Getting Oriented in Shikoku

Shikoku’s prefectures are Kagawa in the northeast, Tokushima to the south, Kochi along the entire Pacific coast, and Ehime in the west. This chapter starts in Kagawa in Takamatsu and moves through Tokushima to the central Iya Valley, south to Kochi, then north toward Matsuyama, in Ehime. Finish around Matsuyama for easy access by bus to Hiroshima, or by ferry to Kyushu, Kobe, or Osaka—perfect for a direct link to Kansai Airport.

• Takamatsu and Eastern Shikoku. Find giant whirlpools in Tokushima, Takamatsu's Ritsurin Garden, and the island of Naoshima.
• Kochi and Central Shikoku. Visit Iya Valley, with its steep gorges and mountain villages, and the city of Kochi on the Pacific coast.
• Matsuyama and Western Shikoku. Matsuyama is a small town with an urban landscape. Come for Japan's best eating, fashion, and sights outside of Honshu. See the clifftop castle and Dogo Onsen, Japan’s oldest hot spring.