Adventures on Shikoku, Japan’s Smallest Main Island

Perfectly situated between the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Shikoku is one of the primary puzzle pieces that makes the Japanese archipelago exactly what it is. Sporting an array of beaches, mountains, rivers, phenomenal food, culture, and history, the island will make your travels in Japan like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. This is exactly why our team chose to go on our little adventure to Shikoku to discover the best the area has to offer and allow us to give you the best experience possible on your next trip.

So join us as we delve into Shikoku and explore some of the greatest parts that make this island one of the most important parts of Japan. Then, follow us on our trip around the area as we find, and enjoy the best experiences on offer to educate ourselves on how to make your travels even better!

A Little History of the Area

As mentioned earlier, Shikoku is the smallest main island of Japan, nicely situated between the Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean, which makes up a big part of the area’s past. It’s especially known for its history of maritime clans that inhabited the Inland Sea. Those on land would often refer to these clans as pirates, however, this never deterred the land-goers from using them for their navy if there ever was the need. In fact, the country’s own Imperial Japanese Navy actually began with these very Inland Sea Pirates.

One famous resident of note from Shikoku is Sakamoto Ryoma from Kochi, a man who is said to have been instrumental in overthrowing feudalism in Japan. With plenty looking for a change in today’s politics, many people can be seen visiting the statue and enjoying various products made with his image. Even the country’s industrial revolution got a head start on this island, with Japan’s first airplane being designed in Yawatahama.

The area’s most famous Japanese matsuri, and the country’s in fact, would have to be the Awa Odori. It is considered the most famous dance festival in Japan and typically takes place from August 12 – 15. The main dance, also known as the “Fool’s Dance,” sports a history of over 400 years and attracts thousands of spectators and dancers each and every year. This name is said to come from the lyrics to a very common traditional dance song which are “Fools dance and fools watch, if both are fools, you might as well dance.” A motto to live by in our opinion. If you can’t make it to Tokushima in August, not to worry, as we go into later, you can visit the Awaodori Kaikan, a museum that is dedicated to the celebration of the matsuri’s long history.

The four prefectures that make up the island are Ehime, Kagaway, Kochi, and Tokushima, which back when they were feudal domains, were known as Iyo, Sanuyki, Tosa, and Awa. Believe it or not, this is actually why the word Shikoku is written with the kanji that translates to “four countries,” as the nations domains were once called countries. Each prefecture changes considerably in geography and culture, with the island as a whole bursting with mountains, rivers, beaches and nature that seem to change as you move around. You can see why, despite the constant label of being “small” Shikoku is rather expansive in feel. It is not uncommon for tourists to note how much bigger it feels than what they had come to expect, we certainly did!

Shikoku Henro, One of the Top Must-Sees

Also known as the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, this phenomenal experience is considered one of the oldest and most revered pilgrimage routes in the world. Born in 774 at Zentsu-ji, Temple 75, in Kagawa, the Buddhist monk Kukai (also known as Kobo Daishi) is credited with beginning this spiritual journey. Following an educational trip to China to study esoteric Buddhism, Kukai returned home studying and training at each temple along the route, ultimately being the first, and certainly not the last, to kick off this remarkable journey. Being an important figure in Japanese Buddhism himself, the Shikoku Henro quickly became an integral part of the country’s life. Even today, people of all ages and class start their own pilgrimage in hopes of developing their spirituality or cleansing themself of a flaw they might have.

It is said that the incredibly religious and spiritual pilgrimage will impart travelers with many blessings and plenty of religious merit to boot. Not to mention it is also an amazing way to see and experience the sights of Shikoku. The trip itself usually takes about 40 – 50 days when walking the traditional path, with the journey spanning across the entire island at about 1450km long. Because of the size, it is not uncommon for people to complete it over several trips to Shikoku, or by shortening the route by using motor transport. Nowadays, Shikoku Tourism companies often offer guided tours along the route that also use charter taxis to help with transport.

