Japan - Shikoku: Island Guide

Shikoku lies to the south of Hiroshima and Osaka, its northern shoreline lapped by the tranquil tides of Japan’s Inland Sea, while the south coast is perfect for surfers, thanks to the warmer, tempestuous waters of the Kuroshio current, which rides onshore with the full force of the Pacific.

This lesser known island is full of secluded and secret spots, nature undisturbed by the bullet train or concrete urban sprawl. Unspoilt emerald green rivers sweep along steep-sided valleys in Shikoku’s mountainous centre, where - centuries ago - the defeated samurai of the Heike clan hid and nursed their wounds.