Shikoku Japan is proof that good things come in small packages

Japan‘s smallest main island, Shikoku, sits between Hiroshima and Osaka. It is perhaps Japan’s greatest secret. 

There’s something to be said about going beyond the well-trodden route and seeing a different side of a country. Shikoku is the place to add to your holiday if you want a destination to experience Japanese culture and history.

Each of Japan’s 47 prefectures (states) has its own proud culture, history and attractions. Shikoku is home to four prefectures and a few tiny islands, with incredible food, untouched natural beauty and enough history to fill a library (Kengo Kuma designed one, perhaps?). 

To help you plan your next adventure, we’ve crafted an eight-day itinerary through Shikoku Japan.

Jetstar runs regular domestic flights from Tokyo (Narita) to Shikoku. Once the border is open, there’s really no excuse. 

Shikoku Itinerary

Day 1-2, Ehime: Royal retreats and Studio Ghibli

After you arrive at Matsuyama Airport, make a beeline to Matsuyama Castle in Ehime, the city’s centrepiece and an icon of Shikoku’s feudal history.

The castle was constructed between 1602 and 1628, and today is one of Japan’s 12 remaining ‘original castles’ or castles that survived the post-feudal era. Matsuyama Occupys a piece of land that sits far above the city’s tallest structures, and offers a bird’s eye view of downtown and beyond. The regal building and its cherry blossom garden are a small sample of what a feudal lord’s idea of heaven might look like. You can access the castle using a ropeway and chairlift.

Make sure you check out Garyu Sanso, a semi-secluded villa, built in 1907 surrounded by lush foliage. Garyu Sanso is the embodiment of tranquillity, with its careful design and meticulously maintained garden. The house, which sits on stilts looking out over the aqua blue water of the Hijikawa River, took four years and the work of 9,000 artisans to build, a true piece of Japanese architectural perfection.

Sitting about 40 kilometres southwest of Matsuyama is Uchiko, an immaculately maintained slice of old Japan. This traditional township is as stunning as Takayama, Kanazawa, and even some of Kyoto’s old streets, the difference being Uchiko is truly a well-kept secret. Once a prosperous wax and paper production hub, you can practically read the history of Uchiko in its architecture, with preserved icons of historic wealth just visit the Uchiko-za Theater and Uchiko History Museum to understand.

Dogo Onsen is a 3,000-year-old onsen and one of the key inspirations being Studio Ghibli’s iconic film masterpiece. With such a track record, you’d expect it to be impressive, and it is. The double story, almost castle-like structure is one of the most visited onsens in Japan. Day and night, it’s populated by yukata-clad bath-goers, hopping between bathing options, looking for a little piece of relaxation and magic all rolled into one.

Keep reading:

• Japan’s Best Family Resorts
• Japan family-friendly travel guide

Day 3 and 4, Kochi: Modern architecture and awe-inspiring water

Yusuhara, a town nestled deep in the mountains of Kochi, is proof of two key points about travelling in Japan.

One: No matter how deep you go, you’ll always find endless surprises.

And two: Japan is a nation built on artful design and deep consideration of every element of daily life.

Kengo Kuma, the man behind the new Olympic stadium and one of the biggest players in the contemporary architecture scene, shaped Yushara’s landscape, quite literally, building for the humble town a collection of stunning wooden landmarks.

Yusuhara Machino-eki, a local market, hotel, and souvenir store, and Kumo no Ueno Toshokan (Yusuhara Community Library), are two key highlights, the latter being a complete reinvention of what you’d think a library could be. The town is also home to a Kuma-designed hotel, Kumo no Ueno Hotel, which features a small museum on the works.

You’ve never seen water as blue as the small rock pools scattered across Nakatsu Gorge. With its crystal clarity and almost electric blue vibrance, the water has a near-supernatural beauty. Stroll the paths and explore nature unfold in front of your eyes.

The water of this region is pure; it makes for an excellent base for washi papermaking. Take the kids to learn the technique at the Ino-cho Paper Museum. This immersive museum is dedicated to promoting the local form of washi paper, ‘Tosa Washi,’ developed one thousand years ago. Sign up for an experience and make your own piece of local history.

Possibly a little more ‘adult’ but with plenty of attractions and nibbles for the kids, Hirome Market is Kochi’s vibrant indoor food market and izakaya. Home to 65 stalls, all selling their own take on the delicious local cuisine, there’s no better place to get a taste of Shikoku.