Follow Us Around the Island

Day 1

Despite the somewhat early start of 6 am, our team was feeling as refreshed as ever thanks to their amazing trip on the brand-new Aoi Ferry! With different class seats available to passengers, the ferry also features an open-air foot bath and, incredibly, its own onsen, both of which are free of charge. Starting with this phenomenal ride truly made our three-hour trip to the island pass in the blink of an eye. We cannot recommend the Aoi Ferry enough, and know that we will certainly be using it again ourselves at the next chance we get!

We arrived at Shodoshima at about 9:30 in the morning and quickly met up with Anabuki DMC to grab the e-bikes to explore the island. The company owns a fleet of brand new, good quality bikes as well as a secure storage area for travelers to leave their luggage. However, as a side note, the bikes do not come with baskets in the front for storing the smaller items that you would normally need to bring on these tours. With this in mind, we suggest that you bring a backpack to carry all your essentials whilst you bike around the area. We have to say, one of the best things about taking the e-bikes around the island is the amazing pieces of art that you can find throughout the entire landscape.

Our first stop of the day was at this phenomenal Soy Sauce Factory called Yamaroku Soy Sauce. Our tour took us around the whole building, walking us through the soy sauce-making process and explaining the old barrels used to produce this incredible sauce. The particular barrels used by the factory are known as kioke, which are cedar barrels with a capacity of 3000 – 6000 liters. We also participated in a tasting of their product, and even finished up with a soy sauce ice cream snack! It was truly an amazing experience and tour that allowed us to learn a lot about not only the production of soy sauce but also the importance of preserving the art. We would absolutely recommend Yamaroku Soy Sauce if you are ever in the area.

From there, we moved on to lunch at a local Olive Somen shop, named Nakabu-an. We were served a tasty olive-infused somen, which gave the restaurant an interesting concept. The owner even came to our table and explained how they make their somen, using pictures as English was not an option. We then paired up our olive experience with a visit to the local Olive Garden. Although it was a little bit touristy, the view and garden itself were astonishingly beautiful making the stop truly worth it.

Following lunch, we began to make our way back to the center of the island, but first, we made a pit stop at this little gelato shop, Minori Gelato. The shop offers great quality gelato that changes seasonally, at the time of our visit they had Black Sesame, Chestnut, and Ginkan flavors. It’s a great spot to stop for dessert and was the perfect chance to have a break and cool down during our cycling.

After our refreshing stop, we finally made our way back to the center of the island, arriving at our next destination, the Morikuni Sake Brewery. Although we were unable to visit the production site at the time, we still had a great time at the shop/restaurant located in the old brewery. The traditional building is such a nice building, seeping history at every point, that it truly sets the feel for the visit, production site or not. The second level houses a small museum that displays traditional artifacts and tools used in the creation of sake from times long past. The ground floor has a great bar that allows visitors to taste their in-house brews, a whole 10 flavors!

Our final stop of the day was a micro Beer brewery known as Mame Mame Brewery. It is quite a quaint little store, but its selection of unique beers makes the place worth it. Each of the beers is made with locally sourced ingredients, and you can also grab a tasting set so you can try a bit of everything. The brewery also allows customers to drink in their backyard, which, as we can happily confirm, has the most gorgeous views of the port.

It was now 4:30 in the afternoon when we boarded our ferry from Shodoshima to Takamatsu. This ferry was nowhere near as fancy as the ride we had this morning, but considering it was a much shorter trip we didn’t mind much. We then arrived at our hotel, the JR Clement Takamatsu, which not only benefits from a great location but also has nice, large, clean bedrooms making it perfect for foreigners and those with lots of luggage. Offering a buffet-style breakfast with options ranging from curry, and fired fish to the more typical breads, cereals, and fruits, they are extremely proud of their homemade butter croissants which we couldn’t wait to try. And, we can now confirm were just as delicious as they had claimed to be!

