Moopon

Kokusaidori (literally "International Road") is Naha's main street, stretching for around two kilometers through downtown Naha.
The street takes its name from the former "Ernie Pyle International Theater",a movie theater which was built along the road after the war.

Starting around the Naha Bus Terminal and Prefectural Hall, Kokusaidori is lined by restaurants, cafes,
bars, hotels, boutiques, department stores and souvenir shops.
Many shops are open until 11pm,and live Okinawa music is played at several restaurants..
If you are looking for even more shopping opportunities, you are encouraged to go into the colorful Heiwadori,
Mutsumidori and Ichiba Hondori arcades,which branch off Kokusaidori around the intersection with Okieidori,
halfway along the street.
The shops in the arcade are smaller than those along Kokusaidori.

The Tamaudun Mausoleum was built around the beginning of the 16th century as the mausoleum for the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
It was restored after suffering extensive damage during Battle of Okinawa.
The mausoleum is located only a short walk from Shuri Castle.
It was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on December 2, 2000,
as a part of the site group Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.

The mausoleum consists of three closed chambers:
the left one for kings and queens, the right one for princes and princesses,
and the central one for storing recently deceased bodies before undergoing a ritual of bone cleaning a few years later. 

Visitors require an entry fee, which also covers admission to a small museum located in the basement of the reception building.
Although the museum is small and the English is limited, visitors are able to see pictures of the mausoleum from before the war. 

Facility Information:
Hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:30)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 300 yen
Level of English: Minimal

Access Information:

The Churaumi Aquarium (Churaumi Suizokukan) is widely considered Japan's best aquarium.
The highlight of a visit to the Churaumi Aquarium is the massive Kuroshio Tank,which is one of the largest in the world.
The tank takes its name from the warm Kuroshio(black) current which plays a large part in the variety of Okinawa's of marine life.
The tank contains a wide range of species, the most striking of which are the giant whale sharks and manta rays.

The aquarium is spread out over three floors with the entrance on the third floor and the exit on the first floor.
Passing through the entrance, there is a pool where visitors can touch living seashells and starfish with their own hands.
Next there is a tank with the world's first large scale exhibit of living coral.
The route through the aquarium then leads past the Kuroshio Tank,where feeding shows are held twice daily.
Located just beside the tank is a Hi-Vision movie theater about Okinawa's marine life.
Past the Kuroshio Tank there are a few more amusing tanks and displays including an area dedicated to sharks with live tiger sharks and bull sharks.
Another area is dedicated to marine life in much of the deep sea of Okinawa and includes displays of various bioluminescent fish.

In addition to the main aquarium building, there are a few outdoor pools near the waterfront where animal shows of dolphins,
manatees sea and turtles can be viewed free of charge.
There are only a few shows per day, so visitors might as well check show times before entering the aquarium.

Facility Information:
Hours: 8:30 to 20:00 (until 18:30 from October to February)
Admission ends one hour before closing time
Closed: First Wednesday of December and the following day.
Admission: 1850 yen (1290 yen if you enter after 16:00)
Access Information:
The Churaumi Aquarium is part of the Ocean Expo Park on the Motobu Peninsula in northern Okinawa Honto,about 90 kilometers from Naha.

Tsumago was a post town on the Nakasendo route between Kyoto and Edo.
It is known today as one of the best preserved post towns in Japan.
The town and its residents go to great lengths to recreate the environment and atomosphere of the Edo Period.
Cars are not allowed on the main street in the day and phone lines and power cables are kept concealed,
allowing visitors to imagine they have slipped back to an earlier time.

Tsumago also recreates the post town ambience by maintaining its Honjin and Wakihonjin.
In all post towns, the Honjin was the principal inn and served government officials who were traveling through.
When more accomodations were required, the Wakihonjin served to accommodate the travelers of lower status.
Tsumago also maintains the office where laborers and horses were rented to aid in travel.                                          
Tsumago's Honjin was reconstructed in the 1990s, but great efforts have been taken so that it resembles its condition in the 1830s,
when it served as an inn.