Days 5 and 6, Tokushima: Bicycles, boats and preserved villages

There’s no better way to explore Shikokuthan by bicycle. Not only does it offer excellent up-close views, but it’s also a great way to see the country slowly, stopping off at local attractions and really taking in the sights. Brompton bicycles are compact, foldable bikes, great for zipping around in style and in Tokushima, you can join a Brompton Bicycle Pottering Tour (pottering as in pottering around) and explore the stunning sights of Tokushima at their best.

History fans have a lot to admire in Tokushima; the prefecture features both natural and human-made historical attractions, one of the highlights being Wakimachi. The town, located on a scenic open stretch of the Yoshino River, is home to a street that looks like a scene from a Japanese period drama. It’s a 430-meter row of well-preserved buildings from Japan’s Edo period. Like Uchiko, it’s a perfect piece of Japanese history.

Tokushima is perhaps best known for its staggeringly large, steep valleys and roaring rivers. The best way to see them is on a cruise from Oboke Gorge, on the Oboke Pleasure Boat. If you want a little adrenaline, head to Iya no Kazurabash to swing above the rivers as you crawl along the vine bridges, which, while sturdy, feature a, shall we say, ‘minimalist’ design that isn’t for the faint of heart.

Days 7 and 8, Kagawa: Udon Taxis and soy sauce ice cream

Art, culture, nature, and udon noodles are the highlights of day 7 and 8 in Kagawa prefecture.

Explore the area’s lacquerware (shitsugei) scene with a visit to Art Museum of Sanuki Urushi Sanuki Lacquer Ware then head over to Risturin Garden a famous strolling garden with a history that goes back to 1642. Walk the manicured paths and marvel as each step through the garden offers a completely new view, as it was designed to do so.

Kagawa is a prefecture home to at least 700 udon restaurants, so it’s practically a crime not to visit some while you’re there.

The best way to explore Kagawa’s udon scene is to hop aboard an Udon Taxi and let the local experts take you where you need to go.

Kagawa’s Udon Taxi drivers are experts in all senses of the word. To earn their Udon Taxi Driver title, they’ve had to pass three strict tests, a written test, field test and noodle-making test, so they know their noodles.

Kagawa’s most famous culinary export may be udon noodles, but if you have the opportunity, don’t miss the chance to explore the wonderful world of Sanuki O shinuki Sushi. Setonaikaishoku Lab runs classes teaching the art of Sanuki Oshinuki Sushi, a local delicacy of rice pressed into a cake-like shape and topped with various ingredients, including vinegared Spanish mackerel, soramame beans, and tamago-yaki fried egg.

Although, this session was held at Oki Olive, an olive farm but also a guest house where you can stay the night, you can invite The Setonaikaishoku Lab anywhere you want to give the class. Colourful, delicious, and fun for all ages, it’s a failsafe cooking class and a great way to stretch your food presentation muscles.

Hop on a ferry to Shodoshima Island, Kagawa’s olive island and home to some of the best soy sauce ever brewed.

Yamaroku is first on the sauce list. This soy sauce brewery was featured in the ‘Salt’ episode of the hit 2018 Netflix series “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,” thanks to its wonderfully traditional ‘kioke’ wooden barrels brewing style, which creates the most dynamic and delicious soy sauce. It’s so well balanced and full-bodied that it’s delicious on rich vanilla ice cream.

Marukin Soy Sauce Historical Museum offers information into the history and processes of Shodoshima’s soy production and offers comprehensive tastings.

The final destination on the journey through Shikoku, Shodoshima Syokuhin, offers to some of Japan’s best tsukudani, a type of Japanese pickles steeped in umami-rich soy sauce. Grab some tsukudani and take that final taste of Shikoku.

Book your flight home from Shikoku to Australia on Jetstar from Kagawa’s Takamatsu Airport. 

This article is a Holidays with Kids digital exclusive. Be the first to see more exclusive online content by subscribing to the enewsletter here.

Countermeasures against new coronavirus infections have been taken at each destination, and disinfectant solutions for hand disinfection are installed, temperatures are taken, staff wear facemasks, and social distancing measures are in place. Shikoku is a destination you can travel to with peace of mind.

Japan family accommodation