Day 2

We departed from our hotel at 8 in the morning and drove to the Ryozen-ji, temple number 1, to begin our spiritual pilgrimage along the Shikoku Henro. Upon our arrival, we met up with our extremely knowledgeable and amazing Ohenro-certified guide, Mr. Matsumoto. We ended up spending about an hour at the first temple as our guide made sure to meticulously cover every aspect of how to do a pilgrimage properly. They also gave us some incense, candles, and a visitor card we were to leave at each temple along the route.

After our guide had us all caught up on everything pilgrim-related and we had grabbed our essentials for our journey, we walked to the second temple on the list: Gokuraku-ji. Unfortunately, the walk itself now goes alongside a main road making our trip a bit disappointing. However, our expert guide made sure to fill every step with knowledge and facts which certainly helped to improve our experience. When we arrived Gokuraku-ji we decided to make a change in our route. Now, instead of walking from temple number 2 to number 3, we took a car and drove to the fourth. From here we walked a part of the path laid out in the forest for about 20 minutes, which was enjoyable and a more authentic feeling experience as a tourist on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.

Soon, it was time for lunch, so we stopped at a local udon restaurant which was truly a nice surprise. The udon was extremely local in feel and very fresh. The restaurant had a large variety of Oden that were less than 100 yen and we can certainly say that they are delicious. After lunch, we traveled to the Iya Valley by car, a 2-hour ride. Although it wasn’t on our itinerary we stopped at the Vines Bridge, which cost 500 yen so it was a little bit expensive but worth it. It is truly a must-do when visiting the area, and certainly gave us an incredible, yet somewhat terrifying, experience!

At the end of our day, we arrived at our hotel, Hikyo no Yu, at around 5 pm. It was slightly dated in appearance, but it was extremely comfortable, with the Bekkan building having the most modern and newly renovated rooms. They also offer both Western-style and barrier-free rooms which is a bonus, not to mention both an outside and inside bath that is very large! For dinner, we had a choice of either a private dining room or the common dining room, of which we chose the former. The staff were extremely friendly and attentive, even bringing us an English translation of our kaiseki meal. Even better was that all the dishes feature local and seasonal ingredients, such as fresh fish from the Yoshino River, Wasabi from the area, and much, much, more!

Day 3

We started our day with a traditional Japanese breakfast at the hotel, but there was also a buffet table that had coffee, juices, bread, jam, and cereals. This is also a great option for those who are not used to eating Japanese food at breakfast or prefer a more simple and smaller breakfast. Then, at 10 am, we departed for the Yoshino River to begin our rafting experience, the first item on our list of to-dos for the day.

When we arrived at Go Go Adventure, we were greeted by an incredibly friendly team, who took about 15 minutes to explain what we were going to do and security measures, being very careful to cover everything. As a bonus, the staff also speaks fluent English, making it easy to understand every point on safety they had. After this, we grabbed our wet suits, shoes, and a jacket because, as we discovered, the water was quite cold, and left our valuables and unnecessary items in the lockers they provided for us. We then headed out onto Yoshino River, spending 90 minutes rafting around and having the time of our lives. We must mention that you will need to bring your own towel, as the company unfortunately does not provide one. When we finished up on the river, we returned to the company office to get change and have some lunch.

We left Iya Valley at 1 pm and made our way to Tokushima, which totalled about 2 and a half hours of driving, finally arriving at our hotel, the JR Clement Tokushima. We left our bags in our rooms and headed out to our next experience on the list, the Awaodori Kaikan, a museum dedicated to the area’s famous festival. They offer demonstrations that last for 40 minutes throughout the day, and we were super excited to see one ourselves. We were certainly not disappointed, the dancers were amazing and at the end, they got everyone in the audience to participate, so we all got to get up and dance together. It’s also a phenomenal way to see the matsuri if you’re visiting and it’s out of season and we highly recommend you go yourself if you’re ever in the area.

For dinner, we visited a local Izakaya and then returned to our hotel to rest up for the night.

