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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Shodoshima
小豆島
Give Shodoshima two nights with a rental car, or one long day from Takamatsu if you only want Kankakei and the Angel Road.
Shodoshima is the second-largest island in the Seto Inland Sea, reached by ferry from Takamatsu, Uno, Shin-Okayama, Himeji or Kobe. Sights ring the coast and buses run a few times a day, so a car changes the trip completely. Olive groves, soy sauce breweries, the Kankakei gorge and the Twenty-Four Eyes film set are the anchors.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 小豆島
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and typhoon season), Golden Week
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥7,000–11,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥11,000–18,000 excl. bed · High ¥18,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Soy sauce ramen or udon | ¥800–1,300 |
| Olive oil soft cream | ¥400–600 |
| Kankakei ropeway, one way / return | ¥750 / ¥1,350 |
| Taxi, 5 km (3.1 mi)Taxi, 3.1 mi (5 km) | ¥2,000–2,800 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TAK · Takamatsu Airport
- Bus to Takamatsu port, then ferry to Tonosho or Ikeda; about 2 h 30 min door to door
- OKJ · Okayama Airport
- Bus to Okayama station, then train to Shin-Okayama port and ferry; about 3 h
Typical fares
- Takamatsu → Tonosho, ferry
- about ¥690, 60 min
- Takamatsu → Tonosho, speedboat
- about ¥1,170, 30 min
- Uno → Tonosho, ferry
- about ¥1,230, 90 min
- Shin-Okayama → Tonosho, ferry
- about ¥1,050, 70 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Olive Bus routes cover the coast but some lines run only every 1–2 hours and stop early; check the timetable before you commit. A rental car (book ahead, especially in spring and autumn) is the practical way to see four or five sights in a day. Bicycles are rented near the ports but the island is hilly.
See and do
Known for
- Kankakei Gorge
- Olive Park and olive oil
- Soy sauce breweries
- Twenty-Four Eyes film set
- Angel Road sandbar
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Takamatsu | Ferry from Tonosho or Ikeda, about 60 min | About 1 h 15 min |
| Naoshima | Ferry via Takamatsu or Uno, then the Naoshima line | 2–3 h |
| Teshima | Ferry from Tonosho or Ikeda, about 30–45 min | About 1 h |
| Kotohira | Ferry to Takamatsu, then JR to Kotohira | 2 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Tonosho
- Main port, Angel Road and the Dobuchi Strait; ferries to Takamatsu and Uno. Best for a car-free first night.
- Ikeda
- East-coast port for ferries from Himeji and Kobe; closest to Olive Park and the soy sauce quarter.
- Kusakabe and Kankakei
- Quiet coast under the gorge; the shortest morning run to the ropeway.
- Sakate
- North-coast port; start of the island's 88-temple pilgrimage route.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| Where is the ferry terminal? | フェリーターミナルはどこですか？ferī tāminaru wa doko desu ka |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Bus frequency is the trip's main constraint: a missed last bus means a ¥3,000+ taxi.
- Angel Road is only walkable around low tide; check the tide table for your date.
- Kankakei ropeway closes in strong wind; have a road or hike plan B.
- Few ATMs outside the ports: the convenience stores are the reliable ones.
- Ferries sell out on holiday weekends with cars; reserve the vehicle slot.
Very safe. The real risks are rural roads with no lighting, buses that stop early, and summer heat on exposed hikes: carry water and a charged phone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Shodoshima yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Kankakei Gorge
- Olive Park and olive oil
- Soy sauce breweries
- Twenty-Four Eyes film set
- Angel Road sandbar
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Shodoshima Tourism Association: shodoshima.or.jp/
- Shodoshima Olive Bus: www.shodoshima-olive-bus.com/
- Wikivoyage: Shodoshima, revision 4970844 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4970844
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Shodoshima小豆島
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
No embassies on the island; most are in Tokyo, with consulates-general in Osaka and Kobe. US citizens: consulate-general in Osaka.
Ferry timetables change by season: confirm the last sailing back before you book a bed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/shodoshima). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.