Shikoku is an area consisting of Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, and Kochi prefectures, and is characterized by the fact that the islands are surrounded by the sea on all sides, with countless islands floating in the Seto Inland Sea.
The Sanuki Mountains and the Shikoku Mountains run through the center of Shikoku, and the climate differs greatly between the northern and southern parts of the country. Kagawa and Ehime prefectures in the north have a Seto Inland Sea style climate, with summer monsoons blocked by the Shikoku Mountains and winter monsoons blocked by the Chugoku Mountains, resulting in a stable climate throughout the year with little precipitation.
Tokushima and Kochi prefectures, located to the south, have a Pacific Ocean-side climate, characterized by a large climatic gap depending on the season: hot and humid with frequent rainfall in summer and dry with little rainfall in winter.
The Shikoku area is particularly well known throughout Japan for the "Ohenro" pilgrimage to the 88 sacred sites opened by Kobo Daishi, and is still known as an area where many people go on pilgrimage trips. In the tourism area, events such as the Awa Odori Dance and Yosakoi Festival, as well as gourmet foods such as mandarin oranges and other citrus fruits, and seafood from the excellent fishing grounds of the Seto Inland Sea, are popular.
Major tourist attractions include the Oku-Iya Niju Kazura Bridge in Tokushima Prefecture, Angel Road in Kagawa Prefecture, Matsuyama Castle in Ehime Prefecture, and Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture.
The Oku-Iya Double Tortoise Bridge in Tokushima Prefecture spans the Coarse Valley River in Miyoshi City. The Oku-Iya Kazura Bridge is characterized by its traditional suspension bridge, which was built using Sarunashi and other vines, using techniques handed down from generation to generation. There is also a human-powered ropeway nearby, making it a popular spot for many tourists.
Kagawa Prefecture's Angel Road is a sandy beach path leading from Bentenjima to Nakayojima, Koyojima, and Oyoshima that appears twice a day only at low tide. It is said that if you cross the road holding hands with your loved one, your wish will come true, making the road a popular tourist spot for many couples.
Matsuyama Castle in Ehime Prefecture was built in 1602 by Yoshiaki Kato, a son of Hideyoshi Toyotomi and a military commander from the Azuchi-Momoyama to Edo periods. Matsuyama Castle has 21 important cultural properties, among which the main keep is the last complete castle structure of the Edo period and is known as a castle of high historical value, as it is the only one of the 12 existing keeps with the hollyhock crest on its roof tiles.
Today, Matsuyama Castle is equipped with a ropeway and other facilities, and is one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Ehime Prefecture.
Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture is designated as the Muroto Anan Kaigan National Park and a national scenic beauty spot. The Cape Muroto Lighthouse, one of the 50 best lighthouses in Japan, is located on the cape and boasts the longest reach of light in Japan, about 49 km. Since Cape Muroto is not a busy tourist spot, it is a good spot for those who want to enjoy the natural scenery.
The Otsuka Museum of Art is an art museum that reproduces masterpieces from around the world on ceramic boards.The museum boasts the largest permanent exhibition space in Japan, with 1,074 items on display, including life-size ceramic panels of more than 190 masterpieces from 25 countries around the world. Among them, Picasso's "Guernica" and the wall paintings of the Sistine Chapel are particula...»
Dogo Onsen is said to be one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, with a history as long as 3,000 years. Known as "Iyo-no-yu" and "Kyudatsu-no-yu," it appears as a famous hot spring in the Chronicles of Japan (720), Manyoshu (circa 780), and The Tale of Genji (circa 1008 by Murasaki Shikibu), among others. It is known throughout Japan as the setting of Soseki Natsume's novel "Bo-chan" (1905), and...»
Located at the eastern foot of Mt. Shikun, this garden has a nearly 400-year history and has been designated as a national special scenic beauty spot.It is the largest Japanese garden in Japan, covering an area of approximately 75 hectares, and has six ponds and 13 artificial hills against the backdrop of Mt. The garden is rich in plants and trees, especially black pine, and is dotted with cherry...»
Chibumogahama Beach is a 1 km long beach that attracts many bathers in summer. It is a hot topic on SNS as a place to take pictures like those of Lake Uyuni, where the surface of the water looks like a mirror. It has been selected as one of the 88 scenic spots in Shikoku (No. 70) as "the magic hour of Chichi Hamagahama sunset before sunset. PhotographyBeautiful photos can be taken during the "m...»
Ishizuchi, the highest mountain in western Japan, this 27-km route winds along a ridge between 1,300 and 1,700 meters above sea level. On a clear day, you can see not only the Ishizuchi mountain range but also Tosa Bay in a series of dynamic views. The route also offers a variety of views unique to the mountainous area, such as azaleas and rhododendrons in spring, fresh greenery in summer, and m...»
Kochi Castle was completed by Kazutoyo Yamauchi, who became the feudal lord of Tosa. The entire castle site is designated as a national historic site and is a prefectural historical park. The castle was built in 1601....»
Naoshima is known as an island of art in the Seto Inland Sea. The island is not only home to museums that exhibit artists' works, such as Benesse House, the Chichu Art Museum, and the Lee Ufan Museum, but also to a project to preserve and revitalize uninhabited old houses and turn them into permanent exhibition spaces for contemporary art installations, blending the island's traditional landscape...»
