Shikoku
Discover Shikoku
Shikoku (四国) is an oft-forgotten island in Japan. The smallest of Japan's Big Four with around four million inhabitants, it lies to the south of Honshu. The island is thought of as a rural backwater, with few must-see attractions, but a visit there can wash away those doubts; the mountainous inner regions offer some good hiking. It is also the home of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Shikoku literally means "four countries", and it indeed consists of four ancient countries (now prefectures) on Shikoku island, conveniently arranged around the compass points. Each prefecture also has an old provincial name, still often found in place names and listed in parenthesis below.
What to Experience in Shikoku
Taste of Shikoku...
There aren't any "Shikokuan" foods per se, but each prefecture has something that they're famous for:
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsWhile there are highways linking Shikoku with Honshu, they are expensive—around ¥5,000. Prefectural capitals Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Kochi and Tokushima all have small regional airports. Matsuyama has flights to Seoul and Shanghai, while Takamatsu fields a few flights a week to Seoul. For any other international destinations, you will likely have to connect via Tokyo or Kansai. Shikoku is not connected to the Shinkansen network, but there are frequent connections from Okayama on Honshu to Takamatsu and from there on throughout the island. The limited express Shiokaze (特急 しおかぜ) runs back and forth between Okayama and Matsuyama roughly every hour during the day, skipping some stations on the way, if you feel like a more direct connection to that side of the island. The pace on Shikoku being what it is, don't come there expecting any of the trains to be super fast. Train information will be in Japanese only, unlike what you may be used to from the Shinkansen....
Regions
Explore AreasShikoku literally means "four countries", and it indeed consists of four ancient countries (now prefectures) on Shikoku island, conveniently arranged around the compass points. Each prefecture also ha…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Shikoku can be difficult to get around without your own vehicle, especially to out-of-the-way natural sites sought by many visitors. Trains are infrequent in many parts, as are buses, so travelers who wish to move about the island or explore remote areas should know the timetables of whatever transport you need beforehand. Some buses only run during specific periods or on weekends and holidays only. Some travelers report feeling that it's more expensive however, this may be due to their perception of Shikoku as the "small island". In actuality, the price per distance is generally the same as more frequented routes. The time required however, is much greater. For example, the price from Okayama to Hiroshima just north on the mainland versus Takamatsu to Matsuyama is almost the same however, the Takamatsu-Matsuyama route takes more than twice as long.
Money & Budget
There aren't any "Shikokuan" foods per se, but each prefecture has something that they're famous for:
Language & Talk
Shikoku is far enough off the beaten track that some Japanese ability, while not absolutely necessary, will come in handy. Some of Shikoku's dialects, notably Tosa-ben spoken in Kochi, are famously incomprehensible even to other Japanese. While there are highways linking Shikoku with Honshu, they are expensive—around ¥5,000. Prefectural capitals Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Kochi and Tokushima all have small regional airports. Matsuyama has flights to Seoul and Shanghai, while Takamatsu fields a few flights a week to Seoul. For any other international destinations, you will likely have to connect via Tokyo or Kansai. Shikoku is not connected to the Shinkansen network, but there are frequent connections from Okayama on Honshu to Takamatsu and from there on throughout the island.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Shikoku
a man in a boat on a lake surrounded by trees
a couple of people walking across a bridge over a river
a japanese garden with rocks and trees
islet surrounded with trees
Gate at the Ichinomiya Shinto Shrine.
Statue at Kakurinji Temple.
A long bridge spans over the sea.
a manhole cover on the ground with a drawing on it
Homestay in Kamikatsu.
Cherry blossoms bloom against a pastel sky.
a man in a boat on a lake surrounded by trees
a couple of people walking across a bridge over a river
a japanese garden with rocks and trees