[Drive] Hot Springs and Amazing Scenery
![[Drive] Hot Springs and Amazing Scenery](/image/rendering/attraction_image/92691/trim.960/2/1?v=7f2b10eb970357396d072dedfc514ebfe8d1840c)
Five-day and four-night course to enjoy hot springs and a spectacular view that you will want to take pictures (e.g.,Kotohira-gu Shrine,NIYODO BLUE etc.)
START
【DAY 1】
1
Kansai Airport(Osaka)
Rent a car and leave
110 minutes by car
2
Awaji Highway Oasis
Located next to Awaji Island Park, this is a superb place to relax after a long day of travel. The Oasis Pavilion, with its large atrium filled with flowers and greenery all year round, has a sushi restaurant "Sushitomi" where you can enjoy local fish at reasonable prices, a Japanese restaurant "Mikeya," one of the largest selection of goods stores on Awaji Island, a café, and a BBQ house, where you can enjoy shopping and dining to the fullest. From the observatory, visitors can enjoy a wonderful view of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and Kobe and Osaka on the other side of the strait.
60 minutes by car
3
Onaruto Bridge Uzu no Michi
Experience the whirlpools and the Great Naruto Bridge up close!
This tidal viewing facility utilizes the bridge girder space of the Onaruto Bridge, the Honshu-Shikoku Connecting Bridge, and has a 450-meter promenade and whirlpool observation room. Visitors can experience and observe the whirlpools and Onaruto Bridge. Naruto Park has an observatory from which you can view Onaruto Bridge and the whirlpools, numerous scenic spots, the Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall Eddie, Otsuka Museum of Art, Escahir Naruto, and tide watching boats. Visitors can enjoy touring the sights along the promenade.
90 minutes by car
4
Konpira Hot Spring
This gorgeous hot spring village is located at the foot of Konpira-san (Konpira Shrine). In the vicinity are not only Konpira Shrine and Konmaruza, but also the Sake History and Culture Museum, the Sea Science Museum, and the town's History and Folklore Museum, all of which are housed in a sake brewery.
【DAY 2】
10 minutes by car
10 minutes by car
5
Kotohira-gu Shrine
One of the most popular shrines in Japan
This is a popular shrine, commonly known as Konpira-san. It is the head shrine of "Kotohira" or "Konpira" shrines in Japan and has been worshiped since ancient times as "the God of the Sea".
There is an extremely long staircase, consisting of 1,368 steps. The area around the shrine is crowded with many shops such as cafes, teahouses, souvenir shops and udon restaurants. You can rent a walking stick and go for a stroll or take a ride in a "kago" palanquin and enjoy the sights as you are carried around.
At the mid-way point, you will find the Main Shrine. The shrine is dedicated to many gods including the gods of agriculture, livestock, medicine and marine safety. There are wonderful paintings on the ceiling of the main shrine. On certain festival days you can see the priests and shrine maidens dancing in traditional clothes. You can also purchase a beautiful Kofuku no Kiiroi Omamori (Yellow Charm of Happiness).
There is an extremely long staircase, consisting of 1,368 steps. The area around the shrine is crowded with many shops such as cafes, teahouses, souvenir shops and udon restaurants. You can rent a walking stick and go for a stroll or take a ride in a "kago" palanquin and enjoy the sights as you are carried around.
At the mid-way point, you will find the Main Shrine. The shrine is dedicated to many gods including the gods of agriculture, livestock, medicine and marine safety. There are wonderful paintings on the ceiling of the main shrine. On certain festival days you can see the priests and shrine maidens dancing in traditional clothes. You can also purchase a beautiful Kofuku no Kiiroi Omamori (Yellow Charm of Happiness).
40 minutes by car
10 minutes by car
7
Zenigata Sunae (View from the summit observation deck in Kotohiki Park)
A power spot with a huge sand drawing of an Edo period coin
Kotohiki Park is a 48 ha expanse of black pine habitat located in the Ariakehama area facing the Seto Inland Sea. In the middle of the pine forest on a white-sand beach, there is a huge sand picture with the inscription ‘Kan’ei Tshuho’.
Kan’ei Tsuho is a currency that was used in the Edo period. The sand picture is 122 m east-to-west, 90 m north-to-south, and has a 345 meter circumference.
According to legend, the picture was constructed in one night as part of an effort to welcome the local rulers in 1633. It is said that if you see the picture you will live a long and healthy life, and have no problems with money. The sand picture area is off-limits, but you can look down on it from the summit observation deck in Kotohiki Park. The nice round shape is very clear from this vantage point.
Kotohiki Park is very popular for its beautiful vistas. Sunset is particularly memorable, as well as the lighting that illuminates the sand picture at night (sunset-22:00).
Kan’ei Tsuho is a currency that was used in the Edo period. The sand picture is 122 m east-to-west, 90 m north-to-south, and has a 345 meter circumference.
