Crafts and other rainy day activities with an island twist.
1. Narao Onsen Center
This hot spring center is located at a high vantage point looking out over Narao Port. Spend time relaxing in the gender-separated baths and saunas. Afterwards, take a stroll around the koi pond and garden at the Furusato Kannon Park in front of the onsen center.
Hours: 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Location: 712-3 Naraogo (Google Maps)
2. Hotel Margherita Spa
Enjoy a calm, hot bath at this hot spring connected to the Hotel Margherita in northern Kamigoto. Afterwards, head to the meditation deck and spend some more time relaxing while gazing at the Goto Nada Sea.
Hours: Open to the general public from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: 1074 Kogushigo (Hotel Margherita) (Google Maps)
Reservations required for parties of 10 or more.
3. Tour of the Goto Nada Distillery
The Goto Nada Distillery, the first distillery on the Goto Islands, was established in 2007. It began as a public-private effort to manage neglected farmland and revive the region by making use of locally-grown sweet potatoes and islander labor.
Free tours of the distillery are available during harvest season, from September to December. Inside of the distillery, observe the process of steaming, distilling, and fermenting the sweet potatoes into liquor. At the end, sample different shochu and savour the differences in sweet potatoes, koji and distillation methods used.
Hours & Availability: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
Location: 1394-1 Arikawago (Google Maps)
Price: Tours are free of charge, but reservations are required. Please send an inquiry to the Shinkamigoto Town Tourism Association or contact the facility directly at 0959-42-0002 (Japanese only).
4. Flying Fish Roasting
Flying fish season begins in the autumn, when northeastern winds bring the fish into Arikawa Bay. In Kogushi village, the fish are roasted from early September through early October for use in soup stock year-round. Visitors can try roasting the fish over an old-fashioned charcoal fire to bring out the depth of flavor used to produce the rich stock.
Duration: 2 hours
Hours & Availability: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. January through August and October 15th through November 30th. Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Reservation Deadline: one week in advance
Location: Hatashita, Ltd. (Google Maps)
Price per person (includes shipping fee): ￥4,800 (free for elementary school students and under)
Participants per reservation: Up to 10
Please wear clothing that can get dirty. Long sleeves are recommended.
Reservation form (external link)
5. Goto Udon Making at Funasaki Udon Denshokan
Goto udon is believed to have been brought over from China with envoys who made trips to the Tang Dynasty. In three hours, you can make udon with the old-fashioned, hand-pulled technique that has been passed down over centuries.
First, the kneaded and stretched dough is hung over two rods called kakeba. The short and stout noodles are wrapped in figure-eights around the kakeba, and gently pulled in opposite directions. They are left to rest before being pulled again to achieve a longer, thinner noodle. Once the noodles have dried, they are shipped to the participant’s address. Visitors can also observe the noodle-pulling process here at any time. As they dry, the noodles resemble yarn hanging on a loom.
Duration: 3 hours
Hours & Availability: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. year-round (excluding Obon, Aug. 13 - 15 and around New Year’s Day).
Reservation Deadline: one week in advance
Location: Funasaki Udon Denshōkan (Google Maps)
Price: ￥10,000 for groups of 4 or fewer; ￥2,200 per person for groups of 5 or more.
Participants per reservation: At least 2
Reservation form (external link)
6. Kankoro Mochi Making
Make kankoro mochi logs and kankoro mochi balls stuffed with sweet red bean paste under the guidance of an expert. There will be plenty of the sticky, sweet treats to take home afterwards as souvenirs.
Duration: 2 hours
Hours & Availability: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. year-round (excluding August 10th - 20th and January 1st - 10th. Please inquire about December reservations).
Reservation Deadline: one week in advance
Location: Kitchen at Goto Udon no Sato/Shinkamigoto Town Tourism Association (Google Maps)
Price:￥2,500 for 4 participants. Please inquire for parties of 3 or less.
Participants per session: At least 2
Please wear clothing that can get dirty.
Reservation form (external link
7. Making Karinto from Fushimen
Once it has finished drying, Goto hand-stretched udon is cut from kakeba drying rods, leaving the curved ends of the dough wrapped around the rods. These bits of dough, referred to as “fushi,” can be used to make a well-known Japanese snack called karinto. In this child-friendly activity, participants make their own salty or sweet karinto to take home as a souvenir.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Hours & Availability: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. year-round.
Reservation Deadline: noon the day before
Location: Arikawa Cultural Municipal Center or Shinkamigoto Sekiyu Bichiku Memorial Hall kitchen (Google Maps)
Price: ￥2,500
Participants per session: 2 to 10
Please wear clothing that can get dirty.
Reservation form (external link)
8. Camellia Oil Extracting Workshop (Tsubaki Taiken Kobo)
Approximately 6.8 million wild camellias grow in Shinkamigoto. Locals harvest the seeds and transform them into high quality camellia oil. Visitors to the island can witness and try out this process firsthand. First, about 1 kg of seeds—husk and all—are crushed with a mortar and pestle for about 20 minutes until finely ground. The ground seeds are then steamed for about 10 minutes before they are placed in a special filter bag and loaded into a compressor. The task of pressing the seeds is actually quite laborious, but watching the golden oil stream out from the compressor is worth the toil. The finished product is approximately 300 ml (10 fl oz) of pure, golden camellia oil, which is bottled up to take home.
