Cats will welcome you! A relaxing trip to Mushima Island , the southernmost island of the Kasaoka Islands in Okayama

Mushima Island, part of the Kasaoka Islands, located at the southernmost tip of Okayama Prefecture, is a small island with a population of about 40 people. The Mushima Island Lighthouse, the island's symbol, stands atop a small hill, and the island is known as the "Lighthouse and Daffodils" island, with about 100,000 daffodils blooming in January and February. Why not spend some relaxing time on Mushima Island, with its soothing scenery, playing with the cats on the harbor and enjoying some craft beer?

• Table of Contents
• To a small island in the Seto Inland Sea- A trip from JR Kasaoka Station to Mushima Island
• Arrived at Maeura Port!
• The story of craft beer nurtured by islanders
• Hiking around Mushima Island Lighthouse with cats
• The oldest lighthouse in Okayama Prefecture, Mushima Island Lighthouse
• The best time to see the daffodils is mid-January to mid-February
• Gorilla Rock (Red Stone)
• Sea glass as a memento of your trip
• Otori Shrine, known for its "Spinning Mikoshi"
• 360-degree panoramic view from Zhanjiang Observatory
• Lunch featuring fresh fish caught off the coast of Mushima Island
• The only accommodation on the island: Guesthouse Shimagoya
• A relaxing trip to Mushima Island

To a small island in the Seto Inland Sea- A trip from JR Kasaoka Station to Mushima Island

Sumiyoshi Port, a five-minute walk from JR Kasaoka Station, is the departure point for passenger ships bound for Mushima Island. When walking from the station, look for a sign that says "Passenger Ship Terminal." Kasaoka also has Fushigoe Port, so be careful not to get confused.

When you arrive at Sumiyoshi Port, a white building with a triangular roof will catch your eye. This is the Kasaoka Islands Communication Center "Minatokobanashi," with the ticket office and waiting room on the first floor. You can enjoy the ocean view from the spacious waiting room. Passenger ships to Mushima Island operate four times a day, calling at Tobishima on the way. When the white passenger ship enters the port, the voyage has finally begun. During the approximately one-hour voyage, you can enjoy the views of the Kasaoka Islands and the other islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

Timetable｜Sanyo Kisen

Arrived at Maeura Port!

When you arrive at Maeura Port on Mushima Island, you will feel the sea breeze as you disembark onto the island. In addition to Maeura Port, the island also has another port called Tataneko Port.

Cat buoy made by the islanders

As you cross the pier, you'll notice a row of cute cat buoys. These are handmade with love by the islanders and can be seen all over the island. The white building you can see in the background is Kasaoka City Mushima Island Clinic, and the waiting room is equipped with pamphlets and restrooms.

A warm welcome from the island cats!

After a while, real cats will start to appear one after the other. The friendly cats don't run away even when you point your camera at them, so you can spend a blissful moment playing with them for a while.

The story of craft beer nurtured by islanders

After about a 5-minute walk from Maeura Port, we arrived at our first destination. This is Mushima Island Brewery, run by Iseki Ryuhei, one of the islanders who guided us around Mushima Island . Iseki brews craft beer in this shop, which was renovated from a private home. The shop also occasionally operates as a cafe and bar. In front of the shop, there are many cat buoys, just like the ones that were in the port!

Originally from Osaka Prefecture, Iseki was an office worker until a few years ago. When he returned to Mushima Island, where his grandmother lives, he was touched by the warmth of the islanders and decided to start a business on the island. He moved there in 2016. While talking to the islanders, he learned that they used to grow barley on the island, and came up with the idea of ​​making craft beer. In autumn 2017, his first beer, "Mushima Island Barley Beginning," was completed. He also hosts a beer festival, " Mushima Island Oktoberfest," held on Mushima Island , and now beer fans from all over the country visit Iseki.

Mushima Island Beer

The main labels include "The Origin of Mushima Island Barley," which was the first of its kind and was inspired by the wheat fields of Mushima Island ; " Mushima Island Drum Can Conference," which was inspired by the "Drum Can Conferences" that islanders would gather around a drum can fire in the winter to talk, and makes use of the flavor of natural hijiki seaweed, a Mushima Island specialty; "Kitagishima Oyster Stout," which has a mellow finish with the minerals from oysters on Kitagishima; and "Pumpkin Ale Lolon," brewed with pumpkins grown by the Kasaoka City.

Some labels have won awards at domestic beer competitions.

