2-week solo trip report – Takamatsu/Hiroshima/Matsuyama/Osaka – October 2025

Title refers! After deliberating for like 3 months including a pretty detailed question post on th tips sub, I pulled the trigger and just got back from a 2-weeks long solo trip to some further-flung corners of Japan.

TL;DR – was an amazing trip, wish I could be back there again. Made a few hiccups esp with local trains in smaller towns that could've been avoided with better checking. Solo travel made the itinerary a lot more elastic which helped a lot with energy and exploration. Have a photo album!

Trip Background

So this trip was kind of a soul-searching/healing trip – dealing with burnout and feeling lost in a lot of my life stuff – and I decided to try to branch out and try solo travel for the first time. The timing was kinda serendipitous; I'm a huge art fiend so it was perfect that the Setouchi Triennale was going on this year, so I decided to go for the Autumn session in hopes of cooler weather (which was false), and also managed to time it right for the Saijo Matsuri! Alongside this, I wanted to indulge in a fair amount of good dining, coffee, and local beer/sake/liquor. On a sidenote for this, I'll probably do proper reviews for the food places later on on the fd subreddit or smth

Overview

• Day 1: Flew from my hometown via SIN to KIX, taking the train down from Osaka to Takamatsu
• Days 2-7: Based out of Takamatsu, did trips to the art islands + a day-trip to Hiroshima
• Days 7-11: Headed down to Matsuyama, explored around and went to the Saijo Matsuri, also ended up going to Ozu and Shimonada Station
• Days 11-14: Ferry across to Hiroshima to train up to Osaka, spent a few days with dining and souvenir stuff, before flying back out

Day-by-day

Day 1

• Planned: Fly into KIX around 4:30pm, collect rail passes, take trains to Takamatsu to arrive by 9pm.
• Actual: This one was about perfect in terms of timing – I wasted half an hour at Shin-Osaka from choosing the route with a longer transfer time because I was worried I would be lost at the station (I need to put more faith in my navigation).

Day 2

• Planned: Takamatsu adventure day – Sunport, Takamatsu Art Museum (TAM), Yashima+Shikokumura, ending the day at Grill a Table
• Actual: Slept in and went back to the train station around 10 to get my ICOCA, got kickass udon at Merikenya thereafter. Chilled out at the hotel because of the heat before heading back out to TAM for a few hours, then took in the views at Ritsurin Koen. Grill a Table was a pretty good, loved the emphasis on local ingredients (that beef was easily the softest I've had in a long while).

Day 3

• Planned + actual: Daytrip to Hiroshima – Peace Park and Museum, okonomiyaki, Mazda Museum, then dinner at Chisou Sottakuito
• AM Remarks: As a museum, it was fairly okay, with the testimonies of the hibakusha and memorial monuments being a highlight for me. However, I think I had a lot of mixed feelings about it as a SEAsian; it was a bit of an awkward reckoning with how Japan views its role in WW2 and how…sanitised it is (esp. wrt. its imperialism). On a less historical note, I messed up on the day, and somehow ended up there when like 8 schools had their school trip there. It was wall to wall a sea of people, with little ventilation and a lot of bumping. All things considered, I was rushing to leave the museum for the park.
• PM Remarks: Okonomiyaki was nice at Ganso Hassho (red roof), the aunties working were pretty kind and took a photo with me – in retrospect, it's probably better to have it with ramen noodles than udon, it was a bit too thick for cutting. Other than that, the Mazda Museum was a dope experience, a lot of car history, but the merch dept is a bit lacking. Had craft beer (and a cool conversation with a Social Studies guy) at Kamer, which I'd recommend wholeheartedly. Chisou Sottakuito was amazing – there's a review on r/finedining from the week I went that says more than everything I'd want to say, so I'll just say it was amazingly hospitable. Got back in Takamatsu on the second-last train and had to walk all the way back to the hotel since the trams closed by then.

Day 4

• Planned: Inujima and Teshima.
• Actual: Got a "very crowded" notification at 9am. Decided against it for the day. Tried to try a French place for breakfast with no luck, so I dipped into FamilyMart for a chicken and noodle brekkie. Rested up at the hotel before heading off to Yashima and Shikokumura – lovely place. The panoramic painting at the summit wasn't really worth it, but everything else was nice, especially the temple. Got back to Takamatsu proper around 7pm, and ducked in

Day 5

• Planned: Naoshima.
• Actual: Said 'fuck it' to the crowding calendar today and went anyways. Long lines for the ferry, but got to Naoshima around 9:30. Fairly busy and hot day meant that it was a bit of an annoying experience, but the New Museum and the Lee Ufan exhibition more than made up for it. Not my favourite art site though. Had some kick ass ramen once I got back though. Which leads me to…

Day 6

• Planned: Outer islands exploring + Ritsurin Koen
• Actual: Couldn't get tickets to Teshima, so I got up bright and early for Inujima instead. The Inujima Seirensho Museum is easily one of the most intriguing art spaces I've ever seen – most disorientating too, with its emphasis on playing with natural light and shadow, truly meditative experience. The art cottages there are also pretty nice, though more photo-ops than a reflection space. Had a decent fish and chips here before heading back to Takamatsu to get a new luggage, start shopping, and have a pretty nice Italian dinner at Ryobo – service was great, food was amazing, very intimate and quiet affair all in all.

