Shikoku (四国 – 4 provinces) is the smallest and least populated of the four main islands of the Japanese archipelago. It is located south of the island of Honshu and east of the island of Kyushu, being formed by four provinces:
The population of Shikoku is small with just over 4 million and its area is 18,783 km². Shikoku has pleasant and explorable nature, with more than 88 temples and shrines scattered throughout the valleys and historic cities. In this article, we will see the main tourist attractions of this small region of Japan.
Table of Contents
Ehime Province
Province famous for its castles located in Ozu, Matsuyama, and Uwajima. What stands out the most is the Dogo Onsen, one of the most famous and oldest hot springs located east of downtown Matsuyama. The area is popular among tourists for its beautiful baths and many Ryokan.
Another notable place is the Shimanami Kaido road that connects the island of Shikoku with the main island of Japan Honshu. It spans over 60 km of roads that pass through several islands for pedestrians and cyclists to cross.
Kagawa Province
Kagawa [香川県] is the smallest province in Japan and is known for its udon noodles. It has 2 islands filled with modern art, Naoshima and Teshima, with many museums.
The capital of Kagawa is Takamatsu, a port city, with gardens, museums, and temples like most cities in Japan. Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province. It also used to be part of Ehime Province.
In Takamatsu, Mount Yashima was a battlefield between the Heike and Genji clans. The name Yashima literally means ‘roof island’ due to its shape resembling the roof of a traditional Japanese house.
Tokushima Province
The province and city of Tokushima (徳島) is famous for its typical dance called Awa Odori, a highly popular dance that takes place during the Obon festival in mid-August.
City of Naruto
There is a city located in the northeast of Shikoku in Tokushima province named Naruto. The city is known for its whirlpools in the water. These whirlpools can be seen on the bridge that connects Naruto to Awaji Island.
Iya Valley
Iya is a mountainous valley located in the center of Shikoku in Tokushima province. The isolated valley is characterized by steep slopes and deep stone gorges that were used to form bridges. Currently, 3 of these vine bridges remain intact and are the main attractions of this valley.
In the valley, you will find Mount Tsurugi, the second highest mountain in Shikoku. And the vine bridges Iya Kazurabashi and Oku-Iya Kazurabashi. Additionally, the valley is famous for its hot springs, trails, and other outdoor activities.
Kochi Province
Kochi is located on the southern coast of Shikoku and has the same name as its capital. The city is small and friendly, with a casual atmosphere, featuring a castle in the center, temples, gardens, and museums. To the south of the city, we have the beautiful Katsurahama beach, with several tourist attractions.
There are many other cities, temples, gardens, lakes, valleys, mountains, and museums to explore on this small island of Japan, but we cannot mention them all.
To conclude, we will leave a video below showing various tourist attractions of the island of Shikoku:
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