SHIKOKU
Iya Valley: The gorge drops 200 metres into a river the colour of old jade. Three vine bridges — kazurabashi — cross it as they are said to have for some 800 years, rewoven from mountain vines every three years (with steel cables now hidden inside).
Naruto & Awa Odori: At Naruto Strait, whirlpools up to 20 metres wide form where the Pacific and Seto Inland Sea collide. In August, Awa Odori fills Tokushima with 1.3 million visitors and four days of Japan's defining street festival. The 88-temple Ohenro circuit starts at Temple 1.
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Iya KazurabashiSway across the vine bridge above the jade river. Small fee; watch your step.📍 Google Maps
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Oku-Iya Double Vine BridgesTwo quieter vine bridges deeper in the valley, plus a hand-pulled cable cart.📍 Google Maps
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Oboke Gorge30-minute sightseeing boat between schist cliffs; rafting on the rapids nearby.📍 Google Maps
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Naruto WhirlpoolsWatch from the glass-floored Uzu-no-Michi walkway or a boat. Best at spring tides.📍 Google Maps
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Ryozenji (Temple 1)Start of the 88-temple Shikoku pilgrimage; pilgrim gear sold on site.📍 Google Maps
The Wild Coast: Cape Ashizuri is sheer granite cliffs and a white lighthouse above open ocean, with a pilgrimage temple at the edge. The Niyodo River has repeatedly topped Japan's national water-quality rankings — the water reads a blue so saturated it doesn't look real from above.
Kochi Castle & Katsuo: One of twelve original Edo-period fortresses still standing in Japan. Hirome Market serves katsuo tataki — bonito seared over rice straw — at communal tables, daily. Go at lunch and you eat alongside people who drove two hours for it.
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Cape AshizuriGranite cliffs, a white lighthouse and Temple 38 at Shikoku's southern tip.📍 Google Maps
Matsuyama & Dogo: Matsuyama Castle sits on a 132-metre hill — one of Japan's twelve original castles, its keep rebuilt in 1854. Fifteen minutes away is Dogo Onsen, one of Japan's oldest hot springs. The 1894 bathhouse still takes guests, fully reopened in 2024 after a five-year restoration.
Shimanami Kaido: 70 kilometres across six Seto Inland Sea islands via suspension bridges, ending at Onomichi in Hiroshima. Rental terminals line the route, and you can drop your bike at a different one. The full crossing takes six to eight hours — one of the great cycling routes in Asia.
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Matsuyama CastleRopeway or chairlift up Mt. Katsu to an original keep with city-wide views.📍 Google Maps
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Shimanami Kaido70km island-hopping bike route from Imabari; ride a section if short on time.📍 Google Maps
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Oyamazumi ShrineOmishima shrine holding a large share of Japan's National Treasure armour.📍 Google Maps
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Uwajima CastleSmall original keep from the 1660s above a fishing port; quiet and rewarding.📍 Google Maps
Naoshima: Benesse has spent over three decades turning a copper-smelter and fishing island into a permanent art destination. The Chichu Art Museum is buried underground, lit by natural light only, with permanent works by Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria — timed tickets must be booked ahead.
Sanuki Udon & Kotohiragu: Kagawa is called Udon Prefecture — some shops open soon after dawn, and the best have lines before the door unlocks. Kotohira-gu demands 785 stone steps to the main hall. Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu takes two hours to walk and earns them.
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Chichu Art MuseumUnderground museum lit by daylight: Monet, Turrell, De Maria. Book a timed ticket ahead.📍 Google Maps
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Teshima Art MuseumConcrete shell open to the sky; water droplets bead up through the floor. Book ahead.📍 Google Maps
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Kotohira-gu785 stone steps to the main hall, 1,368 to the inner shrine. Snack shops line the climb.📍 Google Maps
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Ritsurin GardenTakamatsu's great stroll garden; take the small wooden boat on the pond.📍 Google Maps