[Shikoku Transportation Guide] Smooth Travel for Your First Trip! A Complete Introduction to Access and Transportation Options

Located in northeastern Shikoku, Takamatsu City is a port town facing the Seto Inland Sea.
Because it is connected to Honshu by sea and rail across the water, it is known as the gateway to Shikoku.
With Takamatsu Airport, Takamatsu Station, and Takamatsu Port all in place, the transportation network is well developed, and ferries make it possible to visit remote islands such as Naoshima and Shodoshima on a day trip.
Access to destinations both within and outside Shikoku is excellent, making it an ideal starting point for a Shikoku trip.
It also has plenty of restaurants and accommodations, making sightseeing easy, so it is especially recommended for first-time visitors to Shikoku.
Though compact, the city is packed with attractions, including nature, history, and culture.
There are many famous sightseeing spots, such as Ritsurin Garden, a nationally designated Special Place of Scenic Beauty, Yashima with its spectacular views of the Seto Inland Sea, and Takamatsu Castle, one of Japan’s three great sea castles.

Matsuyama City is the largest city in Shikoku, located on the Matsuyama Plain facing the Seto Inland Sea in northwestern Shikoku.
With Matsuyama Airport, Matsuyama Station, and Matsuyama Tourist Port, it is a key transportation hub with relatively good access from Honshu and other parts of Shikoku.
The city has a well-developed network of streetcars and buses, and its major attractions are concentrated in the center, making it easy to explore.
Using it as a base for your Shikoku trip will help you travel efficiently and enjoy more places.
Matsuyama itself is also full of highlights, including its symbol Matsuyama Castle, Dogo Onsen Honkan, said to be Japan’s oldest hot spring, and Ishiteji Temple, the 51st temple of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
It also offers cultural appeal as the setting of novels by Natsume Soseki and Ryotaro Shiba, allowing you to enjoy a variety of experiences in one place.

Located in southern Shikoku, almost in the center of Kochi Prefecture, Kochi City is a nature-rich city facing the Pacific Ocean.
It offers the convenience of being Approx. 30 minutes from Kochi Ryoma Airport to the city center, and the city itself also has convenient public transportation such as streetcars and buses.
It has good access to the prefecture’s major sightseeing spots and is also relatively easy to travel from there to other parts of Shikoku, making it a recommended midpoint base for a Shikoku trip.
Kochi City itself is an attractive destination where history, food, nature, and culture come together.
Top-class sightseeing spots in Japan are scattered around the city, including Kochi Castle with its original keep, Katsurahama Beach with its beautiful white sand and green pines, and the Sunday Market, an open-air market with more than 300 years of history.
Another highlight is its wide range of unique local gourmet foods, represented by chicken nanban, ice cream-style “ice kurin,” and Ryoma Burger.

Located in eastern Shikoku near the mouth of the Yoshino River, Tokushima City is a water city where unique traditional culture lives on.
It serves as the eastern gateway to Shikoku and is convenient as a sightseeing base in Tokushima and as a base for the Shikoku pilgrimage.
Via the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, it also offers excellent access from the Kansai area and Awaji Island.
The city has tourist information centers and wide-area tourism stations, providing extensive information and guide services for visitors.
For that reason, using Tokushima City as your base for a Shikoku trip makes it easier to smoothly visit famous spots both inside and outside the prefecture.
The urban area is surrounded by mountains, rivers, and the sea, so nature is always close by.
It has iconic spots such as the Awa Odori Kaikan and Mount Bizan, and you can also enjoy experiences unique to Tokushima in the city, including Awa Odori dancing, indigo dyeing, and the Hyotan Island cruise.

The table below summarizes the overview and features of each airport in Shikoku.

Here is a simple introduction to access from major cities in Japan to Shikoku.
All of these routes have short travel times and require few transfers.

JR Shikoku connects Kagawa, Ehime, Kochi, and Tokushima, and runs throughout the Shikoku region.
The main lines are as follows.

