Setting sail at the height of summer, this route invites guests to enjoy atmospheric fireworks displays from the cool and quiet of the ship. Watch in leisurely comfort as fireworks light up the night sky before the silhouettes of islands on the darkened sea. The voyage also carries you to cultural charms across Setouchi, including a visit to a workshop where craftsmen carve festival floats that hold the spirits of the community, as well as a hands-on experience of traditional forging techniques used to craft ship anchors.

This route lets you take in some of the finest fireworks displays in Setouchi, wrapped in, cooled by a soft breeze on the Open Deck. Immerse in the summer atmosphere as guntû sails east and west through the beautiful seascapes of the Shiwaku and Geiyo Islands and across the open waters of Hiuchinada. Recall the fun of childhood vacation as you make a traditional Marugame uchiwa fan to stay cool in the evenings and go out on the water for an experience of Setouchi fishing. This special voyage is a chance to savor a whole summer’s worth of fireworks from a special vantage point out to sea.

This special autumn route welcomes Ryohei Hayashi, owner and chef at Japanese restaurant Tenoshima in Aoyama, Tokyo, to serve a one-day-only special lunch menu. Hayashi trained at the venerable Kyoto restaurant Kikunoi before opening Tenoshima in 2018, and is passionate about promoting Japanese cuisine and passing down authentic culinary traditions. For the lunch excursion to Hayashi’s ancestral home of Teshima in Kagawa Prefecture, the chef drew inspiration from how ancient people likely lived on these shores, creating a meal that interprets and reimagines ancient ways of eating for the present. This geology-themed route was curated with the Seto Inland Sea Folk History Museum. Geology influenced how the abundant sea and islands of Setouchi formed, shaping distinct local food cultures. Enjoy a romantic voyage through time to Setouchi thousands of years ago.

Every autumn, Chosa festivals are held in communities around Shikoku. “Chosa” are large taiko floats that are dedicated to local guardian deities in gratitude for the bounty of autumn, conveying prayers for good crops and abundant catches of fish, as well as thanks for peaceful life. Chosa festivals trace their roots back to Kyoto’s Gion festival, and the floats are elaborately decorated to delight the deity who visits during the festival. This route carries guests to one of these autumn festivals in the community of Toyohama in Kagawa Prefecture, where groups of men gather to lift the massive chosa into the air in an exhilarating and dynamic display. Afterward, guntu sails slowly onward to the Geiyo Islands, among the most iconic areas of Setouchi, weaving through island-filled waters to spend the final night off the coast of Omishima. Enjoy a glimpse of the passionate festivals and quiet nature of Setouchi on this well-rounded itinerary.

guntû was specifically designed for the year-round calm of the Seto Inland Sea, where it mostly sails in waters that are less affected by waves and wind. This five-day voyage extends its usual range to the west beyond Kaminoseki, as far as the waters off Hofu in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Here the Mori clan, once minor lords in Aki Province, rose to become rulers of a sprawling domain and the dominant power in the Chugoku region. On this voyage, guests will visit sites connected to the Mori clan together with Nobutaka Akiyama, professor emeritus at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima, who is an expert on the region’s history and the Mori clan’s role during Japan’s 16th century civil wars.
The route shares episodes from this chapter of Setouchi history that are still remembered today, through walks on Miyajima, where brilliant tactics outwitted a much larger army; at Hofu, where the Mori clan secured its domain; and on Futagamijima, a base of the Mori-allied Futagami clan.

Countless islands fill the waters to the west of guntû’s home port in Onomichi. guntû is able to pass through narrow straits thanks to its small size—just 81 meters long and 13 meters wide—offering an up-close view of a unique seascape that melds Setouchi island scenery with modern industry. While the Seto Inland Sea appears placid, the tidal flows in these waters create strong currents. Like navigators in past eras, guntû constantly adjusts its route depending on the tides. Catch glimpses of the rhythms of local life from just off the shore of islands, as scenes of fishing and farming, bridges and ferries, and the faint glow of village lights flow past the windows of your suite. This route explores the classic Setouchi landscapes that remain west of Onomichi.

This drifting route explores the waters at the very heart of the Seto Inland Sea, sailing among the sleek bridges that link the Geiyo Islands, through the open waters of Hiuchinada, and under the majestic Great Seto Bridge. For the first two days of the journey, guntû remains close to its home port in Onomichi as it weaves among the dynamic seascape of the Geiyo Islands, known for the Shimanami Kaido and Tobishima Kaido bridge networks. In the second half of the journey, the ship turns eastward through Hiuchinada and the Shiwaku Islands to the Great Seto Bridge. This region is notable for the diversity of its cultural heritage. Off-ship activities are chosen for the season, such as visits to artisans who carry on the craftsmanship of local festivals and traditions, and walks through historical townscapes. This leisurely voyage across the sea lets you savor the varied beauty of Setouchi in a single itinerary.

