Recommended hotels for touring Shikoku with the JR Shikoku Birthday Ticket

Here are the hotels I stayed at while touring Shikoku with the JR Shikoku Birthday Ticket!

I spent three days touring Shikoku using the JR Shikoku Birthday Ticket. Since I had to move between accommodations each day to catch my next scheduled train, I stayed in three different prefectures.

Here are the criteria I used to choose my accommodations:

1. Had a hot spring (onsen)

2. Reasonable price

3. Not too far from the station

4. Included dinner and breakfast (if possible)

Now, let me introduce the places where I stayed.

Kagawa Prefecture: Yumoto Sanuki Seto Ohashi Onsen Setouchiso

This accommodation is located near Sakaide Station, which is about four stops away from Tadotsu Station.

It takes around 15 minutes by train to travel between Sakaide Station and Tadotsu Station.

I recommend taking a taxi from Sakaide Station to the hotel.

The fare came to just over 1,000 yen.

The plan I chose was the “★10-Tatami Mat Japanese-Style Room ★ Non-Smoking ★ Business Traveler Support: ‘Tokutoku Business’ Plan with 2 Meals Included.”

The guest rooms and the building’s exterior have the feel of a traditional-style tourist hotel.

When I arrived, the futon had already been laid out in the room.

There is no view from the room, but it is spacious (10 tatami mats) and has everything necessary.

The deciding factors for choosing this inn were the desire to stay near Tadotsu Station—since I needed to arrive there around 9:30 the next morning—and the fact that it has a hot spring.

Here is the location.

It takes about 15 minutes by train to Tadotsu Station, so you don’t have to get up all that early to make it in time.

The ryokan’s website mentioned that they had an open-air bath with a lovely atmosphere.

I was looking forward to the complimentary night tour of the Seto Ohashi Bridge, which starts at 8:00 PM; however, upon checking in, I was told the tour had been cancelled due to vehicle maintenance.

It was a disappointment since I had been anticipating it, but I suppose it couldn’t be helped.

The gentleman at the front desk looked busy as he efficiently handled his tasks.

While checking me in, he was simultaneously listening to requests from another guest, settling the bill for a day-trip hot spring visitor, processing the checkout of yet another guest, and issuing instructions to the room staff over the phone.

He looked incredibly busy.

The lobby has been renovated with a Nordic-style aesthetic, creating a bright and cheerful atmosphere.

It was an amazing deal, especially considering it included both dinner and breakfast, as well as an open-air natural hot spring bath!

Before dinner, I enjoyed the inn’s prized hot spring, located in a separate building on the premises.

True to the front desk attendant’s claim that the water makes you beautiful, it is an alkaline spring; soaking in it made my skin feel silky and smooth.

The hot spring is a natural one, located in a separate building accessible via a covered outdoor walkway.

There was also a coin-operated laundry for long-term travelers.

That’s a nice feature.

The hot spring area is equipped with a relaxation space and massage chairs, perfect for cooling down after your bath.

Although there are stairs leading from the relaxation area to the hot springs, a dedicated elevator is also available for those unable to use the stairs.

The building housing the hot spring appeared to be relatively new; it was well-maintained and a pleasant place to be.

Since I couldn’t take photos of the bath itself, I’m sharing this picture from the ryokan’s website.

This is the open-air bath.

I had the place all to myself when I used it before dinner.

The greenery right in front was so soothing.

Here is a view of the indoor bath.

Since the hotel is situated on slightly elevated ground, you can look out over the city from the window.

It looked like it would offer a beautiful view of the night scenery.

It appears that the hot spring is open to day-trippers from 16:00 to 18:00, except on Saturdays.

(They may refuse day-trip visitors during busy periods, so it might be best to call ahead and check; I have listed the phone number below.)

Dinner and breakfast are served in the dining area.

Dinner and breakfast are served in the restaurant.

When I arrived at the restaurant at the scheduled time for dinner, the dishes were already laid out on the table.

Today’s menu features sashimi, braised pork belly, miso-glazed tofu (miso dengaku), chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), and udon noodles.

Everything except the udon was already set out, so I enjoyed the dishes one by one.

The udon noodles were served last, alongside a pot of dashi broth.

You dip the noodles into the prepared broth before eating, and that broth was absolutely delicious.

Kagawa Prefecture certainly lives up to its reputation!

It pairs perfectly with the firm, chewy udon noodles.

I polished off the udon in no time.

And here is a look at breakfast.

It was a buffet-style setup where you could choose your own favorite dishes.

There was quite a variety of items, including salads and both Western and Japanese cuisine.

I initially thought the breakfast was limited to the standard buffet spread, but then—to my surprise—freshly baked pizza, pudding, mini apple pies, and more kept coming out!

Since I hadn’t known about this, I had already eaten quite a bit from the regular buffet selection.

If you want to enjoy the freshly baked items, you might want to go easy on the initial buffet helpings.

