Western Honshū
Legend (or marketing) says if you stroll this sandbar dubbed 'Angel Road' with your loved one, your heart's desire will come true. In reality it's three islets that become connected at low tide, but it's a pretty spot.
To get there, take a Nishiura line (西浦線) bus (¥150, 10 minutes, twice hourly) from Tonoshō port to the Kokusai Hotel (国際ホテル).
29.58 MILES
Konpira-san or, more formally, Kotohira-gū, was originally a Buddhist and Shintō temple dedicated to the guardian of mariners. It became exclusively a…
19.56 MILES
Kōraku-en draws the crowds with its reputation as one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. It has expansive lawns broken up by ponds, teahouses…
28.33 MILES
Ryōzen-ji is Temple One of the 88 Sacred Temples of Shikoku pilgrimage. It is called Temple One because it was the first that temple pilgrims came to…
13.03 MILES
One of the most beautiful gardens in the country, Ritsurin-kōen dates from the mid-1600s and took more than a century to complete. Designed as a walking…
11.13 MILES
In Honmura, half a dozen traditional buildings have been turned over to contemporary artists to use as the setting for creative installations, often…
29.23 MILES
Zentsū-ji, Temple 75 of the sacred 88, is the largest of the temples – most of the other 87 could fit in its car park. This is where Kōbō Daishi was born,…
5.6 MILES
Teshima's art 'museum' impresses for its architecture – a monumental concrete shell, forming a low teardrop-shaped dome on the hillside, designed by Tokyo…
10.27 MILES
About 500m north of Yashima station, Shikoku-mura is an excellent village museum that houses old buildings transported here from all over Shikoku and…
3.68 MILES
About 4km inland from the Ikeda ferry terminal are Nakayama's 'thousand rice fields'. The terraces are pretty in any season, but especially picturesque…
4.76 MILES
This park celebrates the island's olive-growing activities with several whitewashed buildings, some fake Grecian ruins, a museum, and opportunities to buy…
4.93 MILES
For an oddly fascinating and unique museum experience, visit this 'heartbeat archive' on a small bay near the Karato Port area. There are tens of…
5.6 MILES
Teshima's art 'museum' impresses for its architecture – a monumental concrete shell, forming a low teardrop-shaped dome on the hillside, designed by Tokyo…
5. Twenty-Four Eyes Movie Village
5.91 MILES
Just north of Sakate is the turn-off to the picturesque fishing village of Tanoura (田ノ浦), site of the village school that featured in the film Twenty-Four…
5.99 MILES
Worth visiting in Tanoura is this perfectly preserved 1902 school, setting for the Twenty-Four Eyes story and the 1954 film. It's a short walk from the…
7.39 MILES
Close to Ieura Port, an old house has been converted into exhibition spaces, with a colourful take on a traditional Japanese rock garden outside (which…
8. Marukin Soy Sauce Historical Museum
7.54 MILES
Shōdo-shima was famous for its soybeans long before olives arrived, and several old soy-sauce companies are still in business here. Marukin has a small…