Moopon

1. Once visitors exit immigration and customs at Kansai Airport, visitors will be on the 1st floor. Follow the signs for “Railways”, taking one of the 4 escalators or 3 elevators to arrive at the 2nd floor.

2. Once on the 2nd floor, follow the signs to one of several walkways and walk across the road to Kansai-airport Station. Visitors need to exit the air terminal building to arrive at the JR Station (two separate buildings connected by a walkway). Two train companies use Kansai-airport Station: JR (blue/green) and Nankai (orange). Only JR can take visitor to the platform Haruka departing from. DO NOT use Nankai.

3. Before entering tickets gate, find JR Ticket Office where visitors can purchase ticket or reserved ticket for JR train.(there is a huge sign in English above their head).JR ticket office staff may or may not speak English, but they can read place names and train types written in the Roman alphabet. 

4. With one’s tickets, go through JR ticket gate and take an escalator to get to Platform 4.

Nagayamon Gate located Kikko Park, around Kintai-kyo Bridge
This gate belongs to a former samurai residence of the Kagawa family. Because the residence is still used, only the gate can be viewed. The gate is believed to have been built in 1693, and has been well maintained.
It is particularly impressive for its massively thick construction. The home has been declared a tangible cultural property.

Fee:No fee
Closed: Irregular but always seen from street.

After crossing the beautifully arched Kintai-kyo Bridge in Iwakuni city, Yamaguchi Prefecture, visitors can see the statue of Kikkawa Hiroyoshi.  Kikkawa, the 3rd lord of Iwakuni, was heavily involved in the construction of the bridge after the original bridge was washed away.

Behind Kikkawa’s statue is Kikko Park, a beautiful, spacious area blessed with nature. During the Edo Periods, the residences of the Kikkawa family were located here, in Kikko Park with relatives living nearby.  As a result, in addition to the fountains and spectacular natural surroundings, Kikko Park contains ruminants of former samurai residences and museums displaying historic artifacts of this part of Japan.
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Mekata Residence
Hours: 9:30 to 16:30
Closed: Mondays (following day if Monday is a national holiday)
Admission: Free
The Mekata Residences belonged to the Mekata family, who were mid-level samurai. Visitors are not permitted to actually enter the residence, but can walk around the property to observe the residences from a short distance away.

The Uchiko History Museum (内子町歴史民俗資料館, Uchikocho Rekishi Minzoku Shiryōkan), also known as the Museum of Commercial and Domestic Life, is located along the main street, outside of the Yokaichi Old Town district. The museum is compact, but enjoyable, with life-sized, automated figures arranged to show how residents of the town lived in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The displays are visually informative, making up for the lack of English translations in the written material.

The museum reproduced the state of the business and livelihood of around 1921 using old tools (1921).

 On the second floor, beautiful tatami rooms with sliding doors and painted screens show how the more stylish town houses of local merchant families looked like.
 

Hours: 9:00 to 16:30
Closed: December 29 to January 2
Admission: 200 yen 

Access info.
The Uchiko History Museum a ten minute walk from JR Uchiko Station. It can also be reached in a short ride on the Chagamaru Retro Bus.

Daishoin Temple (大照院), constructed in 1656, is the Mori Clan family temple. The Mori Clan governed Hagi during the Edo Period (1603-1868). Daishoin Temple belongs to the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.  Visitors can see a small Zen garden behind the large wooden main hall.

In the woods behind the temple is an impressive burial site of the Mori lords. Half of the lords are buried here, at Daishoin Temple, with the other half buried at Tokoji Temple.  The first lord and odd numbered successors are laid to rest at Daishoin Temple.  Visitors are greeted by the hundreds of stone lanterns (donated) which line the pathway to the graveyard.  Led by the light from the stone lanterns and being surrounded by the woods, the atmosphere at the burial site is both peaceful and spiritual.

NOTE:   There is construction being done to renovate the main hall of Daishoin Temple. Renovation works are expected to continue until 2015. Visitors are still allowed in the temple and can observe the main hall from a makeshift corridor which surrounds the site.
The burial site is not affected by this construction

Access Information:
Daishoin Temple stands south of the city center in a somewhat rural environment.
**By bus:  take either the West Loop or East Loop of the "Maru Bus" and disembark at the Daishoin Iriguchi bus stop. From there, it is a five minute walk to the temple.
**By bicycle, it is a 5-10 minute from Hagi Station.
Hours: 8:00 to 17:00 (last entry until 16:30)
Closed: Opened all year round
Admission: 200 yen

With waves rolling along the beautiful white sand, Kikugahama Beach in Hagi Town of Yamaguchi Prefecture, it is a popular place for locals and visitors. From barbecuing to breathtaking sunsets, in the summertime, visitors can view local fireworks from the beaches of Kikugahama.