I ended up just grabbing a mini apple pie to enjoy as dessert, and I was thoroughly satisfied.

It was delicious, especially paired with coffee brewed from a machine I had never seen before.

I realized later that this inn had won first place in Rakuten Travel’s “Kagawa Prefecture Breakfast Festival” in both 2017 and 2019.

There was a wide variety of dishes at the buffet, and freshly cooked items kept coming out one after another—it was truly satisfying.

It’s easy to see why they won.

My impressions of staying at Yumoto Sanuki Seto-Ohashi Onsen Setouchiso

Overall, I was satisfied as the value for money was excellent.

The room was quite standard, but perfectly fine as long as you don’t have high expectations.

The hot spring was truly fantastic, and the food was delicious.

I also appreciated the helpful advice at check-in on how to take the hotel bus to Sakaide Station at a low cost the next day.

Thanks to that, I was able to get to Sakaide Station for just 100 yen.

I was very satisfied, but if I had to mention one thing: I wish they had notified me by email or phone beforehand if the free Seto Ohashi Bridge night tour was being cancelled.

The free night tour was one of the deciding factors in choosing this hotel, so I was quite shocked when I found out at the front desk.

One other thing—the dinner.

I realize the staff are busy, so it’s understandable, but I would have preferred it if the hot dishes were actually served hot.

It would have been perfect if the braised pork belly and miso-glazed eggplant had been served piping hot.

The breakfast was delicious and fantastic, too!

湯元さぬき瀬戸大橋温泉せとうちそう　Yumoto Sanuki Seto-Ohashi Onsen Setouchiso

Address: 2-1-20 Tokiwa-cho, Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture

TEL：0877-45-6001

Travel Association website:　https://sakaideyado.net/yado/setouchiso/index.html

高知県：土佐佐賀温泉　こぶしのさと　Kochi Prefecture: Tosa Saga Onsen Kobushi no Sato

It is located near Kaina Station, about 40 minutes from Kubokawa Station—the departure and arrival point for the Hobby Train.

Here is its general location.

I could have stayed in Kochi City, but since it would have taken over an hour to reach Kubokawa Station, “Kobushi no Sato”—which is close to that station and features hot springs—was the perfect fit for my needs.

There were a few other promising places to stay, but I decided against them because they were quite far from the station.

This time, I booked directly through the hotel’s website.

https://www.kobushino-sato.jp/

I booked the “Solo Hachizara Plan”; since I was staying over the weekend, the price was a bit on the higher side at 13,000 yen.

However, the hospitality and delicious meals far exceeded the cost.

I arrived close to 7:00 PM, but after letting them know in advance, they provided a free pickup from the nearest station (Kaina Station) and also arranged a drop-off for the following day.

Having free transportation provided like that is a huge help for travelers.

On top of that, the dinner was incredibly hearty!

The menu description was quite simple, but the sheer volume of food was amazing, wasn’t it?

I thought finishing all this by myself would be a challenge, but actually, there’s even more than this.

On top of that, there’s also the local specialty: miso-grilled “Kome-buta” (rice-fed pork).

I enjoyed it grilled piping hot!

Just when I thought I’d truly reached my limit… I was told, “We’ll bring out some seared bonito later”!!

I love seared bonito, but I could barely eat another bite.

Not wanting to be wasteful, I asked for just half a portion.

Even just half the portion was substantial—but then again, this is Kochi.

I enjoyed fresh, delicious *katsuo no tataki* (seared bonito) that was completely free of any fishy odor.

It had been a long time since I’d had such a hearty dinner.

After that, I had dessert and coffee (still eating?!), and the meal came to an end.

I was absolutely stuffed.

It was a wonderful meal!

Natural hot spring available for day-trip visits

The hot spring at this inn is, of course, a natural one.

The fact that it features a natural hot spring was one of the reasons I chose this place.

It is also open to day-trippers, so you can use just the hot spring facilities for 700 yen.

You will find the hot spring area by passing through the door next to the front desk.

Massage chairs are also available in the connecting corridor leading to the hot spring.

I went quite late at night, so there was no one else in the bath.

There are both indoor and outdoor baths.

The changing room was quite spacious.

The outdoor bath featured on the Kobushi no Sato website looks like this.

I don’t particularly care for hot springs where the water is too hot, but the temperature here was just right—around 41 to 42 degrees Celsius.

The open-air bath was also very pleasant.

A hearty breakfast, too.

We’ll be having breakfast in the same restaurant where we had dinner last night.

Last night’s dinner was a hearty meal, but breakfast certainly rivals it.

There’s quite a spread—salad, grilled dishes, sashimi, raw eggs, and more.

This morning, I’m having soy-marinated bonito.

We grilled the *satsuma-age* (fried fish cakes) and small fish over a *shichirin* charcoal grill and enjoyed them piping hot.

I enjoyed the raw egg mixed with a splash of soy sauce over rice.

It was delicious.

I was also very pleased to be served coffee after the meal.

