Setouchi, the Offbeat Japan itinerary
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All 15 places on this map are pinned at their exact location. Each one comes with a short note on what it is and why it is worth your time. Browsing is free, and with an Ikuzo account you can copy the whole map and reshape it into your own trip.
More places
Takamatsu port
Your base camp for the Inland Sea: ferries to every island, and Sanuki udon on every street corner.
Ritsurin Garden
One of the most beautiful gardens in Japan, without the official ranking or the crowds that come with it.
Ogijima
The lopsided island: steep alleys, cats and fishermen's houses. 40 minutes by ferry, a century back in time.
Megijima
The ogre island from the Momotarō legend, with its cave and quiet beaches.
Naoshima, Miyanoura port
The contemporary art island: Tadao Ando's underground museums, the polka dot pumpkin and a decorated bathhouse.
Manabe-shima
The little cat island sketched by Florent Chavouet. Out of time and off the radar.
Tomonoura
The harbor that inspired Ponyo: a stone lantern, Edo-period lanes and a calm sea.
Abuto Kannon
The vermilion pavilion clinging to a cliff above the Inland Sea.
Takehara, historic district
Hiroshima's little Kyoto: old salt and sake merchant houses, and hardly anyone around.
Ōkunoshima, the rabbit island
Hundreds of free-roaming rabbits on an island with a dark military past. Ferry from Tadanoumi.
Onomichi, Senkō-ji Temple
The town of slopes, temples and cats, and the starting point of the Shimanami Kaidō.
Setoda, Kōsan-ji Temple
A cycling stop on the Shimanami: the kitsch temple and its white marble hill facing the sea.
Dōgo Onsen Honkan
The oldest public bathhouse in Japan, a wooden maze that inspired Spirited Away.
Uchiko, Yokaichi street
An Edo-period village of wax merchants, 30 minutes from Matsuyama and light years away from the crowds.
Miyajima, Itsukushima Shrine
The great torii in the sea. Packed during the day: sleep on the island and see it at sunrise.