Board the Ferry to Shodoshima, Jewel of the Seto Inland Sea

Your journey to Shodoshima begins at sea, aboard one of the ferries that make daily crossings to the island from ports in Hyogo, Okayama, and Kagawa. En route, relax and enjoy the gentle sea breeze as you gaze out across the crystal clear waters of the Seto Inland Sea at the many islands that come in and out of view. Shodoshima makes an instant impression as you approach, with its stunning landscape of mountains and forests beckoning you to come ashore and discover all the wonders that await.

A Uniquely Beautiful Island Shaped by Man and Nature

Amidst the deep forests of its mountainous interior, Shodoshima is home to some of the most beautiful valleys in Japan, where generations of farmers have reshaped the land into stunning rice terraces. Elsewhere, you will find olive groves – the first of their kind in Japan – which feed the local cattle that produce some of the highest-grade wagyu beef in the country. People here long sought self-reliance through fishing and agriculture, as well as through traditional industries like soy sauce production and handicrafts such as bamboo basket weaving.

A Stay with a Sense of Place

Make Yourself at Home at a Charming Villa that Speaks to the Island’s History

It is a common claim that holiday accommodation will make you feel at home, but Oyashiki Stay Ko is one place that truly achieves this. Renovated and then opened in 2025 by a Japanese couple who had previously spent time living abroad, the main building of this charming villa was originally constructed in 1931 as the home of a prominent local family. The expansive grounds also include a storehouse that dates back to the nineteenth century, now converted into a bar featuring sake, beer and wine for the exclusive use of villa guests.

Relax in the Bath, Take a Stroll in the Garden, and Gaze Up at the Stars

Renovations of Oyashiki Stay Ko were carried out with great care and attention to detail, modernizing the buildings for safety and comfort while preserving the essence of the original structure’s architecture and decor. Traditional Japanese features such as sliding doors and natural wood detailing feature throughout the interior, alongside modern comforts like air-conditioning, underfloor heating, and beds instead of futons.

As well as four bedrooms, Oyashiki Stay Ko contains a dining room, living room, and full kitchen. There is also a spacious and elegant private bath that looks out onto a small courtyard garden, the perfect place to lay back, breathe, and relax. Natural spring water for the baths is drawn from wells on the property. Next to the bath is a one-person Finnish-style sauna that you can use as much as you like.

Be sure to take time to wander around the property, which contains a traditional Japanese garden as well as vegetable plots, fruit trees, and a chicken coop. Depending on the season and the day, you may be able to harvest fruit, vegetables, and shiitake mushrooms along with freshly-laid eggs to be used in the meals prepared for you in the house. During the day, you can enjoy views of the sea off in the distance and the mountains in behind, while on clear nights the sky above is a glittering canopy of stars.

Moments at the Table

Relax in the Villa and Enjoy Delicious Meals Featuring Seasonal Local Ingredients

This Wabunka plan includes dinner and breakfast, served on site at Oyashiki Stay Ko so that you can relax on the property in privacy and comfort. Both meals feature seasonal ingredients from the island itself and around the Setouchi region.

Breakfast

Breakfast at Oyashiki Stay Ko is a well-balanced, nourishing meal that typically includes fresh-baked bread from a local cafe, fresh fruits, seasonal vegetables from the garden, and freshly-laid eggs from the chicken coop.

Dinner

For dinner at Oyashiki Stay Ko, a local chef will come to the villa to prepare a delicious meal right before your eyes, using carefully-selected locally-sourced ingredients. Enjoy conversation with the chef as the anticipation builds. Please let us know your preferred cuisine in advance: Italian, Japanese, or sushi (subject to availability).