Day 7

• Planned: Another outer island jaunt before heading onwards to Matsuyama.
• Actual: Passed on the island idea. Had brunch at an amazing little tonkatsu place, before last minute shopping near my hotel. Checked out around 12 and took the express down to Matsuyama, arriving at 5pm. Had Uwajima-style taimeshi (easily my favourite of the regional specials), before heading to DD4D for some nice brews. Rested up in my hotel, couldn't sleep and ended up wandering into some mid tantanmen for supper before conking out again.

Day 8

• Planned: Circling around the sights in Matsuyama, before having a late dinner at Sushi Ino.
• Actual: Pretty much as stated. Bansuiso was a nice visit. The Ehime Prefectural Art Museum was great too, especially with the future-themed exhibit they had on at the time. Matsuyama Castle was definitely a castle – had great wind which I greatly appreciated in the late summer heat, and the chairlift was equal parts scary and fun. The only real hiccup was Sushi Ino – the sushi was decent, but the difficulties in service left a bad taste in my mouth (though shout-out to the guy next to me who could tell I was hella confused at the end of the formal course and just cheersed me with the last piece of his extra roll).

Day 9

• Planned and actual: Head over to Iyo-saijo for the Saijo Matsuri.
• Remarks: I think I regret this a little bit; not for the festival, which was an amazing experience, but for going too early. The late morning procession around town was fun, but I feel I spent way too long just looking for food before I gave up and FamilyMarted a quick lunch. Other than the festival, there wasn't really much here, which felt like a shame since it meant I missed out on a chance to go to the Tobe Pottery Centre that would've fit nicely in this morning.

Day 10

• Planned: Going around Matsuyama and outskirts (Ozu + Shimonada)
• Actual: Pretty much as stated – Ozu was genuinely peaceful and beautiful; Garyu Sanso and Bansenso might've been some of the most pretty sights I've seen in my entire trip. The attendant at Bansenso was surprised to find out I was from Malaysia and showed me around some of the courtyard + the water source for the house, which was a cave that was eerie as hell. Had champon at a local restaurant near the station that was genuinely overflowing.
• Missed the train for Shimonada because I wasn't used to/didn't know that these smaller stations only had physical boards instead of announcements/digital signboards. Ended up heading up to Iyoshi to kill time and catch the next train down, which led to a nice chillout at the pretty station area and a fun broken-Japanese chat with the ladies at the small cafe.
• Shimonada was pretty, but of course, a tiny place that people basically took photos at and left. I had a nice OJ and soy sauce ice-cream though, so that's good.
• Had dinner at Kurumasushi, which I will say is probably the best sushi I've ever had in my life. Ended up seated next to a Taiwanese-SG tourist, which meant that between him and the sous chef, there was a lot of fun conversation.

Day 11

• Planned: Heading up to Osaka via ferry across to Hiroshima for the Shinkansen – go to NAKKA for a bit before chilling in the hotel til dinner at Milpa.
• Actual: This day was a bit of a dog's dinner. The ferry and Shinkansen were fine, but I forgot how packed the Osaka Metro can be, especially around 12pm. Got to Osaka Station Hotel around 1pm to drop off my luggage, then walked around NU Chayamachi for a bit. Bought some vinyl and anime merch before heading back and resting up. Went over to Lee Structure to look around some more vinyl before having a pretty amazing modern Mexican dinner and pairing at milpa. Had some pretty nice craft cocktails at Bar Hollow and Bar Shiki before calling it a night.

Day 12

• Planned: A coffee crawl through Osaka in the morning. Tempura course lunch at Numata Sou, a stint at Derailleur Brew Works to chill, and then dinner at NH.
• Actual: Got to Glitch and Lilo before the long-ass lines and humid heat got to me. Chilled at the hotel til lunch, then spent the rest of the afternoon at NAKKA instead of the craft beer (which unfortunately was skipped due to timing). NAKKA was dope and helped with my bloated-ness and general oiliness from Numata Sou, and the two key exhibitions were intriguing. NH was also pretty nice, a lovely French fusion place that felt a lot less pretentious than I expected.

Day 13

• Planned: Hike up Minoh Falls, then last dinner at Noguchi Taro.
• Actual: Minoh Falls was surprisingly tiring – though I blame that on my legs not being he best with elevation. It was nice and scenic though, so the slow walk was worth it, especially after spotting a wild deer. Took a taxi back down to the station, chilled at the hotel before last souvenir shopping at Donki and Lucua. Packed up, then headed to Stand Beer Umineko to try local craft. Had a few cups before I had to meet my dinner appointment, which was good, if a bit underwhelming. Had a nightcap at the bar downstairs from it before resting up for my flight back the next day.

If you're reading this far down, thanks! And take this as my personal rec: Shikoku is an amazing place, and I wouldn't balk at the idea of another stint spent here. In general, the time I spent here was great, and much like all people here in this sub, I am thinking of going back to Japan again (perhaps a Tokyo session with some daytrips to environs to escape the city next June, but summer timing for that feels tough, so who knows?)