Tsumago was a post town on the Nakasendo route between Kyoto and Edo.
It is known today as one of the best preserved post towns in Japan.
The town and its residents go to great lengths to recreate the environment and atmosphere of the Edo Period.
Cars are not allowed on the main street in the day and phone lines and power cables are kept invisible, allowing
visitors to imagine they have slipped back to an earlier time.

Tsumago also recreates the post town ambience by maintaining its Honjin and Wakihonjin.
In all post towns, the Honjin was the principal inn and served government officials who were traveling through.
When more accomodations were required, the Wakihonjin served to accommodate the travelers of lower status.
Tsumago also maintains the office where laborers and horses were rented to aid in travel.                            
Kotoku Temple (Kotokuji) is a Buddhist temple which is believed to have been built in 1500.
It is not really remarkable, but still quite pleasant.

Garyu Sanso (臥龍山荘, Garyū Sansō) is a subtle yet outstanding villa located by the river east of Ozu's old town. Ozu City (大洲, Ōzu) is located in Ehime Prefecture on the western coast of Shikoku. The city emerged during the Edo Period (1603-1867) as a castle town. A section of the old town remains today with nostalgic alleys and old-fashioned houses, serving as remembrance both to the days of the Edo Period and the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Its garden incorporates background landscape into itself and offers exquisite combination garden of art and nature. This impressive villa was built around 1907.

Main building; Garyu-in
It is a big, wooden, thatched-roof house. Here there are a few seemingly simple, yet brilliantly conceived rooms. Each room has interesting features, such as elaborately carved transoms, gracefully made lattices, unequally sized tatami mats, tastefully decorated door handles, aesthetically pleasing alcoves and coffered ceilings. One room has a circular window that symbolizes a full moon, while the staggered shelves to its left represent clouds; when the candle on the Buddhist altar behind the window is lit, the window and the shelves resemble a bright moon in the midst of floating clouds.

Garden
Behind the main building is a nice garden, whose strolling path is formed by stone slabs of different shapes and sizes. Within the peaceful surroundings stands Chishi-an, a small tea house that used to be the bathroom of the villa when it was first built. The tea house has a unique squarish entrance elevated above grou.( visitors are not allowed inside.)
At the innermost of the garden stands another thatched-roof house named Furo-an, which utilizes a living tree as one of its pillars. The image of Furo-an resting on stilts above Hijikawa River is celebrated among photography enthusiasts.

On weekends from April through October, tea and a small snack are served here for 400 yen.

Hours and Fees
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed: No closing days
Admission:500 yen (Garyu Sanso only), 800 yen (Garyu Sanso and Ozu Castle)

Access info
Garyu Sanso can be accessed in about a 30 minute walk from Iyo-Ozu Station. Alternatively, take the loop bus from the station to Asamoya-mae (あさもや前) bus stop (7 minutes, 100 yen, 1-2 buses per hour) from which the villa is a five minute walk.

Naoshima (直島) is an island in the Seto Inland Sea that is known for its modern art museums, architecture and sculptures. Part of Kagawa Prefecture, the island with its Mediterranean atmosphere, sandy beaches and sunny weather, combined with a laid back, rural feel is a relaxing getaway from Japan's large urban areas.
 

The island is one of the main venues of the Setouchi Triennale art festival, displaying one of the highest densities of artworks among the participating ports and islands. In 2013, the Ando Museum dedicated to architect Ando Tadao, joined the many permanent art pieces already found across Naoshima.

By Ferry
One or two buses per hour from Miyanoura Ferry Terminal bound for Tsutsujiso that stop at the Nokyo-mae bus stop in Honmura (5 minutes, \100) along the way. 
By bicycle
It is a 2.5 kilometer bicycle ride (10 minutes) or walk (35-45 minutes) from the Miyanoura Ferry Terminal. Honmura has also its own port with infrequent ferry connections to Uno Port on Honshu.

