Sakamoto Ryōma Memorial Museum
Shikoku
At Katsura-hama, this museum tells the story of hometown hero Sakamoto Ryōma. Born in Kōchi in 1835, Ryōma brought about the alliance between the Satsuma …
Must-see attractions in Shikoku
Kagawa Prefecture
Temple 73 on the 88 Temple Circuit, Shusshaka-ji was moved to the valley 200 years ago to make it more accessible to pilgrims. Before that, it was up a…
Kagawa Prefecture
Yashima-ji, Temple 84 of the 88, sits atop the tabletop mountain of Yashima, to the east of Takamatsu. This was the site of a decisive battle between the…
Tokushima & the Anan Coast
With a permanent collection that includes modern masters, both Japanese and Western, this surprisingly sophisticated prefectural museum houses two- and…
Shikoku
Several kilometres east of the town centre is the mountain of Godaisan, where you can enjoy excellent views of the city from a lookout point (展望台). Near…
Kagawa Prefecture
The site of Takamatsu's castle now forms delightful Tamamo-kōen, a park where the walls and seawater moat survive, along with several of the original…
Tokushima & the Anan Coast
Awa Odori Kaikan features extensive exhibits relating to the Awa-odori Matsuri and dance. The dance is performed for visitors at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm daily …
Kagawa Prefecture
Zenigata is a 350m-circumference coin-shaped sculpture in the sand dating from 1633. The coin and its inscription are formed by huge trenches dug in the…
Ehime Prefecture
Dating from 1601, Uwajima-jō is a small three-storey castle on an 80m-high hill in the centre of town. The present structure was rebuilt in 1666 by the…
Temples 68 & 69: Jinne-in & Kanon-ji
Kagawa Prefecture
These two temples, said to have been founded in AD 703, are notable in that this is the only point on the pilgrimage trail where two of the 88 Temples…
Museum of Commerce & Domestic Life
Ehime Prefecture
A few minutes' walk north along the main road from the visitors' centre is the Museum of Commerce & Domestic Life, which exhibits historical materials and…
Ehime Prefecture
The well-presented exhibits at the excellent Date Museum are dedicated to the Date family, who ruled Uwajima from the castle for 250 years during the…
Kagawa Prefecture
This sake museum, located along the main approach to the shrine, is in the old premises of a brewery that has owned the building since 1789. There's an…
Muroto Unesco Global Geopark Center
Tokushima & the Anan Coast
The Muroto Geopark was designed to help create a better understanding about how local people have been dealing with ever-changing landforms. The area's…
Ehime Prefecture
At the start of the arcade at Dōgo Onsen you can check out Botchan Karakuri Clock, which was erected as part of Dōgo Onsen Honkan's centennial in 1994. It…
Shikoku
This tiny reconstructed bridge from the Edo period is renowned throughout Japan thanks to a romantic song in which it features. For older Japanese people,…
Ehime Prefecture
Ōyamazumi-jinja is one of the oldest Shintō shrines in western Japan. The deity enshrined here is the brother of Amaterasu, the sun goddess. The present…
Kagawa Prefecture
This impressive inner-city gallery is testament to Takamatsu's quality art scene. The light and spacious refitting of a former Bank of Japan building is a…
Kagawa Prefecture
This museum has displays and demonstrations on how uchiwa (round paper fans) are made. Around 90% of Japan's uchiwa are still made in Marugame. You can…
Ehime Prefecture
About halfway between the station and Yōkaichi is Uchiko-za, a magnificent traditional kabuki theatre. Originally constructed in 1916, the theatre was…
Ehime Prefecture
A small park containing the site of Yuzuki-jō, the former residence of the Kōno clan that ruled Iyo province in feudal times. Articles unearthed during…
Ehime Prefecture
Across town from Ōzu-jō, Garyū-sansō is an elegant Meiji-period teahouse and garden in an idyllic spot overlooking the river. On Sundays from April to…
Higashiyama Kaii Setouchi Art Museum
Kagawa Prefecture
Set on the waterfront of the Inland Sea with a sweeping view of Seto-ōhashi, this museum showcases the works of landscape painter Higashiyama Kaii (1908…
Kagawa Prefecture
This museum in Ritsurin-kōen displays local crafts, household goods, furniture and roof tiles in its four halls, dating back to the Tokugawa dynasty.
Ehime Prefecture
Here at Uchiko's last remaining candle manufacturer the candles are still made by hand, according to traditional methods; you can watch the candle makers…
Tokushima & the Anan Coast
A cable car whizzes guests to the top of Mt Bizan for fine views over the city.
Shikoku
Katsura-hama is a popular beach 12km south of central Kōchi at the point where Kōchi's harbour empties out into the bay. Strong currents prohibit swimming…
Tokushima & the Anan Coast
You can get a glimpse into the castle's former Edo-period grandeur at Tokushima Castle Museum, which contains a model of the castle town as well as…
Shikoku
This remarkable vine bridge is one of only three left in the valley – the other two are further east in Higashi Iya. Unfortunately this one has been…
Shikoku
On a bluff at Ashizuri-misaki is an imposing statue of local hero John Manjirō. Born in 1836 as Nakahama Manjirō, the young fisherman was swept onto Tori…
Ehime Prefecture
This memorial museum celebrates the life and work of Matsuyama-born poet Masaoka Shiki (1867–1902), as well as the history of Matsuyama. Shiki initiated…
Shikoku
Several kilometres up a narrow, winding road near Kyōjō, Buke Yashiki is a restored thatched-roof samurai-house museum commanding spectacular views of the…
Shikoku
Lapis Ōboke is a geology and local yōkai (ghost) museum. There are interesting rocks on display, but the reason to stop is to get acquainted with the…
Tokushima & the Anan Coast
This mollusc-shaped structure is on a beach 4km east of the township of Mugi, 16km southwest of Hiwasa – inside, there's an impressive collection of…
Tokushima & the Anan Coast
Head east from the centre of Hiwasa out to the coast to find the attractive beach of Ōhama, a long stretch of sand where sea turtles come to lay their…
Kagawa Prefecture
The first notable landmark on the long climb at Konpira-san is Ō-mon, a stone gateway that leads to Hōmotsu-kan, where the collection of treasures is…
Higashi Iya History & Folk Museum
Shikoku
This folk museum is in a large red building in Kyōjō, right by the main road. It displays historic artefacts and daily-use tools of the valley, as well as…
Ehime Prefecture
Walk down the back slopes of the castle hill (Katsuyama) to stroll around the Ninomaru Shiseki Tei-en, which were built in the outer citadel of the castle…
Kōchi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden
Shikoku
Next to Chikurin-ji entrance gates on the south side of Godaisan, east of the city centre, are the impressive Kōchi Prefectural Makino Botanical Gardens,…
Tokushima & the Anan Coast
This small museum displays puppets made by the in-house master at Awa Jūrobe Yashiki Puppet Theatre, who also gives talks (in Japanese) on the puppet…