Located on the Nakatsu River, a tributary of the Niyodo River, Nakatsu Valley is a beautiful valley with fresh green and autumn leaves. There is a 2.3 km-long promenade along the blue "Niyodo blue" river, which weaves through large rocks and crosses the river many times on stone bridges. After about a 20-minute walk, visitors will be close to the beauty of the valley and its odd sights, such as ...»
The famous castle stands on the summit of Katsuyama Mountain, almost in the center of Matsuyama.It stands on the summit of Katsuyama, 153 meters above sea level, and can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. Together with Himeji Castle and Wakayama Castle, it is one of Japan's three great interconnecting flat mountain castles. Construction of the castle began in 1602 by Yoshiaki Kato, one of...»
The gorge stretches 7 kilometers from east to west and 4 kilometers from north to south between Hoshigajo and Uminohara Plateau.The beauty of this valley, one of the most beautiful in Japan, has been designated as a national scenic beauty, and has been selected as one of the three most beautiful valleys in Japan, one of the three most bizarre sights in Japan, one of the 100 most scenic views in Ja...»
The valley is known for its clear, blue river called "Niyodo Blue" and the most beautiful autumn foliage in the prefecture. It offers good views of the upper reaches of the Yasui River, the Chihirokyo Gorge, and the Horaizan Observatory. Plenty of places to seeHiryu Falls, named for its two-tiered waterfall with a drop of 30 meters, which looks like a dragon twisting its body and flying away.Sho...»
Built in 1894, the three-story building is a symbol of Dogo Onsen. It boasts a stately appearance in the midst of modern hotels and shopping streets. In 1994, it became the first public bathhouse to be designated a National Important Cultural Property.In 2009, it received the highest rating of three stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japon. In the ranking of public bathhouses, it is listed as the ...»
The Shimanto River is the largest river in Shikoku with a total length of 196 km. There are sightseeing boats along the Shimanto River. Ayu (sweetfish), mullet, black sea bream, sea bass, and other fish can be caught frequently....»
The four-story stone wall is 60 meters high.The castle was built on the 66-meter-high Kameyama Mountain and surrounded by a moat (inner moat). It is one of the 12 existing castle towers. The four layers of stonewalls piled up from the inner moat where swans play to the top of the mountain are said to be the tallest in Japan, exceeding 60 meters in total.It is called the "fan slope" and is beautif...»
The shrine is located on Mt. Zotou and was called Konpira Daigongen before the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the early Meiji period.It is the head shrine of the approximately 600 Konpira, Kotohira, or Kompira shrines in Japan. The approach to the shrine is 785 stone steps to the main shrine and 1,368 steps to the inner shrine.The large precincts are dotted with historic shrines and halls, ...»
Katsurahama is a sandy beach located at the tip of Urato Peninsula in Kochi City, between Ryuoh Cape and Ryuto Cape. It is one of the most scenic spots in Kochi Prefecture, and is sung in the Yosakoi-bushi folk song, "Katsurahama Beach is famous for its moon. The five-colored sands and green pine trees surrounding the beach are beautiful.The Tosa Dogfighting Center, Katsurahama Aquarium, Sakamot...»
The Seto-ohashi Bridge spans the Seto Inland Sea and connects Honshu and Shikoku. Six bridges and four viaducts connect Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture, and Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture. With a total length of 9,368 meters, it is the world's longest bridge that combines rail and road. At the foot of the bridge on the Sakaide side is the Seto-ohashi Memorial Park, which houses the Seto-ohas...»
Ishizuchi is the highest peak in western Japan. As a mountain of faith, many people have climbed it to reach the summit since ancient times. It takes about 3 hours from the end of the Ishizuchi Climbing Ropeway. Altitude: 1,982m...»
Takamatsu Castle was built in 1590 in the port town, and was the first and largest castle built as a sea castle in the early modern period. Also known as Tamamo Castle. The castle tower does not exist, but the Kitanomaru Tsukimi-yagura, Kitanomaru Mizute-gomon, Kitanomaru Watari-yagura, and the former East Maru Gon-yagura (Ushitora-yagura) still exist and are designated as important cultural prop...»
Connected to land by a bridge, this resource-rich island attracts divers from all over Japan. There are also ocean cruise boats and glass boats for those who want to enjoy the sea to the fullest. Odou Beach and Monkey Park are also nearby....»
The castle was first built here in 1331 by Toyofusa Utsunomiya of the Iyo-Utsunomiya clan, who entered the country as a guardian at the end of the Kamakura period (1192-1333). It was called Jizogatake Castle because it was built at the confluence of the Elk and Kume Rivers. Although the castle tower was regrettably demolished in 1888, four turrets survived the demolition and are designated as N...»
This castle was built in 1604 by Takatora Todo, a master castle builder.It is a coastal plain castle with seawater drawn into the three-layered moat, a rarity in Japan, and was a castle that made the most of the sea, as Imabari was a strategic point for marine transportation, with boats able to enter the moat directly from the sea. It is one of the three great water castles in Japan, along with T...»