Ritsurin Koen (栗林公園) is a landscape garden located Takamatsu City, built by the local feudal lords during the early Edo Period. It is often suggested that Ritsurin Koen deserves a spot on the list of the "three most beautiful gardens of Japan" alongside Kanazawa's Kenrokuen, Mito's Kairakuen, and Okayama's Korakuen. This park got three stars from Michelin Guide in 2009 as a worth visiting place.

The large park features many ponds, hills, historic trees and beautiful pavilions divided into a Japanese style garden in the south and western style garden in the north. The gardens are placed in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a wonderful background and great example of borrowed scenery. In the park there are a number of facilities including a folk museum, shops and a few rest houses where you can take a break and enjoy some refreshments amidst the beauty of the garden. Of particular note is the Kikugetsu-tei teahouse in the southwest part of the gardens where, for a small fee, you can enter and enjoy some tea on its verandas while overlooking the ponds.

Access information
Ritsurin Koen is located two kilometers south of JR Takamatsu Station and Takamatsu Castle. The Shopping Arcades run nearly the entire way from there to the garden. Alternatively, it is most easily accessed by Kotoden or JR train:
By Kotoden: take a train along the Kotohira Line from Takamatsu-Chikko Station to Ritsurinkoen Station (7 minutes, 190 yen, 4 trains per hour). From there, it is a ten minute walk to the park's main entrance.

By JR: take a local train from JR Takamatsu Station in direction of Tokushima to Ritsurinkoen-Kitaguchi Station (5 minutes, 210 yen, 2 trains per hour). From there, the park's north gate can be reached in a five minute walk.

Looking like a forested hat in the Seto Island Sea, Ogijima Island (男木島) is a charming island with strong traditional as well as artistic connections. Ogijima is the brother island of Megijima. A rather small island, the length of the island is 2 kilometers long with a width of 1 kilometer.  The ferry terminal is located on the southern end of the island with a lighthouse located on the northern end.  Within the mountain, visitors can a famous shrine.  And along the paths are many cats.

Famous for being one of the venues of the Setouchi Triennale Art Festival, visitors can view the pieces during the festival. In addition, 10 art pieces from the 2010 and 2013 festival have a permanent home on Ogijima.  The artwork range from indoor pieces to outdoor pieces which incorporate entire homes.  
Note:  Many of the artwork cannot be seen on weekdays or in the winter.

Ogijima is also home to 200 villagers and visitors can walk through the village, with its traditional wooden houses and confusing narrow streets.  Halfway up the mountains on this small island, visitors can find the Toyotamahime Shrine.  Many people visit Toyotamahime Shrine to pray for a safe childbirth. 

Access Information:
From Takamatsu Port, board a ferry.  There is one ferry every two hours.  The one-way journey takes about 40 minutes and the fare is 510 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.

On the mountainside overlooking the western side of Shodoshima Island,

located in the Seto Inland Sea along the coast of Kagawa Prefecture,

is the 50 meter tall Shodoshima Great Kannon (Shodoshima Daikannon).  



This large white statue is for the Buddhist goddess of mercy, Kannon.

 

Within Kannon’s chest lies the temple’s most prized treasure,

a tooth of the historical Buddha donated by a temple in Sri Lanka.



 Visitors can either climb or utilize an elevator to arrive at this topmost floor of the temple.  


In addition to this holy relic, this floor has observation decks for viewing breathtaking scenes over Shodoshima.

 

Hours: 8:30 to 16:30

Closed: Opened All Year Round

Admission: 500 yen

Access Information:

Via Bus:

From Tonosho Port, board Kitamawari Fukuda Line (北廻り福田線) bus bound for Fukuda Port (福田港).

Disembark at Koumagoe (小馬越) bus stop.

The journey will take about 15 minutes and the fare is 340 yen.

 There is a bus every two hours.


From the bus stop, visitors need to walk uphill for 10 minutes to arrive at the statue.
 

Via Car or Taxi


From Tonosho Port, the journey should take about 15 minutes.

 

 The taxi cost should be about 2100 yen one way.



