ABOUT SHIKOKU
ABOUT SHIKOKU
Located just south of the Chugoku region, Shikoku is the smallest of Japan's main islands.
It is also the least populous. The name translates as four provinces and aptly this region consists
of just four prefectures; Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi and Tokushima.
It is also the least populous. The name translates as four provinces and aptly this region consists
of just four prefectures; Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi and Tokushima.
PLACES TO VISIT
MatsuyamaMatsuyama is the largest city in Shikoku, is the capital of Ehime. The city, developed as a castle town, has many places you must visit such as Japan’s noted spa Dogo-onsen Hot Spring and Matsuyama Castle.
Matsuyama Castle, standing on a 132 meter hilltop in the center of the city, is the symbol of the town. The castle and its surrounding area including the moated section, constitute a historical site as a whole. A few minutes ride on a ropeway or chair-lift takes you up to the hilltop square. Or you can walk up in less than 30 minutes. The top of the castle tower commands a panoramic view of the whole city, Seto Inland Sea and, if the weather permits, Mt. Ishizuchi. The castle site is also well-known as the best cherry blossom spots.
This phenomenon occurs when opposing currents from the Seto Inland Sea and the Kii Channel meet in the Naruto Strait with a water level difference of as much as 1.5 meters, which is made by the ebb and flow of the tide. At the time of the flood tide in the spring through the fall, huge whirlpools running at 20 kilometers an hour and that exceed 20 meters in diameter occur. You can see these roaring whirlpools and surging currents from a tide-viewing boat, one of the Senjojiki observation platforms in Naruto Park, or the top of Escahill Naruto.
Ritsurin park is located in the city of Takamatsu, and covers around 75 ha. Landscaping began in 1642 and is said to have taken 100 years to complete. In the garden are six ponds and 13 artificial hills called tsukiyama. The garden, set against the backdrop of the mountain Shiun-zan, is evocative of a Japanese painting. The technique of using scenery such as mountains in the distance in the design of a garden is known as shakkei. The garden in the southern part of the park is in a purely Japanese style. A small house known as Kikugetsu-tei used for tea ceremony and located by the pond is known as an arbor for enjoying the beauty of the full moon in autumn. The garden in the northern part of the park has undergone major restoration and is now a Western-style garden.