This route roams freely through the spacious waters between our home port in Onomichi and Shodoshima, offering a mix of the distinctive island-filled seascapes of Setouchi and the refreshment of a voyage on the open sea. More expansive than western Setouchi, this area offers sweeping views from onboard of the subtly shifting scenery of winter and spring in Setouchi. The refined cultural traditions that remain deeply rooted in Takamatsu and other local areas add another layer of depth to the journey. Enjoy a four-day experience that distills the essence of guntû’s style of leisurely, care-free travel.

This unique voyage embodies guntû’s signature travel style known as “Setouchi roaming.” Beyond the Onomichi Strait await the winding waterways of the Geiyo Islands, where interlocking islands form a breathtaking seascape. After anchoring in the quiet darkness of the Kasaoka Islands, this slow-paced route continues through a shifting scenic backdrop. Sailing eastward, guntû passes under the Great Seto Bridge and along the coast of Shodoshima as far as Hinase. The seasons of summer and autumn in the Inland Sea are fully palpable aboard the ship. This four-day voyage distills the essence of guntû into an unhurried journey that can be enjoyed entirely as you wish.

The real pleasure of “Setouchi roaming,” guntû’s style of travel, is revealed during leisurely hours spent on board. As the ship gently weaves between islands, pass the hours at your own pace as you watch scenery that is always subtly shifting. Centered on our home port of Onomichi, this route circles widely across the sea, as far as Omishima in the west and the Shonai Peninsula in the east. The voyage carries you through seascapes that change with the season and weather, promising encounters with scenery unique to each day and moment. Enjoy guntû’s spirit and heartfelt hospitality on an unforgettable journey.

From our home port of Bella Vista Marina in Onomichi, guntû travels slowly westward towards Kaminoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture. In these quintessential Setouchi waters, you can enjoy a unique combination of the Inland Sea’s beautiful island chains, temples and shrines, and modern industry. For centuries before overland travel improved, travelers and merchants sailed along vital sea routes through Setouchi that carried products from Kyushu and across Asia to the capitals of Japan's emperors and shoguns. Glimpses of this old Setouchi can still be seen in the local culture passed down on Iwaishima, the prosperous merchant houses of Yanai, and the lifestyle of islanders on Kashima.

This leisurely route seeks out the distinctive scenery of western Setouchi, where the natural backdrop of islands and coastline blends with the human landscape of fishing ports, temples and shrines. Explore the narrow “seto” straits that give the sea its name as guntû navigates through some of Setouchi’s most charming waters in the Kutsuna Islands, and complex passages around the Geiyo Islands. Spiritual traditions and history reveal islands’ religious roots and local lifestyles amid vistas of Setouchi's island-rich waters.

The Geiyo Islands around the Shimanami Kaido bridge network are famed for some of the world’s fastest currents, a result of the complex topography of the closely clustered archipelago. In times when shipbuilding and maneuvering technology was far less advanced, seafarers knew this island chain as a daunting obstacle that was exceptionally difficult to navigate. They relied on the Murakami Suigun for their expert knowledge of the tides and skills as ship pilots. A powerful local group sometimes called pirates or a navy, the Murakami Suigun ensured safe passage, maintained order, and facilitated trade through these waters. On this route, guntû sails between islands these legendary sailors called home.

Beginning in 1985, the island of Naoshima has been reimagined as a cultural village where visitors can reflect on the human world in spaces where nature, history, and contemporary art intersect. The transformation of Naoshima led many islands and locales in the eastern Setouchi region to welcome and support artists from across Japan and overseas, with more than ten significant art islands today. This route will visit Naoshima and Teshima, two of the islands emblematic of the Inland Sea’s art culture, as well as other islands such as Shodoshima, Megijima, and Ogijima. Over two days, we will explore the best art sites of the season for a fulfilling artistic experience of Setouchi.

This route introduces traditional Setouchi culture and technology passed down over generations. After departing Bella Vista Marina, guntû passes beneath the Great Seto Bridge en route to an anchorage off the coast of Tamano. On the second day, experience some of the region’s treasured crafts, from bonsai cultivation in Takamatsu, Bizen pottery, and decorative temari balls. From there, sail westward into the slowly setting sun before anchoring on the final night in Takuma Bay. We will take you to experiences of local cultural traditions best for the time of year and conditions.

This three-day voyage sails through the bold scenery to the east of Onomichi. En route to an anchorage off the coast of Tamano in Okayama Prefecture on the first night, guntû passes by the Mizushima Industrial Complex and beneath the impressive silhouette of the Great Seto Bridge, a marvel of modern engineering. Guests may enjoy a close-up view of inherited traditional landscapes and industry producing soy sauce, noodles, and olive oil on Shodoshima, the rich culture of the more than 100 islands of the Bisan group, and the beautiful seascapes of the Shiwaku Islands, a hub of maritime networks for centuries. As guntû navigates through these storied waters, ponder the lives and work of past generations.