Japan's Setouchi region has a storied past, told through its castles, cuisine and culture. Visitors to the destination in 2025 can experience this living history in unique ways - whether its staying in the first Japanese castle to offer overnight stays, relaxing like a samurai in Nagato Yumoto Onsen, enjoying the spellbinding theatre of ningyo-joruri or training to be a ninja at iconic Himeji Castle. Each makes up a thread in the rich tapestry of the Setouchi region and Japanese history. 

Lord it up at Ozu Castle

Ozu city in Ehime prefecture is a town that retains an atmosphere of the Edo period (1603 - 1868) with its historic buildings and sites. Among these is Ozu Castle which was restored in 2004 using painstaking techniques that have since been awarded UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status. The castle now offers the first overnight castle stay in Japan. 

With the experience limited to one reservation per night, and just 30 nights each year, it's an exclusive opportunity to enjoy the mystical privacy of the castle grounds - accompanied only by the butlers and chefs facilitating your stay. Accommodation includes a lounge, bathhouse and dinner that faithfully reproduces the dishes eaten by Sadayasu Kato, former lord of castle, as recorded in historical documents. After dinner enjoy a cup of local sake at the Koran Yagura where the samurais would sit to take in the views of the moon. Breakfast is served in the Garyu Sanso Villa, a stunning tea-ceremony arbor in a scenic spot on the Hiji River. Ozu Castle offers a variety of special experiences to make a stay even more immersive, starting with a reenactment of the Kato family's entry into Ozu Castle in 1617, when guests receive an appointment as lord of the castle for a day.

The Ozu Castle overnight stay is available between March and July, and September through November (not available in August and December-February). Maximum six people per booking and reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance. Rates including accommodation, breakfast and dinner, and start from YEN 308,000pp (£1,580) for a group of six and from Yen 660,000pp (£3,384) per person for a group of two. Prices correct as of December 2024. A portion of the cost goes towards preserving local cultural assets. 

Relax like a samurai in Nagato City

Nagato Yumoto Onsen is a small hot spring resort in the mountains of Yamaguchi prefecture that dates back around 600 years and is famous as a place where samurai warriors went to soothe their fatigue. Also known as Osoto Tengoku ('outside heaven') the entire town recently underwent a significant revitalisation and reopened in 2020 with its river flowing through the middle of a spa area lined with inns, restaurants, cafes, river terraces, benches and rest areas. Some of the inns are highly-rated ryokans including:

• Hoshino Resorts KAI Nagato - a hot spring ryokan that opened in March 2020. Modeled on Edo period accommodation built to entertain the Shogun, the 40 rooms are ornamented with traditionally crafted Hagi pottery, papercraft, glass and Ouchi lacquer works. There are baths fed by 13 different water sources, including a private outdoor bath in the Japanese-style Suite. Dinner is a kaiseki course meal showcasing local ingredients with a Japanese platter available for children under 11 years old. Price from YEN 19,000 (£97) per night as of December 2024 (check in from 3pm, check out by 12pm).
• Otani Sanso Bettei Otozure - a luxury ryokan focused around hot spring therapy and recently awarded One Key in MICHELIN's new hotel ratings. With just 18 rooms it has the feel of a private villa with a choice of tatami or Western-style rooms all featuring floor to ceiling windows and private open-air hot spring baths with views of the forest and starry skies. The restaurant, Unyu, serves a kaiseki menu that makes full use of local ingredients with the option of a semi-private dining room. Price from YEN 44,000 (£225) per night as of December 2024, guests must be over 13 years old (check in from 2pm, check out by 11am).

Be captivated by Japanese puppet theatre

Awa Jurobe Yashiki in Tokushima City brings to life one of Japan's three major classical performing arts - puppet theatre or ningyo joruri. Tokushima is famous for indigo production and this artform flourished under the region's indigo dyeing economy. Here, the theatre and museum promote and preserve this centuries-old art form with shows that tell stories of bushido, the code of honour and morals developed by the samurai, accompanied by narration and the music of a shamisen. The puppeteers also give live demonstrations showing how they synchronise their movements to animate the dolls. The city is known for its doll makers who supply theatres across the country, however, 97% of all puppet-show theatres in Japan are located here in the Tokushima prefecture. Open 9.30am to 5pm daily, and until 6pm between 1 July and 31 August. Closed 31 December to 3 January. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.

Embrace your inner Ninja and boatmaster at Himeji Castle

Arguably Japan's most famous castle, Himeji Castle in Hyogo prefecture is a World Heritage Site that's regarded as a masterpiece of wooden architecture and known for its iconic white appearance. Within this magnificent location the castle's experience program offers visitors two very different activities. During a 90-minute Ninja Experience, led by an actor who appeared in the Japanese Super Sentai series, participants are given a ninja name and learn authentic ninja movements including how to use shuriken (a star-shaped weapon) and katana (sword). Meanwhile, the Wasen Uchibori Moat Boat Tour takes place in a traditional Edo-era Japanese row boat, handmade in Himeji, that tours the castle's unique spiral moat and charts over 400 years of war and peace. The Ninja Experience is available on Saturdays and Sundays at 10.30am and 1.30pm. Price from YEN 10,900 (£57). The Wasen Uchibori Moat Boat Tour schedule changes seasonally and can be found here. 

These experiences are all part of Setouchi Journeys, a series of itineraries designed to encourage visitors to mindfully explore deeper into this destination that's rich in centuries-old culture, icons of Japanese cuisine and island idylls. To find out more visit www.setouchi.travel/en.

The Setouchi Region is located in western Japan and surrounds the Seto Inland Sea. To access the region from the UK there are direct flights to Tokyo from London Heathrow with British Airways, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. From there it is between 2hr 40m and 4hr 20m via Shinkansen to stations in the region including Shin-Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, Hiroshima and Shin-Yamaguchi.

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About Setouchi DMO:

Setouchi DMO is comprised of the seven prefectures that make up the Setouchi Region surrounding the Seto Inland Sea and its islands - Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Kagawa, and Ehime. Setouchi Journeys was developed by Setouchi DMO to help make the region more accessible to visitors by dividing the area into four major zones. The Setouchi DMO is a travel brand formed by The Inland Sea, SETOUCHI Tourism Authority, which plans and carries out tourism marketing promotion, and the Setouchi Brand Corporation Inc. that supports tourism product development by utilizing the Setouchi Kanko Kasseika Fund. Their work to promote these destinations to domestic and international visitors aims to revitalise the local economy and create a prosperous regional society through the autonomous and lasting cyclical growth of the Setouchi area. https://setouchitourism.or.jp/en/