Hi, thanks for talking to us today. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Sure, I was born and raised in the south-west of the UK surrounded by wild nature and a great sense of community…maybe that’s why I feel so at home on Shikoku. After graduating university I joined the JET programme. As part of the application, you specify three preferred locations. I left that section blank, deciding to leave it to fate. I got really lucky, ending up in a small mountain town called Tsuwano, in Shimane prefecture. Wonderful people, fascinating culture; it was a life changing two years. After that I made my way to Shikoku, the least visited of Japan’s main islands. This became my home, and with every remote beach, festival in the mountains, or walk into a wild gorge I grew to love it even more. A few years later, I co-founded a travel company here called Hidden Japan Travel. We’ve been running for a few years now and it’s a real pleasure to show guests the nature, culture, and cuisine of this amazing island. We focus on outdoor adventure tours as well as food and culture experiences. I feel very lucky to do something I love in a place that’s so special to me.Postcards from Japan: Shikoku island best bits, off-road travel tips and the loveliness of locals, with Sam Barclay of HJT
Feb. 12, 2021