When traveling across prefectural borders by rail, it is common to use limited express trains, which can greatly reduce travel time.
However, fares are relatively high, and compared with urban areas, services are less frequent.
Limited express trains are recommended for travelers who prioritize comfort and time over cost.
From here, we will introduce the main limited express trains connecting Shikoku’s major cities.

JR Shikoku highway buses mainly operate five routes within Shikoku: Takamatsu⇄Matsuyama, Takamatsu⇄Kochi, Tokushima⇄Matsuyama, Tokushima⇄Kochi, and Matsuyama⇄Kochi.
The biggest advantage of using highway buses is that they are more affordable than trains.
Depending on your destination, they may also get you closer, which can make the journey itself easier.
Another plus is the onboard facilities: in principle, they come with Wi-Fi and power outlets, allow checked baggage on some routes, and offer roomy seats.
On the other hand, they are easily affected by weather and traffic congestion, so they are not suitable for tight schedules.
This varies by person, but it is also worth considering the fatigue and stress of long rides.
They are recommended when keeping costs down is your priority, when you want to use your time effectively, or when heading to places that are hard to reach by rail.
However, advance reservations are required, so please keep that in mind.

The advantage of traveling by rental car is that it expands the range of places you can visit and lets you plan your schedule freely.
You can decide your destination and route on the spot without being tied to train or highway bus timetables.
Since all four prefectures of Shikoku have many sightseeing spots in mountainous areas as well, your options increase dramatically.
If you are traveling with several people, you can split transportation costs and enjoy your time together in the car.
However, roads may be narrow, sharply curved, or have poor visibility, so driving can be a heavy burden if you are not used to it.
Fatigue also increases the risk of accidents and can reduce overall satisfaction with your trip, while costs such as gas, expressway tolls, and parking fees can also add up.
For these reasons, rental cars are recommended for travelers who want to visit multiple prefectures in a short period or go to places with limited public transportation.

Kagawa Prefecture is the smallest prefecture in Japan by area, and its major sightseeing spots are relatively compactly arranged.
Another feature is that it has a well-developed transportation network, making it easy to explore.
In central Takamatsu and nearby areas, JR Shikoku (Yosan Line, Kotoku Line, Dosan Line) and Kotoden (Kotohira Line, Nagao Line, Shido Line) are available, providing access to many spots.
There are also plenty of local bus services, including airport limousine buses and community buses, making travel within the city and nearby areas convenient.
Remote islands such as Shodoshima and Naoshima can be reached by ferry from Takamatsu Port.
On the other hand, public transportation is limited in suburban and mountainous areas, so using a rental car is recommended.

The main transportation options in Tokushima Prefecture are JR Shikoku (Kotoku Line, Tokushima Line, Mugi Line, Naruto Line), local buses, and highway buses.
The transportation network is centered on Tokushima Station, but services are very limited.
As the prefecture as a whole is car-oriented, it is fair to say that a rental car (or taxi) is essential if you want to sightsee outside central Tokushima City.

The main transportation options in Ehime Prefecture are JR Shikoku (Yosan Line, Uchiko Line, Yodo Line), Iyotetsu (streetcars and local buses), and Setouchi Bus.
The railway network centers on the Yosan Line, connecting Matsuyama, Imabari, and Uwajima, while Iyotetsu covers the main areas within Matsuyama City.
For sightseeing on remote islands and touring the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, regular ferries and high-speed boats from the ports are the standard option, while the Shimanami Kaido, famous for cycling, is popular to explore by rental bicycle.

The main transportation options in Kochi Prefecture are JR Shikoku (Dosan Line, Yodo Line), Tosa Kuroshio Railway (Gomen-Nahari Line, Nakamura-Sukumo Line), and Tosaden Kotsu (streetcars and local buses).
The Dosan Line is the prefecture’s main railway artery, connecting Kochi City with destinations inside and outside the prefecture, while the Tosa Kuroshio Railway and Yodo Line extend toward the north-south axis and mountainous areas.
Urban areas have a well-developed Tosaden transportation network, making sightseeing relatively easy.
On the other hand, villages and sightseeing spots away from the coast have few services, so access is mainly by rental car.