Industrial Tourism in Japan

By Area	Hokkaido Tohoku Kanto Chubu Kansai Chugoku Shikoku Kyushu / Okinawa
By Industry	Food, agricultural and fishery products Art, design and traditional goods Fashion and textiles Life science Machinery and heavy industry Manufacturing and infrastructure Energy and the environment Service industry and retail Content (media/entertainment)

Shikoku Area

Ehime
Kagawa
Kochi
Tokushima

Ehime

Ehime is blessed with long hours of sunlight, making it an active producer of fruits and ranking high in the number of fruits produced, mostly citrus. It was the largest producer of a citrus fruit called iyokan in 2015 and kiwi in 2017. Its marine industry flourishes thanks to the Seto Inland Sea, which is full of various kinds of fish. Red sea bream, yellowtail, and flounder are among the types commonly fished, while pearls are collected from the Uwa Sea located in the southwest. Popular tourist spots include the Dogo hot springs, which are said to be the oldest hot springs in Japan; Matsuyama Castle, which is one of the few castles remaining from the early modern period; and Shimanami Kaido, which is a bike route that crosses the Seto Inland Sea and includes beautiful islands. Ehime’s traditional crafts revolve around paper-related work, such as decorative gift-wrapping, which are essential for Japanese ceremonial occasions. To this day, Ehime is home to many paper and pulp factories. It is also known across Japan for the towel industry in Imabari City.

Bergearth Co., Ltd.

An agriculture business based on production and distribution of vegetable seedlings. ...

	Location : Uwajima-city, Ehime Language : Japanese / English (Video/images) / Chinese (Brochure)

Ehime Institute of Industrial Technology Paper Technology Center

We aim to prepare the state-of-the-art equipments...

	Location : Chuo-city, Ehime Language : Japanese Only

Hakata Salt

We manufacture salt. Our major products are "Hakata no Shio Sea Salt"(Wet Type)...

	Location : Imabari-city, Ehime Language : Japanese Only

Imabari Textile Resource Center

"We aspire to become the production center of towels in Japan...

	Location : Imabari-city, Ehime Language : Japanese Only

ISEKI MATSUYAMA Mfg., Ltd.

In Matsuyama factory, agricultural machines are made by ...

	Location : Matsuyama-city, Ehime Language : Japanese / English (Brochure/video) / Chinese (Video)

MIURA Co., Ltd.

We will introduce the assembly line for MIURA's once-through boiler ...

	Location : Matsuyama-city, Ehime Language : Japanese / English (Brochure/video/accompanying guide)

Murakami Pile Co.,Ltd

Murakami Pile Co., Ltd. was founded 53 years ago, and we handle everything from towel production to sales. In addition to products made by OEM companies, we have developed our own brand, “MiRT.” We are actively expanding our activities within Japan and overseas in order to make the benefits of Imabari towels even more widely known....

Location: Imabari-city Ehime

Language: Japanese,English,Korean

Nihon Shokken Holdings

Manufacture and sell blended seasonings.

	Location : Imabari-city, Ehime Language : Japanese Only

Tobeyaki-Tougeikan

We are a company store owned by potters. Pottery works...

	Location : Tobe-city, Ehime Language : Japanese Only

Umebijin Shuzou Co., Ltd.

As we celebrate one hundred years since our founding, Umebijin remains dedicated to providing our customers with sake straight from its source, ...

	Location : Yahatahama-city, Ehime Language : Japanese, English(Signage/brochure)

Kagawa

Rain is sparse in Kagawa, making it unfit for rice production and steering it towards flour production since olden times. It developed an udon noodle culture due to the shallow sea being fit for salt production and flour being a raw ingredient for soy sauce. Sanuki udon is nationally renowned and is one of Gifu’s tourism resources. Shodoshima is an island on the Seto Inland Sea with a climate similar to areas in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an active producer of olives and handmade somen – thin noodles made from flour. Japanese noodles and frozen foods stand out among the products manufactured in Kagawa. It is also known for the glittering Kagawa lacquerware, which uses Thai and Chinese techniques, and an important traditional architectural detail called ranma. Naoshima Island, which is the main location for the Setouchi Triennale, a famous art event, also belongs to Kagawa.

Kyohotei

We make tsukudani using the highest-quality raw materials...

	Location : Shodoshima-city, Kagawa Language : Japanese Only

Nishino Kinryo

The brewers tell you how to brew sake. In addition, you can see...

	Location : Tadotsu-city, Kagawa Language : Japanese Only

Oshoya

We offer a popular factory tour. You can feel...

	Location : Kotohira-city, Kagawa Language : Japanese Only

Yamaroku Shoyu

Soy sauce is used every day, but most people do not know what soy sauce...

	Location : Shodosima-city, Kagawa Language : Japanese Only

Kochi

The northern mountains prevent monsoons, maintaining a warm climate in the southern area next to the Pacific throughout the year. This helps invigorate vegetable cultivation, making Kochi one of Japan’s largest producers of green bell peppers and eggplants. The southern coast meets the Pacific ocean, creating ideal grounds for a thriving skipjack and bluefin tuna fishing industry. Skipjack tuna is a popular specialty in Kochi, and the region was also the largest consumer of skipjack tuna in Japan for a year between 2010 and 2012. Kochi is also dense with calm and tropical nature, and the Shimanto River running through the area is known as Japan’s last clear stream. It also produces cedar and Hinoki cypress wood from its dense forests that account for 84% of its total area. Kochi produced many important figures in the establishment of the contemporary Japanese government and has many historical sites from that time. Tosa Washi, which has over a thousand years of history, and Tosa uchihamono, which are hammer-forged blades that have been around since the 16th century, are designated as traditional crafts.

Tsukasabotan Brewing

Founded in 1603. Manufacturer of Sake, Shochu, and other liquor.
Our Sake is brewed with the stream that holds the best quality of water, NIYODO River.

	Location : Takaoka-gun, Kochi Language : Japanese

Umaji Village Agricultural Cooperative

Umaji Agricultural Cooperative was founded in 1948.
Back in 1948, the popularion of the village counted over 3600; however, as the industry scheme ...

	Location : Aki-gun, Kochi Language : Only in Japanese

Yanase Takashi Memorial Hall (“Anpanman Museum” and “Poem and Märchen Gallery” )

The Yanase Takashi Memorial Hall was founded in 1996, focusing on collections, research and publications from the eclectic and creative works of Takashi Yanase. ...

	Location : Kami-City, Kochi Language : Japanese, English: Brochure, Chinese: Brochure, Korean: Brochure

Tokushima

Tokushima is popular among both domestic and international tourists due to the big Awa Odori (Awa dance) Festival that takes place in August and the Naruto whirlpools, created by the unusual flows of current. The north and the south have different climates; it doesn’t rain much in the north, whereas the south is one of the wettest places in Japan. The local chicken is called Awa Odori chicken, named after the Awa Odori festival, and it was the most shipped poultry in Japan in 2016. Sudachi is the symbolic fruit of Tokushima and is popular all over Japan for seasoning grilled fish and other dishes. Tokushima is also known for producing seaweed in the Naruto area. The Japanese indigo dye, goods dyed using Japanese indigo, and the prized, high-end sugar called wasanbon are all designated traditional crafts. Tokushima has many factories related to LEDs, lithium-ion batteries, and pharmaceutical drugs, and puts a lot of effort into the LED industry in particular.