Travel Guide Ikuchi-Jima

The main town on this island is Setoda. It has a temple, the Kōsan-ji, given by the steel magnate Kōzō Kanemoto, in 1935, to his mother. The latter replicated all the most prestigious temples in one place. It's beautiful, it's grand, it's kitschy. The ¥1,400 ticket includes entry to the art museum, the treasure room and, most importantly, the impressive Thousand Buddhas Cave. More serious is the Kōjō-ji, which dates from 1407. There are direct buses to Setoda from Imabari on Shikoku (from Onomichi, connecting at Innoshima). There are also regular ferries to the island from Onomichi (35 minutes) and Mihara (25 minutes) in Hiroshima.