunshine City. It’s home to many well known international brands, as well as Japanese brands. Expect to encounter a lot of people!

Points of Interest

• Sunshine City
  • Pikachu Sweets Café
  • Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo
  • One Piece Mugiwara Store

Route

After departing the Ghibli Clock, take the JR Yamanote Line from Shimbashi Station to Ikebukuro Station. This is a 30-minute ride. It’s about a 15-minute walk from the station to Sunshine City, one of Tokyo’s large entertainment and shopping complexes.

There are multiple entrances. Use your map app to get there from the station, but keep an eye out for closer entrances. Some of them involve walking down long hallways that don’t necessarily look like they belong in a mall.

You want to arrive just before the Pikachu Sweets Café opens, as drinks, food and merchandise can sell out during the day. It opens at 10:00 am.

Dining

Pikachu Sweets Café. Japan, 〒170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 3 Chome−1−2 サンシャインシティ 専門店街アルパ 2F

If waking up at an odd hour to try to beat out thousands of people with the click of your mouse for a reservation at the Pokémon Café is too much for you, or your totally failed to succeed in winning a reservation, Pikachu Sweets Café is a cute, reservation-free, alternative. Arrive early if there’s a specific item you want to purchase.

Tamago to Watashi. Japan, 〒170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 3 Chome−1, サンシャインシティ 専門店街アルパ 3F

If you didn’t get to try omurice, this restaurant’s entire menu is almost entirely omurice, and your chance to try it!

Shopping

Sunshine City is a mall, and there’s plenty of shopping to do. For the fans out there, you’ll find the Pokémon Center MEGA Tokyo, the largest Pokémon Center in Japan; Snoopy Town Shop, for all your Snoopy (and Peanuts) merch; and the One Piece Mugiwara shop. There are a number of other stores that sell anime merchandise.

For the non-Anime and manga fans out there, Sunshine City offers a number of other stores worth exploring. Japan has very different fashion than the United States, but also has stores called “American Holic.” If you’re buying items, make sure you’re paying attention to VAT-free buying options.

Afternoon: Kappa Neighborhood & Souvenirs

Kappabashi is a fun neighborhood in Taito Ward. It’s named Kappa, one of Japan’s mythical creatures. If you played Harvest Moon: Back to Nature, you probably remember throwing cucumbers into the mountain river for the Kappa. They’re water sprites that look like humans crossed with turtles, and they kind of have a duck face.

In any case, Kappabashi has a lot of Kappa going on, including a temple dedicated to them.

Points of Interest

• Sōgenji Temple

Route

Leave Ikebukuro on the JR Yamanote Line, and take it 8 stops to Ueno Station. Sōgenji Temple is a 15-minute walk from the station.

Kappabashi is a mix of commercial and residential, and you’ll find the main thoroughfare, Kappabashi-dori Street to be an interesting one. It’s filled with restaurant and kitchen supply stores, including fake food stores. Sōgenji Temple is located on one of the residential streets, and I’ll admit I couldn’t find it. I mean, Google Maps said I was standing on top of it, but I didn’t see a cucumber piled altar to the Kappa anywhere.

Shopping

If you needed Japanese specialty cookware, or the plastic food models you’ve seen in every restaurant you’ve been to in Japan, Kappabashi, also nicknamed Kitchen Town, is your opportunity to make your purchase.

Late-Afternoon: Asakusa

Points of Interest

• Kaminarimon (Kaminari Gate)
• Nakamise-dori
• Hōzōmon Gate
• Senso-ji

Route

Return back to Asakusa for some last minute souvenir shopping. As a carry-on only traveler, I try to wait until the last moment so that I know what I can actually carry.

You can walk about 15 minutes straight down Kappabashi-dori Street, towards the Sumida River, and you’ll hit the Senso-ji Temple complex. Kappabashi and Asakusa are connected by a few buses, but they take slightly longer than walking.

Shopping

Revisit some of the shops you checked out in Week 1.

Evening: Relax & Pack

Repack and get your last Japanese Netflix & Chill in before a very long day.

Route

Day 4 – Last Walk in Nippori and Departure

Morning: Post Office & Nippori Walkabout

Spend your last morning wandering through Nippori to take a look at the cute cafés and the charming neighborhood. Stop in the post office near the JR station to mail any postcards you didn’t send before.

Afternoon: Departure

Route

The Keisei Skyliner takes you directly from Nippori Station to Narita International Airport in under 40 minutes. Via JR transportation only, it’s a 6-stop ride on the JR Yamanote Line to Tokyo Station, and then a 50-minute ride on the Narita Express from there.

Shikoku, for someone with more time.

There are a couple of things I would’ve seen if I’d had more time in Shikoku. This is what I would have seen and done if I’d had more time.

Unpenji Temple

Seeing Unpenji Temple, which is the 66th temple on the Henro. For reference on its proximity and the terrain in Shikoku, it’s a 29-minute drive away, which is a 4 hour walk and 5 hour public transport journey. In preparing for my trip and trying to research Shikoku, the only significant thing I found was Robert C. Sibley’s book, The Way of the 88 Temples: Journeys on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.

Iya Valley Vine Bridges

One of the clans that populated Shikoku in the feudal era lived here and would build these bridges to retreat across during and then cut off their enemies by literally hacking away the bridge. Some of the bridges withstood time, and you can walk across them.

Nagoro Scarecrow Village

Nagoro is an example of Japan’s declining rural population. As of 2023, there are just about 30 humans living in this village, most of whom are over the age of 70. One of them started creating dolls in the likeness of former residents and has arranged them around town in various vignettes depicting small town life.

Hinoji Valley/Iya Riverbend Viewpoint

Hinoji Valley from the Iya Riverbend Viewpoint has a lush green resemblance to Arizona’s Horseshoe Bend/Tóóh Bikooh. I’m sure both are breathtaking in person.

Thank You!

Thank you for joining me on this unforgettable journey through Japan! This trip was full of incredible experiences that ticked off bucket list items and that I’d never even imagined I’d have. I hope these itineraries inspire your own adventures and help you plan a trip that’s just as amazing.

If you’ve just joined me for this third-week itinerary, you can read the first two weeks here.

<3 Katherine