Setouchi Island Travel Fest 2026 to be Held!
The JB Honshi Expressway Group will hold the 'Setouchi Island Travel Fest 2026' centered around Yoshima PA on May 23rd and 24th, 2026. The festival is packed with experiences that let you enjoy the charm of the Setouchi islands with all five senses, including stage events, the 'Setouchi Marche', 'Working Ships' exhibition, island travel cruises, and infrastructure tours. Admission is free, but transportation costs and cruise fares are separate.
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JB Honshi Expressway Group will hold the 5th 'Setouchi Island Travel Fest 2026 ~Connecting Islands, Learning for the Future~' centered around Yoshima PA, offering a chance to encounter the islands of Setouchi, enjoy them with your senses, and connect learning to the future.
The stage events and 'Setouchi Marche' will showcase the charm and regional information of the islands, creating a sense of unity throughout the venue.
Furthermore, the festival features unique Setouchi experiences such as an exhibition of 'working ships' not usually seen, a sustainability adventure tour for parent-child participation, and infrastructure tours exploring the inside of bridges.
From small children to adults, everyone can enjoy the charm of the Setouchi islands and the region in their own way.
1. Event Name: Setouchi Island Travel Fest 2026 ~Connecting Islands, Learning for the Future~
2. Date and Time: May 23rd (Sat) & 24th (Sun), 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM daily (May be cancelled due to bad weather etc.).
3. Venue: Main Venue: E30 Seto-Chuo Expressway Yoshima PA. Satellite Venues: Honjima, Sanuki Hiroshima, Ushijima (Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture), Kitagijima (Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture).
Admission is free. However, round-trip transportation to Yoshima PA is required separately. Cruise fares to satellite venues are also separate.
4. Content:
Stage Events: Enjoy the charm of Setouchi through music and performances at the main venue! Look forward to a heart-pounding stage that unites the audience!
(Scheduled performers include Kagawa Prefectural Police Band, Sakaide Hula Dance Club, Sakaide Commercial High School Brass Band, Otemae Marugame Junior High/High School Taiko Club, Marugame High School Calligraphy Performance, Honshi Expressway 'Bridge View Hill Painting Award' Ceremony. Performers may change.)
Setouchi Marche: A large gathering of Setouchi gourmet food, local products, and tourism PR booths! Enjoy a special time to experience Setouchi's culture and nature by eating, seeing, and feeling as you tour the venue.
Working Ships Exhibition: Held again this year due to last year's popularity, this event exhibits the ships that support the lives of the Setouchi islands! Experience an encounter with ships not usually seen.
(Venue: Yoshima Port (behind Yoshima PA 2nd parking lot). Admission: Free. Scheduled to exhibit: Kagawa Prefectural Police Boat 'Honjima', Sakaide Coast Guard Patrol Boat 'Kotokaze' (May 23rd only), Takamatsu Coast Guard Patrol Boat 'Kurinami' (May 24th only), Seto Inland Sea Cruise Ship 'Saiseimaru' (May 24th only). Displayed ships will be determined sequentially.)
Island Travel Cruise: Three special courses to explore the diverse islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Destinations for each course will further liven up the event as satellite venues.
(May 23rd (Sat) Courses: Course 1: Kitagijima - Journey of Light and Stone Culture (Satellite Venue: Kitagijima, Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture). Fee: ¥5,000 (incl. tax). Target: Elementary school students and above (elementary/junior high school students require adult accompaniment). Application: Pre-registration via reservation site. Deadline: May 17th, 2026.
Course 2: Parent-Child Challenge! Ushijima Adventure Tour (Satellite Venue: Ushijima, Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture). Fee: Adults ¥2,500 (incl. tax), Elementary/Junior High Students ¥1,250 (incl. tax). Target: Elementary/junior high school students and their guardians (must accompany). Application: Pre-registration via reservation site. Deadline: May 17th, 2026.)
(May 24th (Sun) Course: Course 3: Shiwaku Islands Kurukuru Cruise (Satellite Venue: Honjima, Sanuki Hiroshima (Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture)). Fee: Adults ¥2,000 (incl. tax), Elementary/Junior High Students ¥1,000 (incl. tax). Infants under 6 free. Application: Same-day registration at Yoshima PA 2nd parking lot special reception. (No advance sales). Three selectable courses.
Infrastructure Tour: A course that allows entry into the normally inaccessible interior of the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Enjoy a non-everyday spatial experience.
(Anchorage Tour: Fee: ¥500 for junior high students and above. Application: Same-day registration (first-come, first-served).)
Simultaneous Events: Children's Library Boat docks at Yoshima Port! (May 23rd (Sat) only). The floating library boat 'Hon no Mori', donated by architect Tadao Ando, returns to Yoshima Port. A 'Parent-Child Tour' combining a cruise around the Seto Ohashi, reading sessions, and island exploration will also be held. (Operation details: See special website).
Kanshin Maru Arrives After 30 Years! The 'New Kanshin Maru', a replica of the ship that supported Japan's first Pacific crossing, reappears at Yoshima. A special route tours the hometown of the 'Shiwaku Sailors' who were the backbone of Edo period maritime endeavors. (Operation details: See special website).
Details will be posted on the special website and Setouchi Charm Discovery Campaign Secretariat Instagram.
