Setoda Lemon Food Guide: Lemon Cakes, Gelato & Curry on Ikuchijima

What Makes a Setoda Eco Lemon Different

Hiroshima Prefecture certified low-pesticide, whole-skin-safe lemons as Eco Lemon after imported fruit and its antifungal coatings raised food-safety concerns in the 1960s. An Eco Lemon carries no pesticides suspected of acting as endocrine disruptors, and growers keep other chemical treatments to a minimum. That matters most for cooks and bakers, who value a lemon they can zest or slice without worrying about surface chemicals. Ikuchijima lemon farmer Masao Kubo has described the trees as low-maintenance once established, though never cold-hardy, since they die outright below 5°C. Growers like Kubo also train branches so fruit ripens low on the tree and stays shaded by leaves, which is part of why Setoda lemons keep such a consistent shape. Wind can still scratch the fruit's skin during growth, and scratched lemons carry a higher risk of disease and rarely pass for retail sale. Growers route that scarred, otherwise usable fruit into jam and peel production instead of discarding it. Peel-based products such as lemon cake jam depend on the skin's oils, not its outer appearance. Eco Lemons make the better souvenir choice over a standard supermarket lemon, since the zest is safe to grate into tea or dessert straight off the fruit.

Lemon Cakes at Shimagokoro SETODA

Patissier Ryuzo Okumoto opened Shimagokoro SETODA's Main Store in 2008 after returning to his native Ikuchijima and rediscovering the island's lemons. Staff hand-peel every lemon skin used in the shop's jam, since machine peeling would strip away the limonene that gives the cake its scent. Output runs to roughly 8,400 lemon cakes a day, and a classic lemon cake costs about ¥250. In a 2018 interview, Shimagokoro reported having sold more than 3 million lemon cakes since opening a decade earlier. Seasonal green lemon cake, made with the sharper October-to-December harvest, appears on the menu for those months only. Hours run 10:00am to 6:00pm year-round, though temporary closures can happen, and the lot has 36 parking spaces for drivers. Elevation is the catch here, since the Main Store sits about 100 meters above Setoda Port, high enough to surprise cyclists on heavy rental bikes. From Setoda Port, the Island Eastbound Line bus reaches the Setoda Elementary School stop near the store in about 3 minutes. An e-bike handles the grade far more comfortably than a standard single-speed rental.

• Hours: 10:00am-6:00pm, open year-round (occasional temporary closures)
• Classic lemon cake: about ¥250
• Daily output: about 8,400 lemon cakes
• Access from the port: Island Eastbound Line bus, about 3 minutes to the Setoda Elementary School stop, or an e-bike

Lemon Souvenirs Worth Packing

Lemon cakes travel well and remain the most common Setoda souvenir, sold individually or boxed at Shimagokoro's Main Store. Seasonal boxes swap in flavors like black sesame, kabocha squash, and sakura alongside the classic recipe. A lemon-free cream puff also stays on the menu, kept there because regulars asked for it. That hand-peeled lemon jam, covered above, is also sold on its own, without the cake wrapped around it. A green lemon squash drink, made with a whole lemon rather than juice alone, is another take-home option worth adding to the same bag.

Gelato at Shimanami Dolce

Shimanami Dolce makes its gelato from domestic Japanese ingredients and changes the flavor lineup monthly. Regulars on the menu include Setoda Lemon, Setoda Navel Orange, and Hakata Salt, and many visitors order a cup mixing two or three flavors. Near Kosanji Temple, the Kosanjimae branch is open 10:00am to 4:30pm and has no indoor seating. Setoda's larger main store, elsewhere on the island, offers an eat-in space. A cup of gelato runs about ¥400 to ¥500. Because the menu rotates monthly, the Setoda Lemon flavor is the one constant regulars count on. The full flavor rotation and other dessert stops appear in this gelato and sweets guide.