Day 4

We left our hotel at 8 o’clock and arrived at the Udatsu Townscape an hour later. Unfortunately, we arrived a little too early to see inside any of the Merchants’ houses since, as with a lot of places around Japan, everything doesn’t start to open till around 10 am. The town was a quaint small town with a great historical feeling, however, due to its smaller size the shopping street is rather small. We also stopped at a store called Mima Wagasa, which offers an experience to make your own mini wagasa or a wagasa lamp with the master, ultimately taking about 2 hours. We didn’t have time to stop and take part, and the workshop itself was closed, but we would try and visit if were ever in the area again with more time.

At 10 a.m. we began an indigo dyeing workshop at Aizomeya. We picked up our items, then the teacher explained to us a couple of the techniques commonly used in traditional dyeing. Then, following our instructions and the guidance of our expert teacher, we got to dye our own socks, handkerchiefs and other common things found at dyeing experiences. It was a pretty classic aizome class and only lasted about an hour, but still a great experience that’s always fun to participate in.

Following our time at the workshop, we set off for an early Italian lunch at Punta. The restaurant itself is located in a renovated house that has a great atmosphere. It also provides a sharp contrast to the old town feel that surrounds the building. They had a great menu and we decided to go with their pasta course, which included appetizers, pasta, bread, dessert and coffee. The whole meal was about 2000 yen and worth every cent, having amazing value and delicious food. Finally, following our lunch, we drove back to Tokushima airport to fly back to Osaka and ultimately end our Shikoku tour.

And alas, with the end of the tour also comes the end of this blog. We learned so much on our adventure about Japan’s smallest main island and discovered some of the great things you can see and do on your visit. In fact, it seemed like there was so much to do, we just didn’t have enough time to experience them all. It was such an amazing time that it was so hard to say goodbye in the end. However, with all the fun we had we know we are going back and, next time, we hope to take you with us! So if you would like to be on our next Shikoku adventure make sure you contact us at info@arigatojapan.co.jp to book your spot ASAP!

Itinerary: 

Day 1: Kobe Departure
Ferry transfer from Kobe port to Shodoshima Island
9:30 – 17:00 Shodoshima Island cycling tour

17:00 Ferry transfer from Shodoshima Island to Takamatsu

 

Inclusions:
Ferry Transfers ( Kobe / Shodoshima/ Takamatsu)
Lunch
Soy Sauce Brewery and Sake Brewery tour and tasting.
E-bike ( helmet provided)

Hotel: JR Clement Takamatsu (or similar)

 

Optional: Hotel in Kobe

Day 2: Iya Valley visit and Ohenro ( pilgrimage experience)
Depart from Takamatsu hotel by car to First Temple.
9:00 – 13:00 Ohenro Pilgrimage road hike with Local guide

Lunch at a local restaurant.
Transfer to Hotel in the Iya valler

Inclusions:
Private car

English Speaking guide

Local Ohenro guide specialist

Lunch

Hotel: Hikyo no yu (or similar)

 

Day 3: Rafting experience and Tokushima City transfer

10:00 departure from the hotel by car

Half-day Rafting on the Yoshino river

Local Lunch

Transfer to Tokushima

Visit if the Tokushima Awa Odori Museum

End of the tour at the Hotel

Inclusions:
Private car

English Speaking guide

Rafting experience ( helmet, wet suit, life jacket provided)

Lunch

Hotel: JR clement Tokushima
Optional: dinner

Day 4: Tokushima Craft day and return trip to Osaka

8:00 departure from the hotel
Visit of Udatsu Townscape
Indigo dyeing experience

Local lunch

Transfer to Tokushima Airport

End of the tour at Tokushima Airport

Inclusions:
Private car

English Speaking guide

Indigo Dyeing

Lunch
Optional: Domestic flight to Tokyo or Express bus to Osaka.

 

Pricing: depends on travel dates.  Please contact us for a quotation and customization.

info@arigatojapan.co.jp

Book a personal travel consulting call with our experts to get great tips for your trip and suggestions about off-the-beaten-track destinations in Japan!

Featured Photo Credit: Amandine from Arigato Travel

 

 

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