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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/wardXn on 2024-02-12 01:13:58.

• I think I posted quite a fair bit of background information in my previous post here so I will not reiterate here for brevity
• Refer to link here for a map which details the entire trip based on an app tracker
• My goal is to provide datapoint for other parts of Japan that isn’t Osaka, Kyoto or Tokyo which I feel is well documented in this forum by other knowledgeable posters. Primarily, I intend to drive awareness for Shikoku, Shimane/Tottori and Kanazawa/Noto Peninsula which are hidden gems for people who would like to chance it
• Since 36 days is long, I intend to first cover Shikoku, Shimanami Kaido up to Hiroshima which is about 10 days.
• Special footnote/write-up is given for things that might be of interest e.g. getting sightseeing train tickets etc.
• If there’s interest for subsequent sections then I’ll consider making follow up posts for other sectors in due course (in particular, Shimane, Tottori, Kinosaki Onsen, and Kanazawa, Noto Peninsula).
• I include links to photos from my own (throwaway) blogger where applicable which I have originally shared with a few close friends; for now I will refrain from linking my blog in full as I do not think that is permitted. Please correct me if that is not the case.

Day 0 – Narita, Tokyo Station [Tokyo]

Touched down at Narita just after 1700 and cleared immigration at Narita Airport in 30 minutes. Was fortunate that the queue to redeem the JR Pass was also smooth, with under 20 minutes wait. All in all, I was able to get on the 1815 NEX train to Tokyo Station which is significantly quicker than my original estimate. Started to wait for the Sunrise Seto train arrival at around 2030; at that time there were already at least 3-4 other people in front of me queueing for the shower card. So if you want to shower on the train, get there significantly earlier before the official arrival time at 2150.I had managed to get the Single Twin bed which was barely enough space for me and my large luggage; bed was of the hard variety but I still had a pretty nice sleep overall. You are given one pillow and a pyjamas per bed so I got to have two pillows as a result. Slept all the way to Okayama where I was a tad too late to witness the train decoupling. Got some onigiri from Lawson to snack on since there’s no food options onboard to purchase.

SECURING SUNRISE SETO TICKETS – so you want to get those tickets…

There’s typically two ways of doing it: either by getting direct from the JR Midori-no-Maruguchi with a physical friend proxy right when the reservations are open at 1000JST [it’s so well-known that there’s a Japanese term for it i.e. 10時打ち lit. ‘strike at 10’], or getting it yourself online through the JRwest portal. I got mine through the latter, though I will note that you will need to be FAST to get it, like =< 1 minute fast from ticket selection to payment. The room reservation is only guaranteed when you make payment so you’ll need to do some dry runs if you are serious about it. I note that the Tokyo~Takamatsu/Izumo tickets sell significantly faster compared to the reverse route, so you might want to consider the reverse route for an easier time if you just want to ride it for the experience.

JR nationwide pass covers the basic fare, but you will still need the room reservation ticket.

Redeeming the tickets is simple enough – just retrieve it from an e5489 machine [JR west ticketing machines, specifically] and inserting your credit card that you have used for the reservation, as well as the reservation code. Do note that you can’t just retrieve it from those Midori-no-Maruguchis in Narita Airport or Tokyo Station as those are under JR East [I have been refused service by the staff on this matter]. Also, e5489 machines within Tokyo prefecture is limited so please check in advance where they are available.

Day 1 – Kotohira [Kagawa], Iya Valley [Tokushima]

Reached Takamatsu very early in the morning just before 0730. Managed to reserve all of the upcoming limited express trains via the e5489 machines, using the nationwide JR pass. The entire process of reserving ~9 limited express/Shinkansen tickets was done relatively quickly within 15 minutes; the only pet peeve I have is that you need to key in your passport number for every single reservation. There’s English option so no need to fret if you cant interpret kanji/hiragana/katakana. Took a train over to Kotohira to explore Kotohiragu. The view from the top overlooking the town is great, though the climb will be challenging if you’re not used to walking long distances (in my opinion, slightly difficult than the climb in Fushimi Inari, Kyoto). Also didn’t help that it was raining on the day. Had a nice sanuki udon meal along the shopping street. After that, I took the limited express Nanpu down to Oboke where I took the boat ride along the gorge. The train has a dedicated luggage compartment similar to the NEX thus no issue storing my luggage on the train. Innkeeper picked me up and drove me to look at the peeing boy statue overlooking Iya Valley before retiring for the night at the lodge [Kajiya Iya Romantei]. The lodging is undoubtedly one of the most memorable stays that I had in this trip, which in a sentence, is quintessential rural Japan living (and that is saying something for a ~36 day travel trip).

Day 2 – Iya Valley, Mount Tsurugi [Tokushima]

With the innkeeper gladly driving me around the valley, I explored some of the local hotspots such as the Oku-Iya vine bridges and the Nagoro Scarecrow Village. The scarecrow village was interesting in that it feels like a gloomy portend of most countryside towns/villages due to the ongoing ageing /depopulation situation in Japan. However, the main event was the snowy hike up Mount Tsurugi; due to its high altitude it was already snowing in mid-November. Took almost 2.5 hours to get to the top via the ropeway and down; there was somehow an eatery open near the top which was much needed for me to recharge before heading down. Ended the day with a scenic drive along Ochrai Village overlooking the valley.

Day 3 – Kochi [cityside]

Early start to the day, catching the first limited express train Shimanto at 0720 from Oboke down to Kochi. The morning view along Iya Valley was magnificent. After dropping my luggage at the hotel, proceeded to hit various hotspots such as Kochi Castle and Hirome Market to try out the seared bonito, before heading southwards towards Godai Observatory Post/ Makino Botanical Gardens. Ended the day with a visit to Kasurahama to look at the beach, as well as the Sakamata Ryoma Memorial Museum. While I didn’t manage to time my trip to coincide with the Sakamata Ryoma festival, I was still able to get on a time-limited scaffold structure to [view the larger-than-life size of him at face height](https://blogger.googleuser…

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