The Setouchi region in Japan attracts travellers seeking something different to the typical tourist trails of Japan, boasting tranquil islands, scenic coastal towns nestled in lush surroundings, and mountainous inland regions with sweeping views of the Seto Inland Sea.
Whether it’s your first visit to Setouchi, or you’re thinking of heading back to discover more, here are some of the latest openings, including places to stay and new cultural activities showcasing Setouchi’s perfect balance between tradition, contemporary innovation and natural beauty.
Hoshino Resort Hotel, Risonare Shimonoseki
Scheduled to open on 11 December 2025, the new Hoshino Resort Hotel, Risonare Shimonoseki, will be the first Risonare resort in Japan’s Setouchi region. In a stunning coastal location on the western tip of Honshu Island overlooking Kanmon Strait, the hotel boasts sweeping views of the sea, Kanmon Bridge, and Moji Port from all its rooms. The hotel is easily accessible from key hubs, including Fukuoka and Hiroshima, in just one hour.
The resort has been designed to showcase a unique blend of contemporary architecture and interior styling, nature, and coastal culture, offering a truly one-of-a-kind experience for guests. It features a terrace overlooking the ocean where you can relax and unwind in the resort’s ocean-fronting infinity pool and enjoy fresh seafood from the Kanmon Straight and various local specialties in the resort’s restaurant.
NISHIGAWA TERRACE
Opened in early 2025 and located on the Nishigawa Greenway in Okayama City, NISHIGAWA TERRACE is a multipurpose facility with the concept of sustainability at its core. NISHIGAWA TERRACE features four restaurants offering a variety of local cuisine, including specialities from the Seto Inland Sea region, while also boasting a large open space designed for a variety of purposes.
The venue is an architectural masterpiece, constructed with local Okayama Cypress to promote the use of regional resources and the building’s harmony with the surrounding nature. At NISHIGAWA TERRACE, you can visit the multiple landscaped areas, including its rooftop, where you’ll discover a variety of herbs and other species of plants thriving using composted scraps from the four restaurants.
LOGIN Kurashiki
Opening to visitors last year, LOGIN Kurashiki is located in the famous Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, offering visitors the chance to discover a variety of attractions from a standing bar and overnight accommodation to craft shops and traditional local sweets. The name of the facility is a play on words to demonstrate the idea that LOGIN Kurashiki is a hub for accessing various regions with a selection of guided tours also offered at the hub’s tour desk – all designed to showcase the attractions of the Takahashi River area.
Visit the standing bar to sample the local flavours of Okayama Prefecture from a glass of sake to one of the craft beers on offer. At the standing bar, you can also experience the popular lunchtime dish, “Okayama Set Meal”, that uses a variety of fresh seasonal local ingredients, from rice grown in the nearby terraced fields of Misaki Town to octopus and hijiki seaweed caught in the Shimotsui region. Browse the handmade glassware and canvas goods made by local artisans and don’t miss the chance to try the sweet, fermented rice drinks and cream filled crepes at the sweets store. 
Bando Shoten
In Yoshinogawa City, Tokushima Prefecture, travellers can enjoy a new immersive adventure at the Bando Shoten guest room and indigo dyeing experience. Opened in March 2024 in a 94-year-old former merchant house, the building has been revitalised as a cultural accommodation offering that combines an overnight stay with a traditional Japanese indigo dyeing craft experience. Bando Shoten is located in the heart of Japan’s indigo-producing region, where indigo is organically cultivated and fermented.
A stay a Bando Shoten promises travellers the opportunity to experience traditional craftsmanship and rural living for themselves. Enjoy the warm atmosphere of a traditional Japanese home, complete with an irori hearth that is symbolic of family gatherings in the country. During your stay, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from real artisans of indigo dyeing while participating in indigo dyeing workshops and hearthside cooking over firewood.
Kyukamura Sanuki-Goshikidai
Perched on a hill 400 metres above sea level overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, Kyukamura Sanuki-Goshikidai reopened earlier this year after a major renovation. The hotel features a spacious terrace with a pool inspired Chichibugahama Beach which is known for its dreamy mirror-like reflection of the skies above. Guests can enjoy the large public bath and open-air bath while taking in panoramic views of the islands of the Seto Inland Sea and the Seto Ohashi Bridge.
With the hotel restaurant also boasting a menu designed to highlight the flavours of Kagawa, guests will feel fully immersed in the charm of the Setouchi region throughout their stay. Combining incredible local cuisine alongside many spectacular vantage points to enjoy the surrounding natural landscape – from sunsets over the ocean and night views of the Sanuki Plain, Kyukamura Sanuki-Goshikidai offers a refined retreat experience to refresh the body and mind.
Iyonada Monogatari
Recently renovated to offer travellers an even more comfortable and enjoyable experience, the Iyonada Monogatari is a sightseeing train that journeys along the beautiful coastline of Ehime in Shikoku between Matsuyama Station and Iyo-Ozu Station/ Yawatahama Station. Embodying the concept of ‘slow travel’, you’ll enjoy stunning views of the Iyo-nada Sea and vast rural landscapes from the comfort of your seat while enjoying local cuisine and warm hospitality.
The sightseeing train is made up of only 3 carriages, with each offering its own distinctive style and charm, from paired seats to box seats and private compartments. You might even choose to enjoy the journey in luxury from the train’s Fiore Suite, where you’ll be greeted with dedicated attendants and exclusive drinks and refreshments as you cruise past some of Ehime’s most beautiful scenic sights.
Visitors can explore the best of the Setouchi Region by choosing from one of 23 ‘Setouchi Journeys’, where curated routes take travellers on three to five-night journeys across the region.