According to legend, the picture was constructed in one night as part of an effort to welcome the local rulers in 1633. It is said that if you see the picture you will live a long and healthy life, and have no problems with money. The sand picture area is off-limits, but you can look down on it from the summit observation deck in Kotohiki Park. The nice round shape is very clear from this vantage point.
Kotohiki Park is very popular for its beautiful vistas. Sunset is particularly memorable, as well as the lighting that illuminates the sand picture at night (sunset-22:00).
105 minutes by car
8
Dōgo Haikara Dori
Strolling around the hot spring resort in yukata
The shopping street adjacent to the Dogo Onsen Honkan building is nicknamed "Dogo Haikara Dori" (Dogo High Color Street). It is lined with souvenir stores, restaurants, and other tourist-oriented stores, many of which are open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The street is connected to the Dogo Onsen Honkan and Dogo Onsen Station. The street connects the Dogo Onsen Honkan and Dogo Onsen Station, where visitors can enjoy strolling around in yukata (light cotton kimono), as is customary in a hot spring resort town. The "Dogo Village Tour" is a stamp rally in which visitors who collect stamps from all 30 locations and submit them to the Dogo Village Office's Village Residents Section located inside the Dogo Tourist Information Center will receive a certificate of honorary village resident, a Dogo Hot Springs bathing ticket, and a commemorative gift.
5 minutes by car
9
Dogo Onsen Honkan
A famous Onsen with 3,000 years of history
Dogo Onsen Honkan is thought to be the oldest hot spring in Japan is mentioned in the ancient texts of the Kojiki and Manyoshu. The main building, a three-storey castle-style wooden structure has been designated an Important Cultural Property. The bathhouse is an iconic feature of Matsuyama in the novel “Botchan” and many other masterpieces of literature and film. After enjoying the smooth hot spring water, put on a Yukata robe, stroll around the local streets full of culture, and get into the spirit of this Onsen town. A new annex “Asuka-no-Yu”, adopting the architectural style of the 6th to 8th centuries, will be opened in September 2017.
As for the Dogo Onsen Honkan, it has been undergoing conservation and repair work for about five and a half years since January 2019, but all buildings reopen on July 11, 2024 (Thursday).
As for the Dogo Onsen Honkan, it has been undergoing conservation and repair work for about five and a half years since January 2019, but all buildings reopen on July 11, 2024 (Thursday).
【DAY 3】
60 minutes by car
60 minutes by car
10
Temple 45, Iwayaji
Temple built deep in the mountains where the seven sacred birds are said to live
【Highlights】
・Michihiraki Fudo
Located at the corner under the sutra office, behind the Kokuzodo.
・Ana Zenjo
Located at the bottom of the stone steps leading to the Hondo.
・Michihiraki Fudo
Located at the corner under the sutra office, behind the Kokuzodo.
・Ana Zenjo
Located at the bottom of the stone steps leading to the Hondo.
20 minutes by car
11
Roadside Station Tenkunosato Sansan
Our family home where you can rest your mind and body.
Located almost in the center of Ehime Prefecture on the border with Kochi Prefecture, but only 30 minutes by car from the Matsuyama Interchange, the town is a beautiful highland town where one can enjoy the rich nature of the four seasons, including Ishizuchi, the highest mountain in western Japan, Menkawa Creek located at its foot, and Shikoku Karst, one of the three major karsts of Japan. The town is also home to Daibo-ji Temple, the 44th temple of the Shikoku Sacred Sites, and Iwaya-ji Temple, the 45th temple of the Shikoku Sacred Sites.
70 minutes by car
12
Karst Coffee
For a break from a scenic drive. In addition to the coffee, the shop also offers a popular menu of sweets such as cream puffs and "cow cookies" featuring cows grazing on the plateau.
13
Shikoku Karst
A driving route touching the sky
Karst topography is terrain created on the earth’s surface by dissolution of soluble rocks. The Karst highlands including Medurudaira and Onogahara extending approximately 25km, from 1,000m to 1,485m above sea level, are scenic driving routes. While the roads are closed during the snowy winter period, they are the perfect place to enjoy driving, cycling and camping through spring, summer and autumn. Relax and enjoy the refreshing scenery of cows feeding on a meadow or the starry sky at night.
40 minutes by car
14
Yuzan Shimanto Seiran no Sato
This is the closest lodging facility to the headwaters of the Shimanto River. This is a relaxing facility with a terrace overlooking the headwaters of the Shimanto River, a warm fireplace, and an okudo for cooking delicious rice.
The images of the accommodation facilities are for illustrative purposes only
The images of the accommodation facilities are for illustrative purposes only
【DAY 4】
80 minutes by car
80 minutes by car
15
Ikegawa Chaen Koubou Cafe
The most popular items are soft-serve ice cream based on home-made tea leaves, a specialty of Niyodogawa Town, and Japanese-style parfaits with the aroma of hojicha (roasted green tea) and kabusecha (turnip tea). The flavor of tea can be found in a variety of ingredients such as jelly, homemade tea dumplings, black beans, and chocolate made from sencha powder. Also popular as souvenirs are tea field pudding, which takes advantage of the flavor of tea, and tea field brandy cake with its mellow aroma.
※Photo credit：一般社団法人仁淀ブルー観光協議会
※Photo credit：一般社団法人仁淀ブルー観光協議会
35 minutes by car
16
Nikobuchi
If you want to see a beautiful waterfall basin like a crystal, go to Nikobuchi.
Niko-fuchi, located in the upper reaches of the Niyodo River, is one of the most famous spots in Japan, so much so that it was said, "This blue is Niyodo blue. It is a small pool where clear water pours straight down, and even though it is a waterfall basin, it is so clear that one can see the bottom of the waterfall. The waterfall basin at the bottom of the valley, surrounded by trees, is faintly lit, and the color of the water changes from green to blue depending on the time of day. Incidentally, the best time to see the "Niyodo blue" is around noon, when the sun is shining directly above the water, and many tourists visit at this time.
70 minutes by car
17
Hirome Market
Hirome Market is a commercial facility located next to Kochi Castle. It is also a place for locals and visitors alike to fill their stomachs with not only Kochi"s local cuisine, but also more international flavors. The inside of the nostalgia-inspiring market building is packed with approximately 65 street stall-style restaurants, busy fresh fish and meat shops, unique knickknack shops, and clothing boutiques.
With tables throughout, customers can get takeout from different restaurants and casually enjoy a variety of foods. Although you may notice people drinking during the day in the market, this too is a sight typical of Kochi, a place where the locals are known to like drinking.
With tables throughout, customers can get takeout from different restaurants and casually enjoy a variety of foods. Although you may notice people drinking during the day in the market, this too is a sight typical of Kochi, a place where the locals are known to like drinking.
30 minutes by car
18
Katsurahama
A spot with great views and a bronze statue of the hero Ryoma Sakamoto
Katsurahama Beach is one of the most famous scenic spots in Kochi Prefecture. It has long been known as a famous place for the moon, and the lyrics to the Kochi song "Yosakoi-bushi" (Yosakoi song) are also preserved here. The beach is a beautiful place where the green pine trees and the azure sea harmonize with each other, and the bronze statue of Ryoma Sakamoto, a hero of Kochi, is very famous for his gaze toward the rough waves of the Pacific Ocean. If you want to learn more about Ryoma, the nearby Ryoma Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum is a great place to visit. The entire beach area is called "Katsurahama Park," and there is a store in the park. There are also facilities such as "Tosainu Park" and "Katsurahama Aquarium," so it is recommended that you visit these and other places around the park.
15 minutes by car
19
Oboke-Iya Hot Spring Village Accommodation
Oboke-Iya Hot Spring Village is located in the middle of Shikoku. There are several hot springs of different qualities in the Iya Valley, one of the three most mysterious places in Japan, and in Oboke, where the Yoshino River flows through Shikoku Saburo. These hot spring resorts in the mountains heal their visitors with their beautiful nature and the kindness of their people.
For more information
For more information
【DAY 5】
5 minutes by car
5 minutes by car
20
The Peeing Boy of Iya Gorge
A dizzying succession of sheer cliffs lines a steep gorge carved out of the mountains by the Iya River. As a symbol of innocent courage, a statue of a peeing boy stands at the edge of a 200m precipice that is also noted for the seven curves along its rim.
10 minutes by car
21
Vine Bridges in the Iya Valley
In ancient times the local people built many of these bridges for daily travel, using vines that grow wild in the mountains, yet only a few vine bridges still remain today. Looking down while crossing is enough to put butterflies in any visitor's stomach. Recognized as one of three kinds of unusual bridges in Japan, they are designated as an important folkloric property.
80 minutes by car
22
MORITOMO
Under the motto of "Delicious with Freshness," the restaurant offers a sumptuous hospitality featuring seasonal vegetables and fresh fish and meat.
50 minutes by car
23
Roadside Station Kurukuru Naruto
It is located along National Route 11 between the Naruto IC of the Kobe-Awaji Naruto Expressway and the Tokushima IC of the Tokushima Expressway. Taking advantage of its convenient location at the transportation node, it will function as a hub as a "gateway to Shikoku, Tokushima, and Naruto," and as a "food theme park" utilizing local products such as Naruto kintoki and lotus root, it will serve as a base for increasing the number of people interacting with each other. It will also function as a regional trading company, expanding sales channels for local products and serving as a base for industrial promotion. It will also have a variety of functions, such as an "outdoor exchange plaza" and "children's playground" to promote multi-generational and inter-regional exchanges, and a disaster prevention function based on the "phase-free" concept.
60 minutes by car
24
Hello Kitty Smile
Located overlooking the beautiful sea of Harimanada and the sunset, you can enjoy creative cuisine using Awaji Island ingredients and the world of Hello Kitty. In the mysterious underwater world guided by Otohime Hello Kitty, you can enjoy media art and Awaji Island ingredients as if you were lost in the Dragon's Palace.
120 minutes by car
GOAL