Lemon Curry and Drinks at Lemon and Cafe Shiomachi-tei

Lemon and Cafe Shiomachi-tei occupies a building about 150 years old on Shiomachi Shopping Street. Signature orders include lemonade made with organic Setoda lemons, paired with a curry plate for a full lunch stop. The curry plate typically pairs two styles on one plate, a red-wine-based European curry and a milder butter chicken curry. Ginger-lemon drinks and Unshu mikan mandarin juice round out the menu for non-curry orders. According to the cafe's official Visit Shimanami listing, it opens 11:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. It stays closed Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Standard and electric-assist bicycles are available to rent here too, useful for day-trippers arriving without their own. For more midday options on the island beyond curry, see this lunch stops guide.

Savory Lemon Dishes Beyond Dessert

Lemon food on Shiomachi Shopping Street is not only sweet. Several shops along the street display lemon ramen on their menus, where a citrus-forward broth stands in for the usual richer tare. Restaurants near the port also finish Seto Inland Sea catches with Setoda lemon, pairing local seafood with the fruit's acidity. Those citrus-finished seafood plates get fuller treatment in this Seto Inland Sea seafood guide. Lemon beer and lemon-infused sake round out the drinks menu at several shopping-street stops. Okatetsu Shoten, a family butcher-turned-croquette shop, sells no lemon at all but remains the street's must-eat savory stop. Its beef croquette costs about ¥100 and a ham cutlet runs about ¥250, with the shop open 8:30am to 6:30pm or until the day's batch sells out. The croquettes have drawn regional TV and magazine coverage for decades, though the recipe passed down through the founding family has stayed unchanged. For the island's wider food scene beyond citrus, see this Shimanami Kaido food guide.

Green Lemons vs Yellow Lemons: When to Visit for Each

Setoda's lemon trees bloom in May and begin bearing fruit in June. Green lemons come off the trees first, from October through December, followed by the classic yellow harvest from December through April. Harvest timing runs long by design, keeping fruit fresh right up until shipping, since lemons hold acidity well but lose freshness faster on low-pesticide trees. Visitors chasing the sharper green lemon flavor should aim for anywhere in that October-to-December window.

How to Get the Most Aroma from a Setoda Lemon

Limonene, the oil behind a lemon's scent, sits in the skin rather than the juice. Squeeze a Setoda lemon skin-side down over food or a drink to release that oil directly onto what you're eating. Green lemons feel firmer than yellow ones, so rub the skin between your palms or warm it briefly before use to soften it. Because Eco Lemons carry minimal pesticide residue, the whole skin is safe to zest, slice thin, or eat raw, unlike a waxed supermarket lemon.

Two Routes for a Lemon Day on Ikuchijima

Two routes cover most of Setoda's lemon food in a single day. On foot, follow Setoda Port to Shiomachi Shopping Street, then Kosanji Temple, then back down to Shimanami Dolce's port-area branch. Kosanji Temple and other nearby stops feature in this Shimanami Kaido attractions guide. By bike, cross the Ikuchi Bridge into Setoda, climb to Shimagokoro's Main Store, then follow the coastal road back to Shimanami Dolce. Rest stops and coffee along that coastal stretch appear in this cycling cafes guide. Both routes start and end near the port, so plan either loop around a specific return ferry time. Return ferries to Onomichi and Mihara often stop running before 6:00pm, so build the last crossing into your route before you start.

• Pedestrian route: Setoda Port, Shiomachi Shopping Street, Kosanji Temple, Shimanami Dolce's port-area branch.
• Cyclist route: Ikuchi Bridge, Shimagokoro's Main Store, coastal road, Shimanami Dolce.
• Typical stop costs: beef croquette about ¥100, gelato about ¥400 to ¥500, lemon cake about ¥250.
• Ferry cost: ¥1,300 one-way adult fare from Onomichi Port, plus ¥500 for a bicycle.

Mistakes to Avoid in Setoda

A few planning missteps come up often enough on Ikuchijima to flag directly.

• Midweek closures: several Shiomachi Street shops, including Lemon and Cafe Shiomachi-tei, close on set days such as Monday, Wednesday, or Saturday. Confirm each stop's schedule before building a route around it.
• The uphill climb: reaching Shimagokoro's Main Store on a heavy standard rental bike is a tough ask. The Island Eastbound Line bus or an e-bike covers the same 100-meter climb far more easily.
• Ferry timing: return sailings to Onomichi and Mihara often stop running before 6:00pm, so confirm the last departure at the port before starting the day.