2023 - Splendours of Shikoku including Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima - 6th May 2023

1. Welcome to our
“Splendours of Shikoku
Spring Tour “Including
Tokyo, Kyoto,
Hiroshima and
Miyajima
6th May – 21st May 2023
Photos Courtesy of Jan Hutton, JNTO, Otsuka Museum
of Ceramic Art, Jeff Stirling, Keith Craig and Ian Ferguson
All photos © Kiku Consulting 2022

2. Tokyo Sky Tree – tallest stand alone radio tower in the world.
© Copyright Kiku Consulting

3. Tokyo Tower
Icon of the
Tokyo skyline
© Copyright Kiku Consulting

4. Hozomon – Entrance gate to Sensoji Temple in Asakusa - Tokyo
© Copyright Kiku Consulting

5. Wax food models on display - Tokyo
© Copyright Kiku Consulting

6. Beautiful wisteria at Ashikaga Flower Park – mid April to mid May

7. Jizo statues – Zozo-ji – adjacent to Tokyo Tower © Kiku Consulting 2022

8. Ameyocho Markets - Tokyo

9. Shinkansen (Bullet trains) Tokyo Station
© Copyright Kiku Consulting

10. Korakuen Gardens - Okayama

11. Korakuen Gardens - Okayama

12. Korakuen Gardens of Okayama

13. Okayama Castle also
known as “Crow
Castle” due to its
black exterior.

14. Bikan District of Kurashiki
© Copyright Kiku Consulting

15. Beautiful vine
covered building –
Kurashiki Bikan
District
© Copyright Kiku Consulting

16. Seto-ohashi Bridge connecting Honshu and Shikoku – over 13kms long

17. Konpira Shrine – It is the Guardian of the Sea
Many fisherman and sailors visit here.

18. Udon
Noodle
making -
Cultural
activity

19. Ritsurin Gardens - Takamatsu
Ritsurin Gardens - Takamatsu

20. Yayoi Kusama’s Yellow Pumpkin – Naoshima Island

21. NNaruto Whirlpools – can be up to 25meters in diameter

22. The following 2 photographs are of rooms of the OTSUKA MUSEUM OF ART.
“The Otsuka Museum of Art is a “Ceramic board masterpiece art museum”
with the largest exhibition space in Japan (total floor of 29,412 square
meters), built to commemorate the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Group’s 75th
anniversary in Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture. Inside there are more than
1000 replicas of priceless masterpieces of Western art selected by a
committee of 6, from ancient murals to modern paintings, and collection from
more than 190 art museums in 25 countries worldwide. These masterpieces
are reproduced to their original size using special techniques by the Otsuka
Ohmi Ceramics Co., Ltd. Unlike the paintings in art books or textbooks, visitors
will be able to appreciate the true artistic value of the original works, and
experience art museums of the world whilst being in Japan.
Furthermore while the original masterpieces cannot escape the damaging
effects of today’s pollution, earthquakes and fire, the ceramic reproductions
can maintain their color and shape for over 2000 years, and this is a large
contribution in the nature of preserving the history of cultural treasures. This
is a ground- breaking experiment where we have reproduced “Guernica’,
which can no longer be moved, and El Greco’s high altar panels, which have
been dispersed during the war. The Otsuka Museum of Art can be considered
as the world’s first and only ceramic art museum, both technically and
philosophically.
Ichiro Otsuka, Director General, Otsuka Museum of Art

23. A photograph of one of the exhibits in the Otsuka Museum - Shikoku

24. A
Photograph of one of the exhibits in the Otsuka Museum - Shikoku

25. Awa Odori – Traditional dancing

26. Dining room at Hotel Kazurabashi – Iya Valley

27. Twin room at Hotel Kazurabashi – Iya Valley

28. Cable car to Onsen – Kazurabashi Hotel – Iya Valley

29. Natural
Onsen –
Hotel
Kazurabashi
– Iya Valley

30. Indigo Dyeing -
Cultural activity

31. “Peeing Boy “ – Shikoku Mountain Range

32. Oku-Iya Vine
Bridge – Iya
Valley

33. Kazura Vine Bridge
Iya Valley - Shikoku

34. • Ayano Tsukimi – the
Scarecrow Master of
Shikoku

35. A display of Scarecrow Dolls at Nagoro-Shikoku

36. The past lives on in Wakimachi

37. Japanese washi paper - Cultural activity

38. Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama – said to be Japan’s oldest hot spring with
a 3000 year history

39. Itsukushima Shrine and famous torii gate – Miyajima Island

40. Famous floating torii gate – Miyajima Island

41. Beautiful view of floating torii gate and Itsukushima Shrine - Miyajima

42. Miyajima’s famous rice scoops

43. Hiroshima’s famous oysters

44. Peace Park - Hiroshima

45. Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima Peace Park
The Children's Peace Monument is a monument for peace to commemorate Sadako Sasaki
and the thousands of child victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

46. Hiroshima Castle

47. UNESCO World Heritage Kinkaku-ji “Golden Pavilion” - Kyoto

48. KIBUNE – 45 minutes from Kyoto

49. Magnificient Bamboo
Groves – Arashiyama
Kyoto
© Copyright Kiku Consulting

50. Heian Jingu Torii in Kyoto - one of the largest and tallest gates in Japan
© Copyright Kiku Consulting

51. Beautiful dry sand garden “Sea of Silver Sand” at Ginkaku-ji - Kyoto
© Copyright Kiku Consulting

52. Such beautiful tradition – Kyoto``

53. SAYONARA
さ
ようなら