Shikoku
Shikoku (??) is an oft-forgotten island in Japan. The smallest of Japan's Big Four, it lies to the south of Honshu. The island is a rural backwater with few must-see attractions, but a visit there can wash away those doubts; particularly the mountainous inner regions offer some good hiking and a glimpse of the elusive Real Japan. It is also the home of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage of the Shingon sect of Buddhism.
Regions
Shikoku literally means "four lands", and it indeed consists of four prefectures, 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.
- Ehime (Iyo) — to the west
- Kagawa (Sanuki) — to the north
- Kochi (Tosa) — to the south
- Tokushima (Awa) — to the east
Cities
- Takamatsu — the largest city in Shikoku
- Matsuyama — better known for neighboring Dogo Onsen
- Tokushima — home of the Awa Odori festival in August
- Uwajima — (barely) on the tourist map due to an interesting fertility shrine and wrestling bulls
Other destinations
- Cape Ashizuri — a scenic cape at the southernmost point of Shikoku
- Dogo Onsen — Japan's oldest hot spring
- Iya Valley — a remote but beautiful mountain valley
- Kotohira — the site of the Kompira-san shrine
- Mount Ishizuchi — the tallest peak in Shikoku
Understand
Shikoku is a primarily agricultural island, renowned for its citrus fruits.
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 to outsiders.
Get in
By plane
Prefectural capitals Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Kochi and Tokushima all have small regional airports. Takamatsu fields a few flights a week to Seoul, but for any other international destinations, you will have to connect via Tokyo or Kansai.
By train
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.
By bus
If coming from Kansai or eastern parts of Japan, buses through Awaji Island are the fastest way of getting to Shikoku.
Get around
By train
The JR train network connects the larger towns together fairly well, but regular trains are slow and expresses are expensive. The main lines are:
- JR Yosan Line (???) on the west coast, from Okayama to Takamatsu and Uwajima via Matsuyama
- JR Dosan Line (???) across the center of the island, from Okayama and Takamatsu to Kubokawa via the Oboke gorge (near Iya Valley) and Kochi
- JR K?toku Line (???) on the east coast, from Takamatsu to Tokushima
There are some other minor lines with infrequent trains. Some parts of the JR network, notably the southern segment from Kubokawa to Sukumo, have been split off to the private Tosa Kuroshio Railway company.
By bus
Buses fill in the gaps in the train network and are the only means of transport in areas like Cape Ashizuri and the Iya Valley. Schedules are sparse and prices are high.
On foot
Serious pilgrims may choose to complete the 88 Temple Circuit (see Do) on foot.
Do
- 88 Temple Pilgrimage — a famous but grueling 1,647-kilometer hike around the entire island
Buy
- The most sought after present or "omiyage" after a visit to Shikoku is Udon Noodles. Fresh noodles can be purchased at almost any souvenir shop.
- Gifts related to the traditional "Henro," or Pilgrim and their outfit unique to Shikoku are also popular, including a "Henro" Hello Kitty cell phone charm. Available in Shikoku souvenir shops, or any airport in Japan (for those travelers who forgot to get "omiyage" while on their trip.)
Eat
There aren't any "Shikokuan" foods per se, but each prefecture has something that they're famous for:
- Ehime: Sweet mikan mandarin oranges
- Kagawa: Sanuki udon noodles
- Kochi: Bonito (Katsuo), a type of small tunafish
- Tokushima: Yamamomo mountain peaches
External links
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