12 Days In Shikoku Going Off-The-Beaten-Path - A Japan Travel Itinerary

To see the dramatic Naruto Whirlpools, you need to check the high and low tide times, as they happen twice a day and vary daily. I recommend the Wonder Naruto boat, which is bigger than the Aqua Eddy (which has underwater windows but is more expensive). Once on board, rush to a spot on the side and stay there, as it gets shoulder-to-shoulder. The whirlpools are a bit of luck; they can happen on either side of the boat near the bridge. The captain does a good job of holding position and changing sides, but you'll need to scan the water to catch a mini-swirl, one that develops and fizzles, or if you're lucky, a full whirlpool!

The 50-minute performance at the Awa Odori Theater is the best way to experience the energy and intricacies of this traditional dance, accompanied by musicians. You'll see men, women, children, and elders perform. The best part is that you get to learn some basic moves, and at the end, the whole crowd joins the dancers on the floor for a truly fun and immersive night!

Make a detour to the historic Udatsu townscape and visit Yamauchi Studio, a designated Japanese heritage site. Here, you can dye an item of your choice in the traditional indigo way. I chose a drawstring bag. Your teacher will guide you through the process: first, decide on your design, then scrunch up the bag using a special technique, and dunk it into the indigo vat for one minute at a time. You'll squeeze it out and repeat this four times. When done, unwrap, rinse, and dry it to reveal your unique indigo-dyed creation!

Deep in the Iya Valley, you'll find a few remaining suspension bridges made of mountain vines. The larger one is called Husband Bridge. If you're afraid of heights like me, you'll find it challenging because the plank gaps are huge, forcing you to look down! It's terrifying but an incredible experience. While here, you can also check out the wooden cable carts, an ancient way to transport goods. The smaller Wife Bridge will also stimulate your vertigo. Later, you'll find a second, more accessible vine bridge site, which is more touristy with a toll gate and a one-way crossing rule. It's a similar design with equally terrifying wide gaps.

The biggest highlight of the day is at Hotel Iyaonsen, which has a spectacular open-air onsen open to visitors. To get there, you take a cable car down to the river, where separate male and female hot spring pools overlook the flowing river. The alkaline sulphurous water pipes in straight from the source, so the pools are continuously flowing. Your onsen ticket also grants you access to their indoor hot springs.

For two nights, stay at Kouya, a 130-year-old family home that was once a tobacco farm and is now a National Significant Cultural Heritage Site. You'll have this multi-room restored home all to yourself. Step in, and sliding doors open onto a large floor hearth where meals are cooked and eaten. One of the two bedrooms has a fluffy Japanese-style futon with valley views. Afternoons start with a sweet treat and tea. For dinner, they cook an extravagant meal, some in the kitchen, others traditionally over an open-air cast iron stove tended by bamboo. Try Hirarayaki, a dish with a thick wall of miso paste, sake, and local ingredients like potato, konjac, amego fish, and tofu. Mornings are my favorite, watching the valley come to life as fog flows through. Your host explains all the small plates for breakfast, and you'll appreciate the freshly brewed coffee in the crisp morning air.

Tonight, you get to be part of making dinner with a hands-on soba-making class. Shin-san guided me through the process of making Iya Soba noodles from scratch, which are 100% buckwheat and much shorter and fatter than typical soba. I also got to see rice steaming the time-honored way with small sticks, branches, and bamboo. Dinner was incredible, with amego fish roasted by the fire, small appetizer dishes, the soba I made, and a huge pot of oden because it was cold that night.

The reason to come all the way to Shimanto is for the Kurogane knifemaking workshop, nestled in the quiet mountains. Master Nobuya and apprentice Jesse run a unique workshop where you can design and make any type of knife you want. Starting with a piece of pre-laminated Blue Paper #2 steel, you'll go through forging, shaping the edge, heat treatment, finishing the blade, and adding the handle. This full-day workshop was worth every penny and will easily be one of the top highlights of your trip to Shikoku!

Deep in the Nakatsu Gorge and Niyodogawa town, you'll find the pristine sapphire blue river known as Niyodo Blue. The best way to see it is with a wetsuit, water shoes, life jacket, helmet, and a canyoning trip with Niyodo Adventure. On this guided tour, you'll get up close with the river, starting easy to acclimatize to the cool waters. Nori-san will guide you through various obstacles, including abseiling down cliffs and letting go into the raging river, slipping down natural rock slides, and sneaking behind waterfalls. It's an action-packed adventure!

After drying off from canyoning, head into the official Nakatsu Gorge hiking course. This sacred Shinto area, formed 300 million years ago, offers an easy 2.3 km hike through the gorge. Along the way, you'll see seven statues dedicated to different gods of good luck, massive boulders, beautiful blue waters, and shades of gray, green, and red. The main highlight is Uryu Falls, where water drops 20 meters, marked as an important Shinto site by hanging rope above it.

To get up to Matsuyama Castle grounds, you can choose between a gondola or a continuously running chairlift; I picked the chairlift for the nice hang time. This castle is significantly more challenging to conquer than Kochi Castle, with long paths, impossible-to-scale walls, and gates upon gates with kill zones. Inside the main keep, you'll be impressed by the numerous samurai armor and katanas on display, with an opportunity to try one on. On the second level, there's a VR station for aerial views, and at the very top, you'll get awesome panoramic views of Matsuyama City. Don't forget to grab a stamp, fresh orange juice, and orange top soft serve before you go!

Take the local train to Ichigo, a steakhouse specializing in olive wagyu. These cattle come from the nearby olive-producing island of Shodoshima and have a unique diet of toasted olives, giving their meat an evenly-marbled, rich, and nutty umami flavor. I had 150 grams of the lamp part. It comes pre-seared, and you get to cook the olive wagyu to your liking on a hot stone. This was easily the best steak I've ever had – Oishi indeed!

Take the local train to Ichigo, a steakhouse specializing in olive wagyu. These cattle come from the nearby olive-producing island of Shodoshima and have a unique diet of toasted olives, giving their meat an evenly-marbled, rich, and nutty umami flavor. I had 150 grams of the lamp part. It comes pre-seared, and you get to cook the olive wagyu to your liking on a hot stone. This was easily the best steak I've ever had – Oishi indeed!

Chichu Art Museum is a must-see, but you need to make reservations ahead of time as tickets sell out quickly. Arrive at your time slot, and they'll check you in at the gate. It's good to know that cameras and phones aren't allowed inside, which I found quite refreshing. The museum itself is brilliant!

Take the train to Kojima Station, the birthplace of Japanese denim. Then, take a taxi to Betty Smith, a jeans manufacturer with the oldest jeans factory and the only jeans museum in Japan. The reason to come here is for their jeans-making experience! Start by picking the type of jeans you want to customize, and your instructor will hem them. Afterward, choose from a huge selection of buttons, rivets, and leather patches. You'll attach the top button using a mechanical tool, then move to another device to attach all four rivets. When you're done, you'll have your very own custom-made Betty Smith jeans! Before you go, check out their two jeans museums to learn about the history, evolution, and process of Japanese jeans.