What else?
Tryyourhandat
some of the local
speciality crafts,
including making
your own colour paper
lampshades, indigo
dyeing, washi paper
and soba noodles.
You’ll also find several
hot springs, or onsen,
along the Yoshino,
often surrounded
by picturesque
mountainous
landscapes.Where
to start
Access Shikoku
viaTokushima,the
well-connected capital
city of its namesake
prefecture. It’s a
short flight from
Tokyo, or a ferry ride
from Wakayama, and
comfortable highway
buses leave regularly
from Kobe and Osaka.
Bisected by the
Yoshino, one of
Japan’s three great
rampaging rivers,
and also furrowed by
the remote and
majestic Iya Valley,
Tokushima’s
inland region of
Nishi-Awais easy to
navigate and
holds many of
the island’s riches.LITTLE
WONDER
LITTLE
WONDER
Shikoku, the most diminutive of Japan’s
four major islands, offers an oasis of calm
that affirms the country’s contemplative
nature and natural beauty
T
he site of Japan’s most celebrated
pilgrimage, the 88 Temples of
Shikoku, is an apt place to find
tranquillity amid the nation’s
often frenetic backdrop. Though the 2020 Tokyo
Olympics are still more than a year away, Japan
is currently the twelfth-most visited nation
in the world, and overtourism already
afflicts parts of the Land of the Rising Sun.Brought to you by the TOA Corporation. To discover more about
Nishi-Awa, email [email protected] or visit nishi-awa.jp/englishWhere to stay
Spend your first
evening in Mima City
at the near-100-year-
old Zeniya Inn.
Runbythefounder’s
cheerful great-
grandson Tatsuya
Zenitani, the inn is
a treasure trove of
native woodwork
and pottery, featuring
the original structure’s
exposed cedar ceiling
beams and aoishi (blue
stone) stoneware, as
well as a wall-sized
indigo-dyed artwork
on washi, traditional
handmade Japanese
paper.What to see
The next day, you
can truly relish your
first taste of the
region’s natural and
spiritual wonders,
beginning with a
scenic hike. Start
along the Dogama –
a bowl-shaped basin
of stone carved by
the cascading waters
of the Sadamitsu river.
Along the trail, you’ll
encounter a small
Shinto shrine nestled
into the trunk of a
large maple tree, its
gods well tended to
withtwomugsofsaké.
This invigorating path
culminates in the
85-metre, triple
waterfall of Narutaki.What to eat
The uniquely thick
and springy handa
somen noodles are
made at a local factory
with water from the
Yoshino river system.
Sprinkled with yuzu
citrusjuice,theymake
the perfect lunch at
a roadside station.Happily, Shikoku represents one of your best
chances to find peace in the archipelago, tucked
between Kyushu to the west and the mainland
ports of Kobe and Osaka on Honshu in the
north. On the island, you’ll find acres of
untamed wilderness, pristine waterways,
villages and organic farmlands, all ideal for
hiking, as well as sampling centuries-old
handicrafts and an array of local cuisines.Nishi-Awais also fast becoming
a working vacation hotspot, thanks
to its many traditional buildings that
have been renovated into satellite
office spaces. One of the most
impressive is the 130-year-old Sekai
Ryokan, wherethe wooden-framed
structure has been lovingly preserved
to create an airy, light-filled and
relaxing workspace.ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE