It has beautiful scenery, a laid-back atmosphere, friendly
people and several notable sights, yet SHIKOKU , Japan's
fourth main island, is usually at the bottom of most visitors'
itineraries - if it appears at all. This is a shame, since this
tranquil island, which nestles in the crook between Honshu and
Kyushu, offers elements of traditional Japan that are often hard to
find elsewhere. An ancient Buddhist pilgrimage, original castles
and distinctive arts and crafts are some of Shikoku's attractions -
but equally appealing is the island's rural, less frantically
modern pace of life and its little-visited villages. You'll need a
week or so to get around all Shikoku's four prefectures. If you
only have a day, though, head straight for either of the island's
justly famous draws: Matsuyama's splendid castle and hot springs at
Dogo and the landscape gardens of Ritsurin-koen in Takamatsu.
According to legend, Shikoku was the second island (after
Awaji-shima) born to Izanagi and Izanami, the gods who are
considered to be Japan's parents. Its ancient name was
Iyo-no-futana and it was divided into four main areas: Awa (now
Tokushima-ken), Iyo (Ehime-ken), Sanuki (Kagawa-ken) and Tosa
(Kochi-ken). These epithets are still used today when referring to
the different prefectures' cuisines and traditional arts. Apart
from being the scene of a decisive battle between the Taira and
Minamoto clans in the twelfth century
, Shikoku has had a relatively peaceful history, due in part to
its isolation from the rest of Japan. This ended with the opening
of the Seto Ohashi in 1989, a series of six bridges which
leapfrogs the islands of the Inland Sea and carries both trains and
cars. It has now been joined by the Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi - the
longest single-span suspension bridge in the world - connecting
Shikoku to Honshu via Awaji-shima, the island to the west of
Tokushima, and the Nishi Seto Expressway, running along ten bridges
spanning nine islands between Onomichi in Hiroshima-ken and Imabari
on the island's northern coast.
Most of Shikoku's population of around four million is to be
found in its four prefectural capitals: Takamatsu, Tokushima, Kochi
and Matsuyama. The island is split by a vast mountain range that
runs from Tsurugi-san in the east, to Ishizuchi-san, Shikoku's
tallest peak, in the west. The northern coast, facing the Inland
Sea, is heavily developed, in contrast to the predominantly rural
south, where the unimpeded kuroshio (black current) of the
Pacific Ocean has carved a rugged coastline of sheer cliffs and
outsized boulders. The climate throughout the island is generally
mild, although the coasts can be lashed by typhoons and the
mountains see snow in the winter.
Shikoku's best all-round destination is Matsuyama, but you're
more than likely to begin your journey around the island in
Kagawa-ken on the northern coast, after crossing the Seto
Ohashi. Stop in Takamatsu to visit the delightful gardens of
Ritsurin-koen , the Yashima plateau, immediately east
of the city, site of a historic clan battle, and, in the west of
the prefecture, the shrine at Kotohira . If you have a bit
more time, take a trip out to one of the nearby Inland Sea islands,
such as Shodo-shima or Nao-shima . Eastern Shikoku
and the central, secluded Iya valley are part of
Tokushima-ken , famous for its capital city Tokushima's
annual Awa Odori dance festival, the whirlpools at
Naruto and the turtles who come to lay their eggs at
Hiwasa each summer. Shikoku's southern coast, fanning out
between the capes at Ashizuri and Muroto, is covered by
Kochi-ken , where fighting sumo dogs and long-tailed
roosters are the local attractions, along with an original castle
in the capital, Kochi. Flowing through the west of prefecture is
the Shimantogawa , one of Japan's most beautiful rivers.
Matsuyama , the capital of the eastern prefecture of
Ehime-ken , is justly famous for its castle - one of the
best in Japan - and the onsen at Dogo, where emperors and commoners
have come to bathe for centuries. Just outside Matsuyama, the small
towns of Uwajima and Uchiko , relatively untouched by
industrialization, give glimpses of a Japan long since past.
Despite being off the beaten track, Shikoku has good tourist
facilities. In the prefectural capitals you'll find a decent range
of hotels, restaurants and bars, not to mention international
centres and tourist information offices, while the island's famous
88-temple pilgrimage
, means that even in the countryside you're unlikely to be stuck
for accommodation. Getting around by public transport is
easy enough, though a rented car will obviously give you more
flexibility and really comes into its own if you want to get to the
villages of the Iya Valley or explore Western Kochi-ken and the
Simanto-gawa area. Train services are not as frequent as on the
mainland, but the island's compact size means you can easily cross
it in a day.
Of the several discount schemes that you may find useful
while travelling in Shikoku, JR's Young Weekend Card gives 16- to
29-year-olds forty percent off all rail travel on the island from
after 5pm on Friday until midnight on Sunday and public holidays.
The card costs ¥500 and is available from all JR stations and is
worth looking into if you don't qualify for a JR rail pass. Also
useful are the Seto Inland Sea Welcome Card
for Ehime-ken and the similar Kagawa Welcome Card. These free
cards, which last a year and provide discounts of up to twenty
percent on a good range of hotels, restaurants and tourist
attractions, are available from all the major tourist information
offices and come with handy information booklets in English, Korean
and Chinese.
As for food , the four prefectures all have their own
special dishes, such as Kagawa-ken's tasty sanuki udon
noodles and Kochi-ken's tosa ryori - platters of delectable
fresh fish. Make sure you eat early in the evening, especially in
the countryside, as restaurants usually shut before 9pm.