Take a rest from the hustle and bustle of modern life and refresh your mind and body?
Authentic experiences to revitalise your mind and body await you in the Setouchi or Seto Inland Sea area. Let's have a look what you can experience in Setouchi.

Zen Experiences at Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens

Zen experiences in Japan are becoming increasingly popular, but the Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens offer something distinctly unique. Visitors can enjoy contemplative ink brush strokes, a cup of tea and savoury foods. Immerse into the world of Zen and let your mind and body rest through the experience of washing away both your physical and mental grime followed by a stroll through the gardens.

Try 1 Day Zen Experience: Eliminate worldly thoughts, put the body, mind and soul in order and take a journey of self-discovery. You can try Heart Sutra zazen (seated meditation), "Five Meal Contemplations", Shagyō (sutra copying) and Gankū-in (tea break) from 9 am to 3 pm.

For those of you who want a deeper meditation experience, stay overnight and join a Zen experience. No smartphones, no TV – just appreciate nature, return to a simple life without technologies or distractions and detox your mind.

You can check-in at 3 pm, experience Zazen and Sutra Chanting followed by tasting healthy, traditional cuisines for your dinner and following breakfast.

You can enjoy walking through the spiritual palace, a restoration of the tea house of Sen-no-rikyu, a Japanese tea master active in the 1500s and developed the Japanese tea culture, and The temple Office, which is built with many pine trees. Even children or those who do not wish to experience Zen can enjoy tasting Matcha green tea with traditional sweets and udon noodles, which was a feast for monks. Furthermore, you could further deepen your understanding of Japanese culture at Shinshoji, which possesses one of the largest collections of Zen paintings and manuscripts. Here, everyone could enjoy the calm and peacefulness of Japanese traditional rituals and cleanse both their mind and body.

Shinshoji Zen Museum and Garden Information

• Opening hours: 9:00-17:00
  *Please check the official website to confirm the opening hours for each experience. Experiences may be needed for reservations.
• Entry Fee: 1500 yen (Adult)
• Address: Kamisanna 91, Numakuma-cho, Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture 720-0401
• Access: 30 minutes by bus from Fukuyama Station, Hiroshima Prefecture
• Website: https://szmg.jp/en/

Cycling to the Kirosan Observatory Park

Enhance your physical health by cycling along the Shimanani Kaido, one of the most popular activities in the Setouchi area. The Shimanami Kaido cycling course is about 70km long, crossing 6 islands with 7 bridges between Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture and Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku Island.

If you are a good cyclist, you may be able to make the round trip in just one day, but as you have to climb up hills to cross the bridges, we recommend staying overnight at a turnaround point in Imabari City or Onomichi City, or any other islands and enjoying the return trip the next day.  Even if you are new to cycling, it’s not a problem! You can choose to only ride a section of the route, with the shortest section about 18km, and you can complete it in about 2 hours. If you get tired, you can take a ferry back to your starting point instead. One of the best things to do while cycling is to take in the spectacular scenery. An observatory park is located at the top of Mt. Kiro at the southernmost point of Oshima Island, and the view from here is known as the most spectacular on the Shimanami Kaido. On clear days the view extends as far as Mt. Ishizuchi, the highest mountain in western Japan. In the evenings, views of the sunset and the illuminated Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridges are exceptional. The observatory itself is unobtrusively located within the mountaintop and surrounded by trees to preserve the natural landscape. Along with the stunning views, the observatory is also acclaimed for its uniqueness designed by Kengo Kuma, winner of the international Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Designed by Kengo Kuma, the world-renowned architect of the Darling Exchange Library in Sydney's Darling Square, the observation deck overlooks the islands of the Seto Inland Sea and the bridges connecting them. A distinctive feature of this observatory is that it is hidden and ‘buried underground’. The observatory offers a spectacular 360-degree view, but the architecture is almost invisible from the outside.

Kirosan Observatory Park Information

• Address: 487-4, Minamiura, Yoshiumi-cho, Imabari-shi, Ehime
• Website: https://www.visitehimejapan.com/en/see-and-do/191
  
  
• Website for Shimanami Kaido Cycling: https://shimanami-cycle.or.jp/cycling/en-02.html

The traditional Japanese technique of cultivating Bonsai trees in Takamatsu City
 
Bonsai is the planting and cultivation of natural trees in pots, and their care and appreciation in pursuit of beauty beyond their natural state. It is a traditional Japanese art form, and at its core, Bonsai expresses the tenderness of the Japanese heart and a fine aesthetic sense towards every living thing. The traditional concept of Bonsai is to create a plant that is portable and can be placed on a tabletop, however, it takes many generations of skilled artisans decades, often hundreds of years, to carefully cultivate it into a beautiful, well-balanced form.

The Kinashi and Kokubunji areas of Takamatsu City in Kagawa Prefecture, have been in production for about 200 years, and are now the largest pine Bonsai production area in Japan with 80% of the national market share. Centred at the foot of Goshikidai Plateau about 60 growers are engaged in cultivating black pines, five-leaf pines, brocade pines and a few others. The scenery of the fields of pine trees planted in the ground before they are potted up is especially unique to the production area.

The main facility, "Takamatsu Bonsai no Sato" or Takamatsu Bonsai Centre opened on April 1, 2020, and has been a rare bonsai exhibition and sales facility in Japan for about two and a half years. The shelves are always lined with approximately 10,000 pine, oak, and other tree varieties that are easily available for purchase. Producers also use this facility as a base for various activities, such as the Bonsai School, Bonsai no Sato Festa, and a Moss Ball Making Experience. Please stop by as admission is free.

Takamatsu Bonsai no Sato Information

• Address:353-1, Kokubun, Kokubunji, Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa
• Website: https://www.my-kagawa.jp/en/see-and-do/10083

Mandarin Hot Pot

Did you know that Suo Oshima Island in Setouchi is famous for producing mandarin oranges? The Unshu Mikan grown on Suo-Oshima is a unique Japanese mandarin brand that is relatively smaller and sweeter than more common varieties.

Mikan Nabe (Mandarin orange hot pot) using this sweet mandarin and fresh fish from the Seto Island Sea is now becoming viral in Japan. It may seem like a strange food to you, however, this Mikan Nabe is full of nutrients and therefore ideal for your health from the inside out. The abundance of vegetables such as mushrooms and the rich vitamin C content of mandarin is said to help prevent cold and rough skin. Additionally, fresh seafood from the Seto Island Sea is the key to the flavour – you may be surprised by this unexpected but perfect harmony of these ingredients.

The specialty "Mikan Nabe" using these sweet tangerines and fresh fish from the Seto Inland Sea is now a hot topic of conversation. To you, it may seem like an unknown food. However, this mikan nabe is full of nutrients and is ideal for your health from the inside out. The abundance of vegetables, mushrooms, and the rich vitamin C content of mandarin oranges are said to help prevent colds and rough skin. And fresh seafood from the Seto Inland Sea is the key to the flavour, allowing you to enjoy unexpected flavour combinations.

The most distinctive feature of this nabe is that it is made with mikan branded specifically for nabe with the words "Nabe Bogyo Goyoutashi", which means used preferably by hotpot master chefs, and stewed with Suo Oshima's prized seafood and vegetables, including local fish balls kneaded with mikan peel, and served with the spicy condiment mikan kosho (mandarin orange pepper). To finish off the meal, mikan zosui (rice porridge with mikan pepper), a fluffy meringue topped with a thick layer of egg yolk, awaits you. Especially in the cold winter, warm yourself up with this hot pot and get ready for your next destination!

You can have it at various restaurants and accommodations in Suo-Oshima!

Mikan Hot Pot on Suo-Oshima Information

• Address：Suo-Oshimacho, Oshima District, Yamaguchi 
• Website: https://www.visit-jy.com/en/spots/16115

The Ultimate Kagura Experience at Touji Village

Kagura, as it is commonly known, is a ritual dance dedicated to the gods in the Shinto religion of Japan and is still passed down throughout some regions in Japan. Performers in colourful costumes and expressive masks dance to the accompaniment of taiko drums, and flutes.
There are various theories as to its origins, but it is said that the songs and dances performed in front of shrines in thanksgiving for settlement, a good harvest, the eradication of maladies and a bountiful harvest came to be called 'kagura'. 

Hiroshima Prefecture is one of the places in Japan where kagura was developed and still remains today. Kagura Monzen Touji-mura is a theme park where visitors can experience kagura viewing, natural hot springs, traditional townscapes, Japanese kaiseki cuisine and ryokan accommodations all at the same time.

The park has one of the largest domed kagura viewing facilities in Japan, where visitors can relax in a hot spring bath while enjoying a friendly kagura performance with friends and family. One of the attractions of kagura is the culture of open appreciation, as you are able to watch kagura while lying down, eating, drinking, shouting and chatting, which are not usually allowed during stage performances.

In addition, there are facilities for families to enjoy making kagura goods and painting kagura masks for children, as well as a souvenir store with a selection of nature-derived toys.

The name Touji-mura comes from the fact that hot springs have been mentioned in legends to cure many illnesses, and even today, it is said to be effective in relieving fatigue, muscle pain, neuralgia and other ailments.

Conveniently located only one hour by express bus from Hiroshima Station or four and a half hours by express bus from Osaka Station, Kagura Monzen Touji-mura is recommended for those who wish to experience a unique and relaxing Japanese cultural experience away from the major tourist attractions.

Touji Village Information

• Address: 4627, Hongo, Midori-cho, Akitakata-shi, Hiroshima
• Website: https://toujimura.com/en/

About Setouchi, Japan
Located in western Japan, the Setouchi Region is the area around the Seto Inland Sea, which is the largest sea in Japan, surrounded by seven prefectures: Ehime, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Kagawa, Okayama, Tokushima, and Yamaguchi. It is known around the world for its beautiful scenery with no waves and islands that look as if they are floating. The region has fostered a history and culture that has been influenced by the sea and as a result have great attractions that are appealing to any visitor.