Deepen Your Connection to the Region

Visit an Olive Farm for a Guided Tour Followed by a Private Tasting Session (Additional Option)

For a clue about one of Shodoshima’s most unlikely products, one need look no further than its sister city: the island of Milos in Greece. Shodoshima was the first place in Japan where olives were successfully grown, introduced in the early twentieth century and helped on by the island’s clean air, sunny skies, and relatively low rainfall. In time, Shodoshima began to grow olives for direct consumption and to be made into olive oil, as well as providing fodder for cattle to produce special high-grade wagyu beef.

While the actual olive groves are generally off limits to visitors, this exclusive Wabunka option includes a guided tour where you can walk among the trees of AMYFARM and visit its processing facilities to learn all about olive production on the island. After the tour, you can partake in a private tasting session where you try three of the four main olive varieties grown on Shodoshima, with expert insight provided by a qualified olive sommelier.

*Please note that because this is an additional option not included within the fee for this plan, additional fees apply.
*Please note that this experience is only available from January to June.
*This experience lasts approximately 60 minutes, including travel time.

Hike to Cave Temples and Mountaintops Along Shodoshima’s Historic Pilgrimage Route (Additional Option)

If you want to get outdoors and explore the natural beauty of Shodoshima, you can opt for this superb guided hiking experience. Traverse paths through local forests that emerge into open spaces that provide an impressive variety of spectacular views that showcase the true beauty of the island and the seas that surround it. Parts of the routes you walk will follow the 150-kilometer Shodoshima Pilgrimage, which visits 88 temples just like the famous henro pilgrimage of Shikoku. Some of the temples on the Shodoshima Pilgrimage are charmingly humble, including small local places of worship built into structures like caves.

Two routes are available for this hiking experience, catering to different levels of fitness and expertise. Feel free to consult with your hiking guide prior to the experience to decide which works best for you. The first route ascends the mountain of Goishiyama, which has a statue of the deity Fudo Myoo and a panoramic view, and ends at the mysterious rock temple of Sekimondo Cave. The other route begins in the cave temples of Kasaga Falls and continues to Nishinotaki Ryusuiji Temple near the summit of Mt. Osayama. As an exclusive Wabunka extra, you will receive an o-mamori amulet, believed by pilgrims to protect them on their journey.

*Please note that because this is an additional option not included within the fee for this plan, additional fees apply.
*This experience lasts approximately 120 minutes, including travel time.

Learn to Weave a Traditional Bamboo Basket from Local Island Residents (Additional Option)

This unique crafting experience is a complete original available exclusively through Wabunka. In the past, the people of Shodoshima relied on the island to provide for their daily needs, even when it came to vessels and containers to hold their possessions. The weaving of bamboo baskets undoubtedly began out of such practical necessity, but it evolved over time into a local traditional handicraft that verges on fine art.

In this experience, you will not only learn to weave your very own bamboo basket, but will discover how to obtain the materials required to do so. In the morning, you will head out into the mountains with your guide to cut bamboo, then return for a quick lunch (included), before weaving your basket in the afternoon. The final product will be approximately 10 cm in diameter, finished on the day so that you can take it home as a memento of your stay on Shodoshima.

*Please note that because this is an additional option not included within the fee for this plan, additional fees apply.
*Because this option is a full-day experience, guests must stay at Oyashiki Stay Ko for two nights to participate, with the experience held on the second day.

An Island Like No Other in the Midst of the Seto Inland Sea

It can be difficult to believe how much there is to discover on Shodoshima, an island that stretches across no more than 25 kilometers east to west. And yet there is just so much here. Many visitors breeze through in a day or two, but with olive groves and cave temples, rice terraces and soy sauce factories, art installations and local handicrafts, Shodoshima is a place worthy of a much longer stay—and a rewarding one to repeat visitors.

Choosing Oyashiki Stay Ko as your accommodation on Shodoshima will provide you with much more than a base for exploring the island. With its historic buildings and beautiful gardens, the villa alone will make your visit to Shodoshima one of your most cherished memories of Japan. Take some time while you are there to speak with the owners, who are enchanted by the island’s past and passionate about its future.