Duration: 1 hour
Hours & Availability: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. year-round (excluding August 13th through 16th and December 29th through January 3rd). Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Reservation Deadline: Please reserve at least two days in advance.
Location: Camellia Experience Workshop (Google Maps). Located next to Margherita Kogushi, about a 5-minute walk from Sone Church.
Price:￥2,300 for adults (high school students and up); ￥1,300 for elementary and middle school students (plus ￥850 per kilogram of camellia seed).
Participants per session: 2 to 20
Reservation form (external link)
9. Beeswax Lotion Making
Make a smooth cream from beeswax and camellia oil, which is extracted from the seeds of local, naturally-growing camellias. Beeswax has superior moisture-retention properties and camellia oil promotes healthy hair and skin. Guests can choose their preferred essential oil to add as a fragrance.
Duration: 1 hour
Hours & Availability: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. year-round.
Reservation Deadline: three days in advance
Location: C&A (Google Maps)
Price:￥2,800
Participants per session: 1 to 10
Reservation form (external link)
10. Original Candle Holder Making
Arrange sand and seashells from Kamigoto along with glass ornaments to create a whimsical candle holder/pen holder/container. Enjoy relaxing time on the island that results in a memorable souvenir.
Duration: 1 hour
Hours & Availability: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. year-round. Closed Sundays.
Reservation Deadline: one week in advance
Location: paint house (Google Maps)
Price:￥3,500
Participants per session: 2 to 3
Reservation form (external link)
11. Driftwood Sign Making
Driftwood that has washed up on the shores of Kamigoto is sanitized and used as a medium for this tole painting activity. Exercise creativity in designing and painting a one-of-kind sign with this sustainable material.
Duration: 2 hours
Hours & Availability: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. year-round. Closed Sundays.
Reservation Deadline: one week in advance
Location: paint house (Google Maps)
Price:￥2,800
Participants per session: 2 to 3
Please wear clothing that can get dirty.
Reservation form (external link)
12. Herbarium Workshop
Create a lovely bottled display of dried plants, flowers, sea glass, and seashells—a truly unique souvenir that embodies the essence of the island.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Hours & Availability: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. year-round. Closed Sundays.
Reservation Deadline: one week in advance
Location: paint house (Google Maps)
Price:￥2,600
Participants per session: 1 to 5
Reservation form (external link)
13. Happy Camellia Candle Making
These candles are not only shaped like Shinkamigoto’s town flower, camellia, but they also contain camellia oil in their center, in addition to scented natural oils.
Duration: 1 hour
Hours & Availability: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. year-round.
Reservation Deadline: one week in advance
Location: Candle Suzu (Google Maps)
Price:￥1,500
Participants per session: 1 to 6
Reservation form (external link)
14. Island Candle Making
Use colored sand and seashells to create a special island gift to give to friends. This activity is also suitable for children.
Duration: 1 hour
Hours & Availability: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. year-round.
Reservation Deadline: three days in advance
Location: Hamaguri Deck; in the event of rain, Old Fellow Company (Google Maps)
Price:￥2,000
Participants per session: 1 to 5
Reservation form (external link)
15. Laser Craft Workshop
Get a feel for the craft of leatherworking by making small items, such as coin cases, book covers, or key holders.
Duration: 2 hours
Hours & Availability: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. year-round. Closed Sundays.
Reservation Deadline: three days in advance
Location: Old Fellow Company (Google Maps)
Price:￥8,000
Participants per session: 1 to 7
Reservation form (external link)
16. Tatami Picture Frame Making
Choose from over 100 tatami edging designs to create a one-of-a-kind, Japanese-style tatami mat picture frame.
Duration: 1 hour
Hours & Availability: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m year-round.
Reservation Deadline: one week in advance
Location: Osaki Tatami Shop (Google Maps)
Price:￥2,500 for a small frame;￥4,500 for a large frame.
Participants per session: 2 to 6
Reservation form (external link)
17. Camellia Chopsticks Making
Make customized chopsticks out of sturdy camellia wood from the island. Participants can carve, polish, and engrave their own original set of chopsticks that express their personality.
Duration: 2 hours
Hours & Availability: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m year-round (excluding December 29th through January 3rd).
Reservation Deadline: three days in advance
Location: Shinkamigoto Tsubaki Mokkobo (Google Maps)
Price:￥4,200 per adult (junior high school students and up);￥2,200 per elementary school student (guardian must be present). Not suitable for small children.
Participants per session: 1 to 3
Please wear clothing that can get dirty.
Reservation form (external link)
18. Geihinkan Museum
All ages can learn about the town’s history at this museum, which features exhibits about the traditional practice of whaling in Arikawa from the Edo period, the life and works of the Kamigoto-born architect Yosuke Tetsukawa, and ancient artifacts found within town. The second floor of the museum is dedicated to the local sumo legend, Yokozuna Sadanoyama. Sadanoyama, originally from Arikawa, was named the 50th yokozuna in 1965. After retiring, he served as the chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. In addition to a dedicated installation at the Geihinkan Museum, a copper statue was erected in front of Arikawa Port Terminal to commemorate his achievements.
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Location: Inside Arikawa Port Terminal: 578-36 Arikawago (Google Maps)
Price:￥200 for adults and ￥100 for elementary school and junior high school students.
Some English captioning provided.
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