Shikoku Facts for Kids

This page is about the island of Shikoku. For the region, see Shikoku region.

Quick facts for kids
Shikoku
Native name: 四国
The island of Shikoku, Japan

Geography
Location	Japan
Archipelago	Japanese archipelago
Area	18,800 km² (7,300 sq mi)
Area rank	50th
Length	225 km (139.8 mi)
Width	50–150 km (31–93 mi)
Highest elevation	1,982 m (6,503 ft)
Highest point	Mount Ishizuchi
Administration
Japan
Prefectures	Ehime Kagawa Kōchi Tokushima
Largest settlement	Matsuyama (pop. 514,865)
Demographics
Population	3,845,534 (2015)
Pop. density	204.55 /km² (529.78 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Japanese

Map of Japan with the island of Shikoku highlighted in brown

Shikoku (四国) is one of Japan's four main islands. It is the smallest island.

The island lies southeast of Honshu and northwest of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Strait.

Farming is a very important business in Shikoku. Citrus fruits are an important product. Shikoku is the home of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage of the Shingon sect of Buddhism.

Regions
Cities
Points of interest
- Castles
- Temples and Shrines
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

Regions

Shikoku region covers the entire island.

The name Shikoku literally means "four countries" in Japanese. Shikoku was made of four old "countries" or provinces that are now prefectures. In other words, each prefecture has a modern name and an old provincial name. The old names are still used sometimes, especially for foods, music, or art.

Ehime, formerly Iyo Province – to the west
Kagawa, formerly Sanuki Province – to the north
Kōchi, formerly Tosa Province – to the south
Tokushima, formerly Awa Province – to the east

Cities

Kōchi – home of "Yosakoi" and many local sights
Matsuyama, Ehime – is best known for the old hot springs at Dogo Onsen
Takamatsu, Kagawa – the largest city in Shikoku
Tokushima – home of the Awa Odori festival in August
Uwajima – has a fertility shrine and wrestling bulls
Naruto – the east gate of Shikoku.

Points of interest

Cape Ashizuri – a scenic cape at the southernmost point of Shikoku
Iya Valley – a remote but beautiful mountain valley
Kotohira – the site of the Kompira-san shrine
Mount Ishizuchi – the tallest peak in Shikoku

Castles

There are twelve original castles left in Japan and Shikoku is home to four of them.

Marugame Castle, Marugame
Kōchi Castle, Kochi
Matsuyama Castle
Uwajima Castle, Uwajima.

Temples and Shrines

The 88 Temple Pilgrimage is a famous but difficult 1,647-kilometer circle around the entire island. Serious pilgrims may choose to complete the 88 Temple Circuit on foot. Other people uses buses.