12 Days In Shikoku Going Off-The-Beaten-Path - A Japan Travel Itinerary

Shikoku is easily the least-known of the main islands of Japan but that is precisely the allure - authentic Japanese culture, freedom to roam at your own speed, get away hoards of tourists, and beautifully raw experiences at every level.

When planning this trip, I quickly realized that there isn't a lot of information out there in terms of how to plan a road trip in Shikoku. With this Shikoku itinerary, you'll get a proper look not only the logistics side of things but also what makes the region special, unique activities, and how it is secretly one of the go-to places if you want to see the real Japan.

If you are looking to go off-the-beaten-path, 12 days in Shikoku will blow you away.

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🏨 FEATURED STAYS IN SHIKOKU

🚗 CAR RENTAL

🟢 CHAPTERS
0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Where is Shikoku?
1:21 - Day 1 Tokushima
4:42 - Day 2 Iya Valley
8:10 - Day 3 Iya Valley
11:28 - Day 4 Kochi
13:38 - Day 5 Shimanto
15:54 - Day 6 Nakatsu Gorge
18:13 - Day 7 Matsuyama
21:08 - Day 8 Ozu and Uchiko
23:43 - Day 9 Kotohira and Takamatsu
25:22 - Day 10 Naoshima
26:40 - Day 11 Naoshima
28:54 - Day 12 Okayama
30:54 - Outro

💡 FAQ
Q: When did you visit Shikoku?
A: Mid-October.

Q: Can you get by with English?
A: Yes, but in this part of Japan, most don't speak English so you'll find yourself reliant on Google Translate.

Q: Is it easy to drive in Shikoku?
A: Yes, once you get used to driving on the left side of the road, you'll find it easy to drive because it's never busy. The most challenging part is driving in its valleys where roads often narrow to one lane both ways.

Q: How much did the trip cost?
A: I spent a total of $2,497 USD (not including flights).

Q: Were you able to book everything on your own?
A: You can book most things on your own except through Agoda except for Kouya, Seirannosato.

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Produced, filmed & edited by Will Tang

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🤘 LET'S CONNECT!

[plittan]

Great video. I'm going in spring and look forward to using good parts of your recommendations.

[thecloudyfox]

I usually don’t consider merch from youtubers much, but your logo is awesome xD

I’m considering visiting shikoku next year! I’m glad this video has information about the interior of the island because it’s super hard to find certain information online about there, such as the climate.

Either way, hoping to visit all four prefectures if I do it!! there’s some obscure spots I found using google maps that I want to try in addition to what’s in the video. For example, there’s parts of shikoku without many people, so I hope I can see a beautiful night sky without much light pollution.

[clementihammock]

Oh man, all my good old days walking memories is back. Shikoku Ohenro, Shodoshima Ohenro, Shimanami Kaido walking, hammocking and camping.

[DasGav]

This is awesome!. I was going to train for most of the trip and only hire a car to go between Uwajima and Kochi, but now i want to see Ozu and Uchiko as well, so will hire a car for the week!

[animeeverlife]

I am here from the Garden of words anime. What a nice place❤

[maggiedeuitch]

The knife-making workshop looks amazing!

[emmashowe]

This video is very well made and so fun to watch! Do many people speek english in the more rural areas? Is it a must to know some Japanese? My Japanese skills are (to say the least) very limited :D

[junjinsh]

thanks for this awesome video! we're going to shikoku next march for 8 days. got lots of tips from your video on what to change in our itinerary. Initially i was planning to spend half a day in Naoshima. Now will look at staying overnight to get a different experience of the sculptures. Shikoku really has so many awesome places to visit. eager to watch your other videos of Japan off the beaten track for ideas for future trips.

[mashimil]

Thank you SO MUCH for this amazing and such helpful video. Loved it. So useful. So great. Thanks so

[beanontheroad]

Thanks for sharing more off-the-beaten track options - so many of those spots look absolutely stunning 😍 so many more ideas for when I next visit Japan 🤗

[yeojessie]

Amazing video. I'm sold. Is it convenient to explore this island by public transport?

[WhoaNellyJake]

I spent a few days in Iya Valley in 2017. It was the highlight of my trip, and that whole trip was one big highlight.

[skipper]

Great Video Will. Been following you since 200-300 subs. You have seen more of Japan in a couple of trips than I have 11 times. Because for me going back is never a vacation....lol Cheers from Canada's NWT. You need to get up here to see the Northern Lights.

[jant]

Amazing video which was very fun to watch. Pretty much convinced me to go to Shikoku

[ThePrimest]

How I love Japan, please do make more Japan content, loved this. Not many people give shikoku any attention. Again its amazing!

[mlsalah]

Appreciate the effort you put into the video, veeery informative and tempting to do

[edvhollywood]

Just in time start your exact trip thursday

[whereswalmo]

Thank you so much fo this amazing video!

[lorikretchmer]

Incredible itinerary! And great video editing to keep it succinct and enticing. 👍🏻🙌🏻

[gadish_]

This video is insane, the production level and quality of places/advices really shows how much work has been put in it, congrats and thanks you so much.
It's by far the best ever travel advice/vlog video I've seen for Japan or any country really.

However, I would have appreciated a more 'contemplating' editing, I really think Japan and most of your beautiful natural/cultural scenes would benefit from letting them breath a few more seconds instead of the 'aggressive cutting' editing you have done. Also with that maybe sometimes letting the sound of the nature picked up from camera take over, could make for great pauses and appreciation moments in such a dense video.
I'd also appreciate having a little post-production tab showing the price of hotel nights/restaurant everytime (yen or dollars or euro w/e).

Overall it would be simply perfect if you adapted the rythm of the editing to contemplation of moments instead of densifying shots and cuts. It's still a masterpiece for travelers, I hope more of this type are to come, thanks!