Kikugahama Beach is located at the foot of the Hagi Castle Ruins. Also nearby is Mount Shizuki, a local mountain with a height of 143 meters.

Access Information:
From Higashi-Hagi Station (about 2 km)
**on foot: about 30 minutes
**by bicycle: about 10 minutes
**Also can be accessed via “Maru Bus”

Handayama Botanical Garden

Well known for its cherry blossom trees, this botanical garden is a very attractive cherry blossom viewing spot. Boasting 1000 cherry blossom, or sakura, trees, many people gather here for cherry blossom viewing picnics (hanami’s) in the spring.  As the botanical garden is located alongside a steep hill, visitors can enjoy the cherry blossoms as well as magnificent views of the city.

15 minute walk from JR Hokaiin Station 
Hours: 9:00 to 16:30 (until 21:00 during sakura festival) 
Closed: Tuesdays (however, opened everyday during the sakura festival) 
Admission: 300 yen

Located along the Seto Inland Sea, Sunport Takamatsu is a beautiful, relaxing waterfront promenade that its visitors can enjoy while taking a seaside bicycle ride, tea, or even a business meeting.  

With the opening of the Seto Ohashi Bridge in 1988, Takamatsu Port’s role as the main port of entry into Shikoku changed. Though it still provides ferries to nearby islands such as Shodoshima, Naoshima, Megijima and Ogijima, the utilization of car ferries has drastically declined, requiring a change.  

Thus, Sunport Takamatsu was born. With ANA Hotel Clement, the Symbol Tower and even JR Takamatsu Station in its vicinity, Sunport Takamatsu is a convenient business and shopping center. Symbol Tower is the tallest building in Sunport Takamatsu.  Offices occupy the upper floors with the Maritime Plaza Shopping Center on the lower levels. Visitors can enjoy fine dining here as well.  There are three restaurants in the tower managed by the chefs from the popular television cooking show, Iron Chef.

Access Information:
Sunport Takamatsu is a short walk from JR Takamatsu Station.
It is located across the street from Takamatsu Castle.

Shodoshima, located off the coast of Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku, is well known for its production of soy sauce.  With over 400 years of production history, it is no surprise there are about a dozen soy sauce factories around the town center.

One of the largest soy sauce manufacturer, Marukin, has a museum within its factory grounds that visitors are able to visit to learn more about the soy sauce manufacturing process.  With large barrels located right outside the entrance, the museum is modeled after a traditional soy sauce factory.  Visitors will find vats, barrels, shovels and other soy sauce producing items within the museum.  Pictures from the past, advertisements, containers, etc., are also displayed. There are English displays in this museum.  Also, a souvenir shop on the premises as well. Visitors will be amazed in the variety of soy sauces produced.

Marukin Soya Sauce Museum
Hours: 9:00 to 16:00 (until 16:30 during the summer holidays and the autumn color season)
Closed: October 15th and from December 28th to January 1st
Note:  In January and February, the museum is opened on weekdays only if there is an advance reservation.
Admission: 210 yen
English level: Good

Shodoshima is also famous for its tsukudani.  Tsukudani are small pieces of fish are seaweed that has been preserved by being cooked in a sweet soy sauce.  Japanese people enjoy eating tsukudani with white rice. And Shodoshima’s tsukudani is famous not only on Shikoku island, but throughout Japan.

Visitors interested in learning more about tsukudani may wish to visit either Kyohotei Tsukudani or Ittokuan Tsukudani.  Both places are located near Marukin Soya Sauce Museum.

Kyohotei Tsukudani shows visitors the tsukudani process by providing free 20 minute factory.  However, the tours are in Japanese and require an advance reservation. Ittokuan Tsukudani provides its visitors with samples of their tsukudani products. Having a large range of tsukudani, visitors can enjoy trying the different samples to find their favorite.  Visitors can also purchase moromi ice cream at the Ittokuan Tsukudani store.  Moromi Ice Cream is a type of ice cream with a soy bean during soy sauce fermentation-type flavor.

