Setouchi

TownsRoutesOnsenStaysEat & drinkSightsContours every 100 m

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Photo そらみみ · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery

• Can you do the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage by bike?

  Yes. The temples' association lets pilgrims choose how they travel and in what order, and riders follow the roads round about 1,400 km of island. Arrive at each temple as a pilgrim: bow at the gate, worship before the stamp and leave the camera away while people pray.

• Can you go in an onsen in Japan with a tattoo?

  Some of Japan's baths take tattoos, some want them under a cover sticker, and most publish no rule at all. Here is the routine at the taps and in the tub, the baths that say yes, and the ones that say no.

• Can you take a bike on the Shinkansen?

  Every Shinkansen takes a bike packed as rinko, wheels off and fully bagged, up to 250 cm and 30 kg. West of Tokyo you should book the seat with the space behind it, and north of Tokyo there is nothing to book.

• Do you still need cash in Japan?

  Cards and a tap-to-pay travel card cover most of a trip to Japan, and plenty of village baths, soba counters, temple gates and bike-hire desks still want yen. This guide sets out what to carry and how tax-free shopping changes on 1 November 2026.