[2025 Kotohira Stay] Travel Guide for Onyado Shikishima-Kan (Updated Jun)

Foot bath at Shikishimakan 713-1 Kotohira-cho, Nakatado-gun, Kagawa Prefecture Kotohira Onsen Onyado Shikishimakan offers a free foot bath. Even if you are not a guest, you can rest your tired feet after visiting Konpira. You can bring your own towel or purchase one from the vending machine. #Kagawa #Sanuki #Summer trip #Hot spring trip

Official statistics show that Kotohira Shrine attracts around four million visitors annually, bringing significant business opportunities to Kotohira Town and fostering vibrant commercial development along the approach to the shrine. Although setting up stalls within the shrine's premises is generally prohibited, there are several locations where you can find vendors under umbrellas marked with signs of the "Five Families." These vendors operate within the sacred grounds, selling their goods. This unique privilege dates back to the Kamakura period. The five umbrellas represent families who contributed to the construction of Kotohira Shrine and were granted special permission to sell "Kamiyo Candy" within the shrine's grounds. This fan-shaped candy, infused with yuzu flavor, is meant to be broken into pieces with a hammer and shared, symbolizing the distribution of divine blessings. Along the approach to the shrine, each of the Five Families also operates their own shops. One notable spot along the approach is the Toraya Annex, a traditional Japanese inn built during the late Edo period. It once hosted Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko during their time as Crown Prince and Princess. Another historic inn, Shikishima-kan, established in the late Meiji period, has over a century of history. After a period of closure, it was acquired by a hotel chain and transformed into a hot spring resort. Another interesting highlight of Sanuki Province is its famous Wasanbon sugar, alongside its renowned udon noodles. Local ice cream shops have creatively incorporated Wasanbon sugar into their offerings. They provide a small packet of colorful Wasanbon sugar balls alongside the ice cream, allowing customers to decide how much to add and how to decorate their treat. Any leftover sugar balls can be taken home. 📍Address: Kotohira, Nakatado District, Kagawa 766-0000, Japan 🚗 Access: A 13-minute walk from JR Kotohira Station or Kotoden Kotohira Station.

This 11-day trip to Shikoku, Japan, started from Osaka. All flights and hotels were booked seamlessly through Trip.com, offering a quick and easy booking process. Additionally, all hotels provided free cancellation, greatly enhancing the flexibility and peace of mind for the trip. Shikoku has become a new travel hotspot in Japan in recent years, especially popular for self-driving tours. It allows travelers to deeply experience the natural beauty and immerse themselves in the local culture. On April 12th, we departed from Hong Kong and arrived at Kansai International Airport. From there, we took the Nankai RAPIT Express directly to Osaka city center. The first night was spent at Sanrriott Shinsaibashi, conveniently located near restaurants and shopping malls. On the second day, we indulged in shopping at Shinsaibashi, enjoyed crab dishes at Dotonbori, and admired the light art at teamLab Botanical Garden in the evening. The third day coincided with the second day of the Expo 2025 Osaka opening. We specifically planned a visit to explore the China Pavilion, Gundam Pavilion, and Japan Lifestyle Pavilion, experiencing the cultural features and cutting-edge technologies of different countries firsthand—it was truly impressive. On the fourth day, we reserved a full day to enjoy Universal Studios Japan. We pre-purchased Fast Passes for Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World through Trip.com. Although the price was slightly higher than regular tickets, it saved us from long queues. Popular attractions like Super Mario were easily accessible, making the experience more enjoyable and time-efficient. On the fifth day, we drove for two hours from Osaka to Suzuka Circuit. We had already purchased Suzuka Circuit experience tickets via Trip.com. Driving a small race car on the actual F1 track, even at a maximum speed of only 40 km/h, was an unforgettable experience. The sense of speed and immersion gave us a taste of what it feels like to be an F1 racer. In the following days, we continued our self-driving tour across Shikoku. Strawberry picking on Awaji Island was particularly memorable—not only could we pick strawberries ourselves, but we also enjoyed fresh strawberries with hot coffee right in the strawberry field, which was incredibly relaxing. We then headed to Kotohira Onsen and stayed at the newly opened Oyado Shikishima-kan. The highlight was the four free private baths available for reservation, allowing us to fully enjoy the hot spring experience. Later, we visited the Cloud Edge Temple Mountain Park, where the Sky Swing and Sky Frame are must-tries. The panoramic view from the mountaintop was breathtaking and romantic, perfect for taking photos. We also explored Oboke Gorge and the Double Vine Bridges of Iya Valley, marveling at Shikoku's magnificent gorges and pristine forest landscapes. At Matsuyama Castle, visitors could dress up in samurai costumes for free and take photos, fully immersing themselves in the local historical and cultural atmosphere. For accommodation near Dogo Onsen, we chose the newly opened Furuyu-en Haruka Ryokan, located right behind the Dogo Onsen Honkan. The ryokan offered modern and comfortable facilities, and the quality of the hot springs was excellent. As for the legendary bathhouse in "Spirited Away," which was inspired by Dogo Onsen, it is actually just a regular hot spring. There's no need to pay for entry; taking photos outside is sufficient. Lastly, we visited Ryugado Cave, one of Japan's three major limestone caves. The stalactite formations inside were spectacular and mysterious, leaving a lasting impression. In the final days, we went on a shopping spree at Kobe Mitsui Outlet and returned to Osaka to continue enjoying various local delicacies. All arrangements for the trip were effortlessly completed through Trip.com, making last-minute changes and flexible adjustments incredibly convenient. Trip.com has become my go-to platform for booking tickets and accommodations for future travels. Shikoku's natural scenery and cultural charm are absolutely worth a visit.

