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Region

Shikoku

Base in Takamatsu or Matsuyama; add a car or bus day for the Iya Valley and Shimanto. Two bases, not four.

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Key facts · Japan

Best months
Apr–May, Oct–Nov
Visa
Depends on your passport
Currency
Yen (JPY)
Language
Japanese
Plugs
A · B · 100 V
Time zone
UTC+9 all year
Month by month hereIn detail ↓
Rules in force · 5
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • Japan ↗IC cards (ICOCA/Suica) are topped up with cash at station machines.
  • Japan ↗Smoking while walking is banned in most city centres; use designated areas.
  • Japan ↗Shinkansen bags 160–250 cm (L+W+H) need a seat reserved with the oversized-baggage area.

Shikoku is Japan's smallest main island: four prefectures, four original castles, the 88 Temple Pilgrimage and two clear rivers. Trains link the big towns but run slowly and sparsely; the mountains and the far coasts need a car or a booked bus. Sleep in Takamatsu for gardens, udon and the Seto Inland Sea art islands, in Matsuyama for the castle, Dogo Onsen and ferry links west. Two nights per base is the working minimum.

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

  • TakamatsuCity guide

    Ritsurin Garden, Sanuki udon, ferry to Naoshima and the art islands; rail hub for Okayama.

    Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov

    Open Takamatsu →

  • MatsuyamaCity guide

    Original castle, Dogo Onsen, ferries to Hiroshima; tram city centre.

    Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov

    Open Matsuyama →

Day trip

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

4 nights
Takamatsu 2 + Matsuyama 2, one day trip each
6 nights
Takamatsu 2 + Matsuyama 2 + Kochi 2 with a car for the Shimanto or Iya day
  • Four prefectures in three days is four half-days of transit; pick two bases.
  • Rural buses and some trains run weekends and holidays only — check the timetable before you leave the city.
  • Highway tolls onto the island from Honshu are around ¥5,000 (2026 estimate).

Day-trips door to door

ToFromDoor-to-door p50Last returnNote
NaoshimaTakamatsu60 mincheckFerry from Takamatsu; check the last sailing before you book a late dinner.
Kotohira and KonpirasanTakamatsu60 mincheck785 stone steps to the inner shrine; start early, it is a climb.
Iya ValleyTakamatsu180 mincheckBus or car only; sparse service, so fix the return leg first.
Shimanto RiverKochi120 mincheckCar is the practical option; the Yodo Line cycle train runs in set periods.

Bags between cities

Luggage forwarding (takuhaibin) between Takamatsu and Matsuyama is usually next-day; the receiving hotel must accept it. On rural lines, a suitcase is a nuisance — forward it.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
CountryJFMAMJJASOND
Takamatsu
Matsuyama
Kochi
Japan (country-wide)
Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month
ZoneJFMAMJJASOND
Seto Inland Sea side (Takamatsu, Matsuyama)north and west coastscoolcoolokbestbestwethothotstormbestbestcool
Pacific side (Kochi, Shimanto, Cape Ashizuri)south coastcoolcoolokbestbestwethothotstormbestbestcool
best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windowswet: daily rainstorm: typhoon or flood risk
Seto Inland Sea side (Takamatsu, Matsuyama)
Rainy season June to mid-July; August is hot and humid; typhoons Aug–Sep can stop ferries for a day.
Pacific side (Kochi, Shimanto, Cape Ashizuri)
Wetter than the inland side; the Shimanto runs high after summer rain.

Best months are April–May and October–November. Cherry blossom and autumn colour are the crowd peaks; Golden Week (late April to early May) fills the castles and the art islands.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate
FromToHowp50Note
Okayama (Honshu)TakamatsuJR Seto-Ōhashi Line limited express~1 hThe main rail door onto the island; frequent through the day.
Okayama (Honshu)MatsuyamaJR limited express Shiokaze~2 h 40Roughly hourly in daytime; slower than the map suggests.
Kansai (Osaka, Kobe)Tokushima / TakamatsuHighway bus via Awaji Island~2 h 30 to TokushimaOften the fastest route from Kansai; book a seat in peak season.
HiroshimaMatsuyamaFerry from Hiroshima port~70 min high-speed, ~2 h 30 regularHigh-speed about ¥8,000, regular about ¥5,000 (2026 estimate); both stop at Kure.
Tokyo or KIXTakamatsu / Matsuyama / Kochi / TokushimaFly to a prefectural airport~1 h 20 from Tokyo to TakamatsuAll four capitals have small airports; most international routes connect via Tokyo or Kansai.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Shikoku Free Kippu (JR)

check

Three consecutive days of JR trains and buses including limited expresses, about ¥16,140 (2026 estimate); pays only if you ride long-distance legs on all three days.

Shikoku Saihakken Haya-Toku Kippu (JR)

check

One day of local trains for about ¥2,000 (2026 estimate); weekends and public holidays only, and you must buy it at least a day ahead.

IC card

buy

Tap on city trams and urban JR; no pass maths for short hops.

Rental car

buy

The only practical way to reach the Iya Valley, Cape Ashizuri and much of the Shimanto; rural buses are sparse and some run weekends and holidays only.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works
DishWhereTiming / trap
Sanuki udonKagawa: Takamatsu and KotohiraSelf-service shops are cheapest and fastest; many close when the day's noodles run out, often by mid-afternoon.
Katsuo no tataki (seared bonito)Kochi: Hirome Market and Sunday marketStraw-seared and served cold; lunch sets are the value order.
Sudachi citrusTokushimaSqueezed over grilled fish and noodles; sold as juice and sweets to take home.
Mikan mandarinsEhimeAutumn to winter fruit; roadside stands and gift boxes near Matsuyama.
Taimeshi (sea bream rice)Ehime: Matsuyama and UwajimaOften the set meal at onsen inns; reserve dinner with your room.

Go next

Chugoku

Train via Okayama, or ferry to Hiroshima

Hiroshima, Okayama and the Tottori sand dunes; the natural next leg west.

Kansai

Bus via Awaji Island, or rail via Okayama

Osaka, Kyoto and Nara; the usual way back to a KIX flight.

Naoshima

Ferry from Takamatsu, ~60 min

Art island; book museum slots and the last ferry back.

Okayama

JR limited express, ~1 h from Takamatsu

Korakuen garden and the rail junction back to Honshu.

Hiroshima

Ferry from Matsuyama, ~70 min high-speed

Peace Park and Miyajima; one night minimum.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep
2 bases
Day trips
4, 1 h to 3 h
Nights suggested
4–6 nights
Ways in
5 listed
Best months
Apr, May, Oct, Nov (all zones)

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

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