[Mushima Island Brewery]

Address: 6153 Mutsushima, Kasaoka City, Mushima Island Prefecture

TEL: 090-8377-2897 *Please check the official website for store opening hours.

Mushima Island Brewery Official Website

Hiking around Mushima Island Lighthouse with cats

From near the brewery, you can climb a gentle slope leading to the Mushima Island Lighthouse. Along the way, there are signposts made of cat buoys to guide tourists.

As I was walking down a peaceful road that reminded me of a Ghibli anime, I suddenly felt a presence behind me... It was a cat following me.

There is also a fun spot along the way. This is a place called "Totoro's Road" by locals. You can go under a big reed with the cat.

The oldest lighthouse in Okayama Prefecture, Mushima Island Lighthouse

Mushima Island Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in Okayama Prefecture, built in 1922. It was erected to ensure the safety of the main sea route where many large ships pass by.

From the lighthouse, you can see a magnificent view of Ehime Prefecture and the Shikoku Mountains in the distance. The island cat that guided us here is also taking a rest on a bench.

The best time to see the daffodils is mid-January to mid-February

When talking about Mushima Island, the first thing that comes to mind is the daffodils. From mid-January to mid-February, the daffodils carefully planted by the islanders bloom all over the island at once. The area around the lighthouse in particular is known as a spectacular spot.

This year, due to damage caused by wild boars, there may be fewer flowers than usual, but on the day of our visit, cute daffodil buds were peeking out.

*The photo shows the daffodils in bloom last year.

Gorilla Rock (Red Stone)

The ocean around the island has fast currents, so you'll see lots of rugged rocks as you walk along the coast. The rock in the Chuo right of the photo is what the islanders call "Gorilla Rock." If you look closely, you'll see that it looks just like the back of a gorilla's head! It's also known as "Red Stone" (Akaishi) because of its reddish color. Look for it along the coastline northeast of Maeura Port.

Sea glass as a memento of your trip

There was beautiful sea glass scattered on the sand. After a little searching, I found three pieces. Apparently many tourists take them home as a memento of their visit to the island.

Otori Shrine, known for its "Spinning Mikoshi"

We also visited Ootori Shrine, which enshrines the island's guardian deity. There is one torii gate on the ocean side and one in front of the main hall, and the shrine is known for hosting a unique "Mawashi Mikoshi" event during its autumn festival in mid-October, in which a portable shrine is spun around in the sea.

Recently, the island's population has been declining, and there are not enough people to carry the mikoshi during festivals, and they are having trouble raising funds. "Next year marks the 333rd anniversary of the shrine's founding, so we want to keep it going somehow," they said.

360-degree panoramic view from Zhanjiang Observatory

Tatane Observatory. You can see the island from a 360-degree angle. The sunset is beautiful, so it's also recommended as a photo spot.

Lunch featuring fresh fish caught off the coast of Mushima Island

We had lunch at "Guesthouse Shimagoya" near the Tanjo Observatory and Otori Shrine. The main dish for the day was boiled sea bream. It was fresh and plump! It came with a small side dish and was reasonably priced at 1,100 yen.

*Meals must be reserved 2-3 days in advance. Set meals start at 1,100 yen and are prepared to fit your budget. Simple dishes such as curry and rice bowls can also be accommodated.

The only accommodation on the island: Guesthouse Shimagoya

This cafe and lodging facility opened in 2016 with the theme of "a place where everyone can gather and interact." It was created as part of a university student internship program run by the Mushima Island Town Planning Council. When the daffodils bloom, many customers come just to have lunch or use the cafe (reservations required). On this day, a group of fishermen were scheduled to stay the night.

[Guesthouse Shimagoya]

Address: 7572 Mutsushima, Kasaoka City, Mushima Island Prefecture

TEL: 090-3377-6328

Accommodation only from 4,200 yen (reservations required, self-catering also possible) Meals only available (reservations required)

Click here for details

A relaxing trip to Mushima Island

On the way back, we boarded a boat from Tatami Port, another port on Mushima Island. We were welcomed by the island cats, and then enjoyed the beauty of the archipelago and the tranquil island scenery from the Mushima Island Lighthouse and observation deck, as well as Mushima Island beer and fish dishes. The warm personalities of the islanders are also charming, and some people have become friends with them and visit the island frequently. Please visit Mushima Island even outside of daffodil season.

Click here for details

Mushima Island

714-0038 Mutsushima, Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture

It is the southernmost island of the Kasaoka Islands, approximately 40km from Kasaoka Port, and is also the southernmost island of Okayama P...