Japan’s lemon island Ikuchijima is reinventing itself with community-based tourism

Upon your arrival at the island's ferry jetty, a pair of buildings collectively known as Soil Setoda greets you at the gateway of the island’s Shiomachi shotengai (shopping street). The simple warehouse on the left, named Kura, is a testament to the island’s prosperous past as a salt producer. The humble building has lived many lives: first as a storehouse for salt, then rice, and later as a local history museum. Today, it’s home to the first and only Japan offshoot of Overview Coffee from Portland, along with an information centre and a small boutique carrying artisanal products.

Overview Coffee’s passion in championing environmental stewardship as well as the well-being and sustained livelihood of coffee farmers aligns perfectly with the spirit of Ikuchi Island. Organic beans are sourced from sustainable farms in the coffee belt countries of Ethiopia, Rwanda (run by women farmers no less!) and Honduras, and then roasted on-site here in Kura. With prior reservations, you’ll be able to appreciate Overview Coffee’s light to medium roast via cupping sessions.

Across from Kura is the modern, minimalist wood and glass building that serves as the town’s lifestyle centre. Appropriately called Living, this double-storey structure houses a cluster of cosy guest rooms overlooking the sea on the first floor, and Minatoya, a produce-driven restaurant, on the ground floor. The split-level restaurant seating area also doubles as a community lounge that’s perfect for digital nomads, where you can remote work in comfort when you’re not digging into beautiful dishes that celebrate the freshest seasonal ingredients sourced directly from local producers.

Aman founder Adrian Zecha’s new hotel is an ode to Japan. Set in a lovingly restored 140-year-old former home of the distinguished Horiuchi family, Azumi Setoda is a modern, minimalist reinterpretation of a ryokan. The work of Kyoto architect Shiro Miura, the hotel updates the time-honoured grace and eloquence of a traditional Japanese inn with a cool, contemporary design.

Inside the discreet all-wooden façade lies a sleek, atmospheric interior that showcases beautiful artisanal craftsmanship. There’s a tranquil inner garden with pine and cherry trees that serves as a focal point of the property. Surrounding this little slice of zen are 22 sumptuously appointed rooms that are soothing, thanks to the use of clean lines and natural materials like washi paper, tatami mats and wood. The hinoki bathtub, with its relaxing incense-like cypress scent, is definitely the highlight of each room.

Across from Azumi Setoda is Yubune, quite possibly one of the most beautiful bathhouses in Japan. This is Setoda’s community bath and while it's operated by the hotel, it’s open to anyone (¥900 entry). Yubune has separate sections for men and women, each featuring a series of hot and cold baths as well as a sauna. Here you get to take a rejuvenating soak while being mesmerised by a stunning wall-to-wall mosaic depicting local island life by artist Mai Miyake.

Yubune also has guest rooms, but the 14 of them are very different from the luxurious ryokan suites across the road. While they are more pared down compared to Azumi Setoda, the rooms at Yubune do come with a more pocket-friendly price tag. Plus, they cater to the needs of cyclists, with a dedicated space to park their bikes in the room.

Ikuchi is often affectionately known as the lemon island of Japan. The Seto Inland Sea’s mild climate and low annual rainfall combined with Ikuchi’s gently sloping terrain that receives consistent sunlight create a perfect environment for growing citrus, particularly lemon. In fact, Ikuchi is the top producer of lemons in Japan, with the island now home to about 600 orchards.

Of the lot, Dani Noen is leading the charge for an all-natural approach to fruit farming. For the last 40 years, it has been cultivating organic Lisbon lemon and navel oranges that are free from pesticides and fertilisers. In fact, the farm even keeps spiders as a natural insect repellent. The orchard is also unusually scenic, with its undulating slopes facing the shimmering sea and the jaw-dropping Tatara Bridge.