Organized by JB Honshi Expressway Group. Co-organized by Kagawa Prefecture, Sakaide City. Supported by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Shikoku Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Shikoku Transport Bureau, Marugame City, Kasaoka City, Shikoku Economic Federation, Japan Passenger Boat Association, Kasaoka City Tourism Association, Setouchi Bisan Islands Japan Heritage Promotion Council. Cooperation by Kagawa Guide Association. General Producer: Nozomi Kobayashi (Setouchi Ambassador, Travel Writer, Japan Passenger Boat Association Cruise Ambassador).
The stage events and 'Setouchi Marche' will showcase the charm and regional information of the islands, creating a sense of unity throughout the venue.
Furthermore, the festival features unique Setouchi experiences such as an exhibition of 'working ships' not usually seen, a sustainability adventure tour for parent-child participation, and infrastructure tours exploring the inside of bridges.
From small children to adults, everyone can enjoy the charm of the Setouchi islands and the region in their own way.
1. Event Name: Setouchi Island Travel Fest 2026 ~Connecting Islands, Learning for the Future~
2. Date and Time: May 23rd (Sat) & 24th (Sun), 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM daily (May be cancelled due to bad weather etc.).
3. Venue: Main Venue: E30 Seto-Chuo Expressway Yoshima PA. Satellite Venues: Honjima, Sanuki Hiroshima, Ushijima (Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture), Kitagijima (Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture).
Admission is free. However, round-trip transportation to Yoshima PA is required separately. Cruise fares to satellite venues are also separate.
4. Content:
Stage Events: Enjoy the charm of Setouchi through music and performances at the main venue! Look forward to a heart-pounding stage that unites the audience!
(Scheduled performers include Kagawa Prefectural Police Band, Sakaide Hula Dance Club, Sakaide Commercial High School Brass Band, Otemae Marugame Junior High/High School Taiko Club, Marugame High School Calligraphy Performance, Honshi Expressway 'Bridge View Hill Painting Award' Ceremony. Performers may change.)
Setouchi Marche: A large gathering of Setouchi gourmet food, local products, and tourism PR booths! Enjoy a special time to experience Setouchi's culture and nature by eating, seeing, and feeling as you tour the venue.
Working Ships Exhibition: Held again this year due to last year's popularity, this event exhibits the ships that support the lives of the Setouchi islands! Experience an encounter with ships not usually seen.
(Venue: Yoshima Port (behind Yoshima PA 2nd parking lot). Admission: Free. Scheduled to exhibit: Kagawa Prefectural Police Boat 'Honjima', Sakaide Coast Guard Patrol Boat 'Kotokaze' (May 23rd only), Takamatsu Coast Guard Patrol Boat 'Kurinami' (May 24th only), Seto Inland Sea Cruise Ship 'Saiseimaru' (May 24th only). Displayed ships will be determined sequentially.)
Island Travel Cruise: Three special courses to explore the diverse islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Destinations for each course will further liven up the event as satellite venues.
(May 23rd (Sat) Courses: Course 1: Kitagijima - Journey of Light and Stone Culture (Satellite Venue: Kitagijima, Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture). Fee: ¥5,000 (incl. tax). Target: Elementary school students and above (elementary/junior high school students require adult accompaniment). Application: Pre-registration via reservation site. Deadline: May 17th, 2026.
Course 2: Parent-Child Challenge! Ushijima Adventure Tour (Satellite Venue: Ushijima, Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture). Fee: Adults ¥2,500 (incl. tax), Elementary/Junior High Students ¥1,250 (incl. tax). Target: Elementary/junior high school students and their guardians (must accompany). Application: Pre-registration via reservation site. Deadline: May 17th, 2026.)
(May 24th (Sun) Course: Course 3: Shiwaku Islands Kurukuru Cruise (Satellite Venue: Honjima, Sanuki Hiroshima (Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture)). Fee: Adults ¥2,000 (incl. tax), Elementary/Junior High Students ¥1,000 (incl. tax). Infants under 6 free. Application: Same-day registration at Yoshima PA 2nd parking lot special reception. (No advance sales). Three selectable courses.
Infrastructure Tour: A course that allows entry into the normally inaccessible interior of the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Enjoy a non-everyday spatial experience.
(Anchorage Tour: Fee: ¥500 for junior high students and above. Application: Same-day registration (first-come, first-served).)
Simultaneous Events: Children's Library Boat docks at Yoshima Port! (May 23rd (Sat) only). The floating library boat 'Hon no Mori', donated by architect Tadao Ando, returns to Yoshima Port. A 'Parent-Child Tour' combining a cruise around the Seto Ohashi, reading sessions, and island exploration will also be held. (Operation details: See special website).
Kanshin Maru Arrives After 30 Years! The 'New Kanshin Maru', a replica of the ship that supported Japan's first Pacific crossing, reappears at Yoshima. A special route tours the hometown of the 'Shiwaku Sailors' who were the backbone of Edo period maritime endeavors. (Operation details: See special website).
Details will be posted on the special website and Setouchi Charm Discovery Campaign Secretariat Instagram.
Organized by JB Honshi Expressway Group. Co-organized by Kagawa Prefecture, Sakaide City. Supported by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Shikoku Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Shikoku Transport Bureau, Marugame City, Kasaoka City, Shikoku Economic Federation, Japan Passenger Boat Association, Kasaoka City Tourism Association, Setouchi Bisan Islands Japan Heritage Promotion Council. Cooperation by Kagawa Guide Association. General Producer: Nozomi Kobayashi (Setouchi Ambassador, Travel Writer, Japan Passenger Boat Association Cruise Ambassador).