✨Hotel Features ♨️Supporting facilities 🛁Room environment 🍽️Breakfast 🛎️Hotel services There is a pedestrian street outside, free foot bath next to it, and Kintohira Shrine within walking distance. There is a public bath and four private baths, first come first served, free popsicles are available after bathing, and there are also electric massage chairs 💗Accommodation experience The hotel is beautiful and new, breakfast and dinner are included, very delicious!

#Spring0yentrip 📍Location: 713-1 Kawanishi, Kotohira-cho, Nakatado-gun, Kagawa 766-0001 🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities: A slightly luxurious inn 💰Price per person: From 15,000 yen 💞Reasons why we recommend it: A sweet treat to eat after checking in! A welcome drink! Ice cream after a bath and a lactic acid bacteria drink! Dinner is served in a semi-private room, so it's sure to feel special! The hospitality was great and the rooms were clean! And the open-air bath was amazing! The location is great, and you can even climb Mt. Konpira!

✨Hotel/Ryokan Points It was great that the tourist spots were close by! The exterior also had a Japanese feel, so I think it's recommended for foreigners. ♨️Facility Introduction In addition to the large public bath, there were four private baths, so we could enjoy various baths. 🛁Room Introduction The room was clean! You could choose your pillow, so it was fun. 🍽️Breakfast We were able to choose what we wanted in a buffet format! There was also udon noodles. 🛎️Service The food service was substantial, including morning lactobacillus drink, welcome drink, snack at 3pm, ice cream after the bath, and midnight noodle! 💗Thoughts on the stay The exterior was beautiful and the service was substantial, so I was very satisfied! There were many tourist spots nearby, so I was able to enjoy it! It's a recommended inn for those who want to enjoy traveling, even if it's hard to move around a lot.

#Emotional Accommodation in Kotohira Kotohira Onsen Shikishimakan Kotohira Onsen Shikishimakan Address: Japan 〒766-0001 Kagawa, Nakatado District, Kotohira, 川西713-1 Introducing Shikishimakan, a cheap ryokan in the 100,000 won range per person This ryokan costs around 100,000 won, but it offers kaiseki (breakfast + dinner) and 4 private baths, as well as free foot baths, large baths, and snacks It's a ryokan that also offers free ramen for a late-night snack! It's in the center of Kotohira, so it's a great location to walk around. Check-in is from 2:00, but if you go early, they'll let you store your luggage and let you know that you can check in after 2:00. The room was clean, and you can rent various yukatas for free, and there are various types of pillows that you can change. There's a massage chair at the entrance to the public bath, so you can rest your body. You can also have tea, coffee, and ice cream for free after the hot spring. There are four types of private baths. If the name plate doesn't light up, it's not in use, so you can use it at any time. You can choose between 5:30 and 7:00 for the evening kaiseki. It's set up at your seat. The staff kindly brings you the food and explains it to you. You have to eat rice with the stew at the end, but they take their time eating, so if you eat leisurely, they'll light a fire and serve you rice. There's a foot bath outside, and it's free, so anyone passing by can use it. There were quite a few people, so I went early in the morning, but it was nice because there were no people! If you travel to Kotohira, I highly recommend staying here. #JapanTravel #Kotohira #JapaneseHotSpring #Ryokan #TakamatsuTravel

This time, my wife and I traveled to Takamatsu and Shikoku, Japan in January 2024. I would like to especially introduce this hot spring hotel in Kotohira to you all. This hot spring hotel opened in 2023. Its design and appearance resemble the hot spring inn in Spirited Away. The hotel's one night and two meals are of very high standard. The hotel has four independent private hot springs, which do not require reservations, and there are also public hot springs.

Very beautiful, a hot spring hotel with a Spirited Away feel, 10 points new and clean, must go

If you go to Takamatsu, I highly recommend Kotohira Ryokan! There are several ryokans, but this one is called Onyado Shikishimakan! There are 4 private hot springs, so you can choose by type, and after 22:00, they also serve ramen for late-night snacks💕

Visited in July 2023 * Kotohira Onsen Onyado Shikishimakan 713-1 Kawanishi, Kotohira-cho, Nakatado-gun, Kagawa Located on the main approach to Kotohira Shrine, it is a very convenient location for visiting🎵 There are plenty of free services during your stay, such as private baths and ice cream after the bath😊 "Shikishimakan", which was once designated as a national registered tangible cultural property✨ It was revived four years ago as a modern Kyoritsu Resort inn along the approach to Konpira-san🎵 The exterior, which uses old materials from the old Shikishimakan and reproduces the appearance of a long-established inn, gives off the atmosphere of the good old "Konpira-san". The interior is new and there was a lot of wonderful hospitality✨ It was a very comfortable stay and I recommend it😊 #AccommodationReport#Kagawa #KagawaTourism #KagawaTrip #KonpiraShrine #Shikishimakan #KotohiraOnsen #Onsen #OnsenInn