9 Things You Can Do on Shikoku – The Smallest Main Island in Japan

The beautiful island of Shikoku has everything you could dream of: huge mountains, crystal clear rivers, beautiful views covered in cherry blossoms, and mouth-watering udon.

If this is your first visit, start by enjoying these 9 best things about Shikoku:

Explore another world by visiting the most mystical place in Shikoku! Hachigo-kiri Unkai, which means “sea of ​​clouds”, offers dreamlike views as the morning mist from the Yoshina River rises into the sky. You can view this stunning view from the Asahi Outlook—and like Ghibli’s classic Spirited Away, it will transport you to another world!

Klook Tip: The best time to visit Hachigo-kiri Unkai is from March to April and October to December, when cloud cover is at its peak.

Bridge? You don’t need it! To explore the Iya Valley, ziplining or hang gliding is the most fun way! If you like thrills, the most fun thing you can do in Shikoku is hang on a rope and slide through nature.

You can try various challenging tracks at the Iya Valley Forest Adventure near the Kazurabashi Suspension Bridge. From overhanging treetop obstacles to hang slides over rivers and canyons, the whole family is sure to have fun!

What is one of Shikoku’s attractions? Of course the mountains are impressive, such as Mount Tsurugi. At 1,955 feet, it is the second highest mountain in western Japan, and also the easiest mountain to explore!

Climbing to the top is not as difficult as you imagine. Because it has a climber’s lift, you only need half an hour to reach the top of the mountain. From above, you can see the Pacific Ocean, the Seto Inland Sea, and even Okaya in Nagano.

Fun Fact: Mount Tsurugi is one of the “100 Famous Mountains” in Japan, so don’t miss this rare opportunity to see the beauty of this mountain in person!

Want to know what interesting things you can do in Shikoku if you are a history fan? Good news: Tokushima is filled with history and culture!

The quaint neighborhood of Udatsu Street features a stunning array of traditional Japanese houses from the Edo period (1603-1867). When crossing these streets, you will be presented with views of houses decorated nicely with family crests, wooden furniture made in great detail, and decorative devil protectors on the roofs.

On this eye-catching trail, you’ll also find many of Japan’s finest indigo crafts, which will immerse you in a thousand-year-old art.

Tea lovers, rejoice! The various beautiful flora in Ritsurin Park offer enchanting views like a fairy tale. Ritsurin Garden is famous for its timeless beauty as its 1,000 plants bloom all year round.

The best part is that you can enjoy all these beautiful views while relaxing with a steaming cup of green tea at the Kikugetsutei Traditional Tea House. For only 3,000 yen, you can enjoy typical Japanese treats, warm miso soup and refreshing ocha (tea). Truly a tea lover’s dream holiday!

Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Sea, the island is teeming with diverse marine life—much of which you can find at the Shikoku Aquarium . Come and see firsthand the sea jellyfish, penguins, sharks and schools of fish that inhabit the Naruto Strait. The aquarium also has a light exhibition featuring the legend of Ryugu Shrine. and a dolphin show to entertain the little ones.