I’m stuffed after two meals in a row.

Thank you for the meal.

Impressions of my stay at Tosa Saga Onsen Kobushi no Sato

There is nothing in the immediate vicinity of the inn.

Since the nearest station—Kaina Station—is unstaffed, I imagine it would be difficult to find a taxi there to take you to the inn.

However, they offer a complimentary shuttle service for guests; I had arranged this in advance by letting them know my arrival time.

I arrived at the station after sunset, so it was pitch dark by the time I got there.

I felt a moment of anxiety, wondering if I had ventured a bit too far into the countryside, but the staff were incredibly kind. The dinner was delicious, and the bath featured a clear, alkaline hot spring with a wonderfully smooth, silky texture.

It seemed that Kobushi no Sato allows visitors to use just the hot spring or the restaurant without staying overnight, making it a convenient spot to visit even if you aren’t a hotel guest.

If there was one area for improvement, I would have liked the hot dishes to be served while still warm.

For instance, it would have been nice if items like tempura were served separately, fresh out of the fryer.

Then again, I suppose that might be difficult to manage when there are so many guests.

Oh, and the quality of the souvenir shop was surprisingly high.

I had underestimated it, assuming it was just a casual shop tacked on to the hot spring facilities, but it is definitely worth a look.

I ended up buying a lot of souvenirs.

I would definitely love to stay here again if the opportunity arises, and it’s the kind of place I’d happily recommend to my relatives and friends!

Thank you very much!

土佐佐賀温泉　こぶしのさと　　Tosa Saga Onsen Kobushi no Sato

Address: 2161 Kobushinokawa, Kuroshio-cho, Hata-gun, Kochi Prefecture

TEL：0880-55-7011

Homepage：https://www.kobushino-sato.jp/

愛媛県：ホテル　パティオ・ドウゴ　Ehime Prefecture: Hotel Patio Dogo

When you think of Shikoku, you think of Dogo Onsen.

On this trip, I stayed at Hotel Patio Dogo, located right in the Dogo Onsen area.

Since it is a business hotel, it doesn’t offer dinner or its own hot spring baths, but the location is absolutely fantastic.

That is exactly why I chose it.

It is situated right next to the Dogo Onsen Honkan (Main Building)—which is said to have inspired the bathhouse in the movie *Spirited Away*—placing it in the very heart of the Dogo Onsen district.

Depending on the room, you can even view the Dogo Onsen Honkan building right from your window.

I was able to use my Jalan points for this stay, so the cost came to less than 8,000 yen per night.

I’ve written a separate article about my time at Dogo Onsen, so I’d love for you to check that out as well.

関連記事：

Overall, my impression of staying at Hotel Patio Dogo is that its location is superb.

Situated in the heart of Dogo Onsen, it was convenient for popping out to eat or go shopping.

I also noticed that—as you would expect from a nationally renowned hot spring resort—most of the accommodations are grand and expensive.

In that context, the fact that you can stay here at a reasonable price is a major draw.

However, since the hotel lacks an on-site restaurant for dinner and its own hot spring baths, it fell a bit short in terms of capturing the full atmosphere of a traditional hot spring getaway.

Having to go out for dinner and leave the hotel to visit the public Dogo Onsen baths made the experience feel a little rushed.

As for breakfast, to be honest, it was average—nothing particularly noteworthy.

I arrived at Dogo Onsen at night, so my stay was brief; next time, if I want to fully enjoy the area, I’d like to arrive while it’s still light out and stay at one of the grander ryokans that feature their own hot spring baths so I can take things at a more leisurely pace.

That said, I think Hotel Patio Dogo is an ideal choice for travelers who prioritize location and price, and are happy to use the nearby public Dogo Onsen facilities for their bathing needs.

ホテル　パティオ・ドウゴ　Hotel Patio Dogo

Address：20-12 Dogo Yunomachi, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture

TEL：089-941-4128

Hotel Homepage：patio-dogo.co.jp

Overall summary: The hot springs in Shikoku felt smooth and silky.

I toured various hot springs across Shikoku, and—perhaps a characteristic of the region—I encountered many alkaline springs with a smooth, silky texture.

I enjoyed plenty of delicious local specialties, such as udon in Kagawa and seared bonito (*katsuo no tataki*) in Kochi.

I also visited famous spots like Dogo Onsen in Ehime; it was deeply satisfying to soothe my travel fatigue at each of the inns where I stayed.

For my visit to Dogo Onsen, I had booked an inn without its own hot spring facilities. However, the town itself had such a wonderful atmosphere that I found myself regretting not choosing an inn with an on-site bath instead of a standard business hotel.

Next time, I’d love to stay at a place like Yamatoya Honten or Dogokan.

Since I was traveling by train this time, I deliberately chose inns near the stations, but if I have the chance to visit Shikoku again, I’d like to try out other ryokans as well.

If you are looking for a hot spring inn near the station, I highly recommend the places where I stayed in Shikoku.