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Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Food devider Discover least visited regions in Japan on foot

Discover least visited regions in Japan on foot

Walk Japan launches the Shikoku: Kochi and Ehime Discovery

Published Nov 8, 2023 01:09 am

At A Glance

  • The Dappan-no-Michi, which follows in the daring footsteps of Sakamoto Ryoma, a Japanese hero renowned for his exploits at the end of the samurai-dominated Edo Period (1603-1868) when under pain of death he escaped from his clan from Kochi via Ehime.
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Ozu Castle.jpg
RECONSTRUCTED BEAUTY Ozu Castle was accurately reconstructed in 2004 using old photographs, maps, and a model detailing its original structure

Walk Japan’s newest tour explores Kochi and Ehime in west Shikoku, one of Japan’s most beautiful yet least visited regions.

Walk Japan, a leading adventure travel company in Japan, has launched its latest immersive walking tour the Shikoku—Kochi and Ehime Discovery, visiting the bucolic Kochi and Ehime Prefectures of western Shikoku.

Shikoku - Kochi & Ehime Discovery.jpg
A BRUSH WITH NATURE Shikoku's Kochi and Ehime prefectures

The Shikoku: Kochi and Ehime Discovery is a fully-guided, seven-day tour exploring two of Japan’s most beautiful but remotest prefectures. This region exudes elegance and tranquillity, characterized by pristine streams and rivers that meander leisurely through deeply forested mountainous terrain and lush valleys to the coast and the steely-blue Pacific Ocean. Here in numerous small farming and fishing communities set in idyllic countryside, the warmly welcoming locals maintain a timeless and gentle pace of life.

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ANCIENT HOT SPRING Dogo Onsen is one of Japan's oldest hot springs, dating as far back over 1,000 years

Considered a sacred island for over a thousand years, Shikoku is famed for its 1,200-kilometer 88-temple Ohenro pilgrimage, a special feature of Walk Japan’s Shikoku Temple Pilgrimage tour.

The Shikoku: Kochi and Ehime Discovery also includes the theme of pilgrimage with visits to the exquisite Chikurin-ji, the 31st Ohenro temple, and a little-known 12-kilometer mini-pilgrimage set in a rustic valley. It also explores old mountain routes, including one that was once vital in transporting sea salt, a precious commodity, to remote communities, and another, the Dappan-no-Michi, which follows in the daring footsteps of Sakamoto Ryoma, a Japanese hero renowned for his exploits at the end of the samurai-dominated Edo Period (1603-1868) when under pain of death he escaped from his clan from Kochi via Ehime.

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PART OF THE JOURNEY Chikurin-ji Temple, the 31st temple of Shikoku’s Henro, the famed 88 Temple Pilgrimage

Other highlights include Yusuhara, a gorgeously-sited mountain town, where a cluster of buildings designed by world-acclaimed architect Kuma Kengo is found; Ozu, a charming, castle town featuring the captivating Garyu Sanso, a Japanese masterpiece of garden, villa, and teahouse; and local culinary delicacies such as katsuo seared bonito fish and myriad varieties of citrus fruit.

Garyu Sanso.jpg
RIVERSIDE BLISS Garyu Sanso is a villa built in 1907. It took four years and over 9,000 artisans to construct it

The Shikoku: Kochi and Ehime Discovery is a seven-day, six-night, fully-guided walking tour for up to 12 participants commencing in Kochi City and concluding in Matsuyama’s Dogo Onsen. Daily walking ranges from nine to 13 kilometers along mountain trails and quiet country lanes. A Level 4 tour, it is suitable for anyone who leads a reasonably active lifestyle. 

Dappan-no-Michi Rice Terraces.jpg
A SAMURAI'S TRAIL The Dappan-no-Michi rice terraces follow the escape trail of Sakamoto Ryoma, a Japanese samurai with modernist ideals who had to leave his clan

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