SETOUCHI
Your ultimate guide to Setouchi
Kobe
OKAYAMA
Kobe is a bustling port city with a population of 1.5 million – a fact you wouldn’t believe while exploring the surroundings of the local Shinkansen station, which has a crystal-clear stream burbling underneath it and lush greenery visible directly from the platform.
Home to one of the three ‘great gardens’ of Japan, Okayama is steeped in history and has a mild climate considered ideal for growing fruit. The historic townscape of nearby Kurashiki, once a busy rice distribution centre due to its prime location on the Inland Sea, also evokes bygone days.
Kagawa is located on the island of Shikoku, across
the Seto Ohashi Bridge from Okayama. The prefecture and its capital, Takamatsu, are famed for their thriving art scene; several key venues of the international Setouchi Triennale art festival are in Kagawa.
KAGAWA
Once a prosperous castle town, Fukuyama is proud of its past: the local Shinkansen station stands right in front of the fortress that lent the city its name. A 20-minute train ride from Fukuyama takes you to Onomichi, a shipbuilding centre and the starting point of the Shimanami Kaido, a scenic 70-kilometre cycling route across bridges connecting six Inland Sea islands.
FUKUYAMA and ONOMICHI
A global symbol of the importance of peace, Hiroshima is a vibrant commercial and culinary centre on the delta of the Ota River, shaped by the river’s six channels and knitted together by bridges. The sacred Miyajima Island, a Unesco World Heritage site, lies just a short train and ferry ride away.
HIROSHIMA
Out on the western tip of Honshu, mountainous
Yamaguchi is bounded by the sea on three sides, ensuring a steady supply of superb seafood. Known as ‘the Kyoto of the West’, the city can be reached via the Shin-Yamaguchi Shinkansen station.
Yamaguchi
Alight at Kokura Station to explore the rugged charms of Kitakyushu, a powerhouse of a port city that gave birth to Japan’s modern steel industry in the early 1900s and remains a key industrial hub – as well as one of the country’s premier sushi cities.
Kitakyushu
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Breathtaking landscapes, world-class art, unforgettable culinary experiences, architecture both traditional and trailblazing – the expansive Setouchi region has it all. But finding – and getting to – the real highlights can be a challenge, especially for first-time visitors. With this guide, we’ve taken the work out of exploring the area. Below you’ll find seven easy-to-follow model itineraries, each one centred on a specific JR railway station in Setouchi.
The ultimate guide to
Discover the best of the Inland Sea region
Discover Setouchi by train
Dotted with more than a thousand islands large and small, the Seto Inland Sea between Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu is a marvel of natural beauty. The archipelago and its shores comprise the Setouchi area, where picturesque scenery meets a forward-looking blend of art, culture and cuisine.
With the Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train running along the Honshu coast of the Inland Sea the entire way between Shin-Osaka and Hakata stations, Setouchi is most convenient to explore by train. The Setouchi Area Pass provided by JR West allows for unlimited rides on JR trains throughout the region over a 7-day period. Some buses and ferries are also included.
The Setouchi Area Pass costs ¥22,000 (¥11,000 for children aged 6–11) and can be purchased online via the JR-West Online Train Reservation site before or during your trip. Passes are only available to foreign nationals entering Japan on a tourist visa.
Setouchi Area Pass holders can reserve seats on trains in the area at no extra cost. Seat reservations can be made at station ticket offices and ticket vending machines. Online reservation is available for passes purchased via the JR-West Online Train Reservation site until they are exchanged for a physical pass.
Travelling on the Sanyo Shinkansen with a big bag in tow? If the total dimensions of your suitcase are between 160cm and 250cm, you’ll need to choose a seat with ‘oversized baggage’ space when making a seat reservation. There’s no extra fee for these seats.
Seat reservations
Oversized baggage
Souvenirs
Bite into the best of the region or score a quirky memento of your trip with our Setouchi souvenir picks.
Click here
Ride the Sea Spica and see the Inland Sea from the water
Need a break from train travel? Opt for a boat trip on the Sea Spica, a sleek sightseeing cruiser travelling between the ports of Onomichi and Hiroshima. A one-way trip takes around four and a half hours, including a stopover at an island along the way, leaving you with plenty of time to take in the scenery. See here for the 2025 cruise calendar and tickets.
Get golden guidance While we’re all about providing local expertise so you can discover the best of Japan on your own, we do recognise the value of a well-informed real-life guide, too. Gold-Guide’s all-star team of English-speaking guides are on hand to take you behind the scenes in Setouchi. Check out their tours in Kobe, Hiroshima and the Kansai area.