 

Located in the center of Seto Inland Sea off the coast of Kagawa Prefecture,
Shikoku is Awashima Island.

 Due to its position in the sea, Awashima was an important port for the Shiwaku Navy,
an organization of highly skilled Japanese sailors which controlled this region of the Seto Inland Sea.

In 1897, the Meiji Government opened the National Sailor School on Awashima Island.

Many skilled graduates went on to work on important ships such as the Kanrin Maru,
the first Japanese ship to cross the Pacific Ocean.
Though the school closed in 1987 and was transformed into the Awashima Marine Memorial Park,
the schoolhouse has been preserved and visitors can view maritime artifacts here.

National Sailor School
Hours: 9:00 to 16:00
Closed: Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday),
　　　　December 28th to January 4th
Admission: Free
Level of English Information: None
 

This star shaped island is truly a beautiful place.
Jonoyama Viewpoint offers breathtaking views over the island.

And for visitors fortunate to be here at night, a clear star studded sky,
unobstructed by tall buildings or pollution can be seen.

Looking onto the sea, visitors can see the flickering lights of the sea cruisers and perhaps even towns on nearby islands.
But, visitors who visit Awashima from the end of May to the beginning of October may experience the star-like,
blue lights that emerge from the sea fireflies (bioluminescent crustaceans) swimming in the waters of the island’s beaches.
The best time to view these twinkle stars of the sea is the beginning of autumn. 

Awashima is one of the venues of the Setouchi Triennale, a contemporary art festival
with multiple venues among the Seto Inland Sea.

At the time of festival in autumn 2013, a dozen or so pieces were displayed throughout the island.
However, now only has a permanent home here.
The art piece is located inside the old marine naval school.
 

Access Information:
1. Train to Takuma Station:
*From Marugame Station:
　　　Board the local JR Train bound for Takuma Station.
　　　The journey should take about 20 minutes with a cost of 260 yen.
*From Takamatsu Station:
　　　 Board the local or limited express train JR Train bound for Takuma Station.
　　　The journey should take about 30-60 minutes with a cost from 850-2320 yen.

*From Okayama Station:
　　　Board the local or limited express train JR Train bound for Takuma Station.
　　　 The journey should take about 60-75 minutes with a cost from 1320-3220 yen.

Note: A transfer may be needed at Tadotsu Station or Utazu Station

2. Takuma Station to Suda Port
　　*From Takuma station, there are community buses to Suda Port.
　　There is 1 bus every hour.
　　 Disembark at Sudako Mae Bus Stop.
　　The journey should take 20 minutes with a cost of 100 yen.
　　From the bus stop, it is a 5 minute to the Suda Port.

3. Suda Port to Awashima
　　Board a ferry at Suda Port to Awashima.
　　The ferry ride should take 15 minutes with a cost of 330 yen.
　　There are eight ferries per day.


 

The Iya Valley (祖谷渓谷 Iya Keikoku) region in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan is a scenic area known for its dramatic mountain valleys and old vine bridges.
The Iya Valley and the inner parts of Shikoku have historically been remote and difficult to enter,
making them a favorite retreat for refugees and defeated Heike warriors although access has improved in recent years.

Higashi Iya History and Folk Museum
The Higashi Iya History and Folk Museum is a history museum at the entrance to Oku Iya.
You will find exhibits and display items like tools, clothes, household items, and other traditional items of the region inside of the facility.

Hours: 8:30 to 17:00 
Closed: Weekends and holidays (Dec to Feb), New Year holidays 
Admission: 410 yen

The Iya Valley is usually divided into two areas.
Nishi Iya (West Iya) located around the entrance to the valley and is slightly more developed and more accessible as there are relatively frequent buses to some of the major attractions.
Oku Iya (Inner Iya, also called Higashi Iya or East Iya) lies further back into the valley so is difficult to reach without a rental car or other means of private transportation. 

Access Information
A rental car is recommended to visit the area.