Kyohotei Tsukudani
Hours: 8:30 to 17:00 
Tours require advance reservation. Reservations can be made via phone or online
Closed: Weekends, national holidays and December 27th to 30th
Admission: Free

Ittokuan Tsukudani
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00
Closed: New Year holidays
Admission: Free

Access Information
Via bus
From Tonosho Port, board the bus bound for Sakate (坂手) or Eigamura (映画村). Disembark from the bus at Marukin-mae (丸金前). The journey should take about 40 minutes and cost is 770 yen.
From Kusakabe Port, board the bus bound for Sakate (坂手) or Eigamura (映画村). Disembark from the bus at Marukin-mae (丸金前). The journey should take about 10 minutes and cost is 200 yen.
From either port, there are only 1 to 2 buses per hour.

Via car or taxi:                                            
From Tonosho Port, it would take about 40 minutes. The taxi cost would be about 6000 yen.
From Fukuda Port, it would take about 30 minutes. The taxi cost would be about 5200 yen.
From Kusakabe Port, it would take about 5 minutes. The taxi cost would be about 1000 yen.

Takamijima Island, a part of Shiwaku Island Chain in the Seto Inland Sea, is a small beautiful island with deep historic roots.
The name Takamijima literally translates to “high view island.” This may be explained by Mount Ryouzan which lies in the center of the island. 

Visitors may wish to visit the southern part of the island where the Hama District is.
Here is the Takami Hachiman Shrine. Visitors will find a unique graveyard here as well.
The graves on this island have a dual burial system.  
There is one grave which holds the remains of the deceased.
The other grave is for family members to visit and pay their respects to the deceased.
 

On the north end of the island was the Itamochi District.
However, due to the depopulation crisis affecting rural areas of Japan, no one lives in the Itamochi District anymore.
Most of the island residents, less than 100 people, live primarily in the small fishing village located on southeastern shore.
Visitors will find homes and fish factories north of the port with many friendly cats prowling nearby hoping for a sample or scrap.
 

Visitors wandering through the Ura District located 50 meters into the mountains will encounter the maze of narrow stone
walled alleys reflecting a time when foot traffic was all a village encountered.
The homes built during the Edo period are preserved here as well.
This traditional island scenery has earned this area a few appearances on the big screen.
However, most of the homes do not any people living there, making this district a ghost town as well.
 

Being one of the venues of the Setouchi Triennale, a modern art festival with multiple
locations among the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, Takamijima is working hard to revive its population and economy.
Hoping to rebrand itself as a home to contemporary art, two of the art pieces from the festivals have a permanent home on the island.
It is unfortunate, however, that the public viewing of the pieces is rare.
 

Access Information:
1.  Access to Tadotsu Station (nearest train station to Takamijima)
*from Marugame Station—Board the local JR train to Tadotsu Station.
  The one way journey is 5 minutes with a cost of 210 yen.
**from Takamatsu Station—Board the local or limited express JR train to Tadotsu Station.
  The one way journey is 30-55 minutes with a cost of 660 to 1930 yen.
**from Okayama Station—Board the local or limited express JR train to Tadotsu Station.
  The one way journey is 45-60 minutes with a cost of 1110 to 2810 yen.

2.  From Tadotsu Train Station to Tadotsu Port
**By foot—15-20 walk
**Taxi—Short Taxi Ride
3.  Tadotsu Port to Takamijima
By Ferry—There are 4 ferries daily to the Takamijima.
The one way journey will take 25 minutes with a cost of 480 yen.


 

Emerging from behind a curtain of mountains, to a hot springs oasis is truly Yufuin (由布院), Oita Prefecture, in Kyushu.
It is located near Beppu, another famous hot springs resort in Oita Prefecture.

Visitors may be surprised when they first enter Yufuin.  
Mount Yufu with its twin peaks can be seen from almost every location in town, watching over the town residents.
The walkways with the traditional onsen (hot springs) eateries will be encountered as well as many modern boutiques and cafes.  
Yet, there are horse (with tourists in their carriages) galloping through town. Yufuin is a combination of traditional onsen town meeting the 21st Century.
 

Visitors will find the Yufuin to be easy to explore.
There are walkways throughout the town.
Along the pathway, visitors can see art museums, boutiques and café, with beautiful Lake Kinrinko at the end of the walkway.
There are shops around Lake Kinrinko for visitors to browse as well.
There are rice fields and farm houses off the walkway showing a rural side to this town as well.
 

The lodging, hotels and ryokans (traditional inns) are not in one area, but spread out throughout the town.
Visitors may wish to walk to other ryokans to bath in the onsen (hot springs bath)
there as some ryokans allow non-guests to use their bathing facilities for a nominal fee.