1. To Nishi Iya (West Iya)
 *From Awa Ikeda Station to Kubo, take a bus and transfer to another bus bound for Nijukazurabashi or Mount Tsurugi.
Get off at the Nijukazurabashi bus stop.
The one way journey will take 2 hours with a cost of 1790 yen.
There are only 4 buses a day.
Moreover buses from Kubo to the bridge operate only on weekends and holidays from April to November.

2. To Oku Iya (Inner Iya)
Rental car stores are available around Oboke and Awa Ikeda Stations.
A rental car is recommended, particularly for visiting the less traveled Oku Iya area.
Note: The roads are very narrow and have frequent blind curves, which make driving both hazardous and slow.

Naruto, part of Tokushima Prefecture, is the northeastern most city on Shikoku Island.
The city is known for its swirling whirlpools.
You can see them in the Strait of Naruto underneath the Onaruto Bridge which connects Tokushima to Awaji Island. 

Naruto is also the starting point of the Shikoku Pilgrimage or Henro,
which is a religious pilgrimage where one goes around visiting the 88 holy temples on Shikoku.

About Naruto whirlpools 
Because of the change of tides, the whirlpools occur roughly every six hours and can typically be seen once in the morning and once in the afternoon for an hour or two.
 
Under ideal conditions, whirlpools of up to 20 meters in diameters can be seen.
On the other hand, there is not much to see outside of the peak times or on calm days.
So it always helps to check the tide schedule before heading out.
(English and Chinese time table available on the internet.)

The whirlpools are great ways to view from sightseeing cruises which get right up next to and among the whirlpools.

The next best views are from “Uzu no Michi”, an enclosed walkway that stretches under the Onaruto Bridge and overlooks the whirlpools.
The walkway's observation room is placed 45 meters above the whirlpools below which can be observed through glass windows set in the floor.

Naruto Park has a number of walking trails and viewpoints found around it with views of the whirlpools and Onaruto Bridge.
There are two good viewpoints. One is the Senjojiki Observatory. Another is Eska Hill.

Also found in the park is the Onaruto Bridge Museum Eddy, which is devoted to the construction of the Onaruto Bridge,
its whirlpools and the strait.

Access Information

Naruto Park is placed about seven kilometers north of central Naruto City.
One or two buses per hour run between Naruto Station and Naruto Park.
The one way ride takes 25 minutes with a cost of 310 yen. Buses stop near the “Naruto Kosoku” bus stop along the way,
where it is possible to transfer to highway buses.
Highway buses traveling in the direction of Tokushima also stop at “Naruto Koen-guchi” bus stop in Naruto Park along the expressway.

Uzushio Kankosen Boat Tours
Hours: 9:00am to 4:20pm (boat tours depart every 30 to 40 minutes)
Closed: Open year-round
Admission: Aqua Eddy: 2260 yen 
Wonder Naruto: 1580 yen (2580 yen for the upper deck) 

Uzushio Kisen Boat Tours
Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm (boat tours depart every 30 minutes)
Closed: Open year-round
Admission: 1550 yen

Kochi City(高知), the capital of Kochi Prefecture, located in Shikoku has both the convenience of city lifewith tram transportation available in the downtown area as well
as an abundance of nature where the simple pleasures in life can still be experienced. 

There are numerous places to visit in Kochi.  
One of the 88 temples on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, Chikurenji Temple is located on Mount Godaisan.
The Kochi Castle, one of the 12 original Japanese castles, is located in the downtown area.
An original castle is a castle which remained intact after the feudal period.
One of the key figures of the Meiji Restoration, Sakamoto Ryoma is from Kochi.
The Sakamoto Ryoma Museum is located at Katsurahama Beach.

In addition to just looking, visitors may wish to partake in the local seafood which is fresh and delicious.
The local delicacy, slightly broiled bonito is particularly popular among the locals and visitors.
The Hirame Market is large food court type building where inexpensive but fresh seafood can be purchased and consumed.
In addition to eating, the city holds the Yosakai Festival in the summer, which is fun for all!