Do you know “Shikoku 88 View Spots”?
These are 88 places with scenery or townscapes which are representative of Shikoku and have been designated as “Shikoku 88 View Spots.”
The basic concept is that a “good view” consists of a source and a “place for seeing it” and that both should be a good combination.
The views of #1 to #21 are in Tokushima, #22 to #42 are in Kochi, #43 to #66 are in Ehime, and #67 to #87 are in Kagawa Prefecture (#32 is shared by Ehime and Kochi, and #88 is shared by all 4 prefectures).

Now, the project of promoting the charms of these 88 views is being carried out in Shikoku.
And we are suggesting a 2-day photo trip in which you can get a taste of some of the “Shikoku 88 View Spots!

The first visit of this trip is the Shonai Peninsula in Mitoyo City, Kagawa.
This place is associated with the legend of Urashima Taro (the famous fairy-tale of a fisherman who returns centuries later after visiting the underwater kingdom of the Dragon Palace).*
And Mt. Shiude is known as the place which the purple smoke from the Tamate-bako (a treasure casket) became a cloud and covered the top of this mountain.
Let’s have a cup of coffee at the rest corner on the top of Mr. Shiude.

*The ending of the Urashima Taro story goes like this…
Taro brought a treasure casket from the palace which was a gift from Lady Otohime (the master of the palace), but she told him to NEVER open it.
However, Taro opened the casket after feeling desperate because of the long time that had passed while he was staying at the palace, and the smoke which came out from the box made Taro turn very old in an instant.
Thus the name of the mountain “Shiude” means “purple clouds come out” in kanji (Chinese characters).

In the season when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, you can use shuttle buses and see the illumination at night.
A lot of people and photographers visit this place especially in the cherry blossom season.
Please enjoy the beautiful view of the Seto Inland Sea from this mountain top while appreciating nature and the season.

>A Magnificent View of Setouchi : Mt. Shiude (Mitoyo City, Kagawa)

The next spot is “Takaya Shrine,” which has become a very popular spot with its “Torii gate in the sky.”
Posts with photos of this view with a Torii gate have generated a lot of buzz!

The scenery, which you can see from the stairs to Torii gate (located at a height of 404 meters), is so tremendous!
This amazing experience is only available for people visiting this place.

You can see the Seto Inland Sea (this part is also called the Hiuchi-nada Sea) spreading out in the south-western direction, as well as the Shikoku Mountains.
If it is a clear sunny day, you can see even Mt. Ishizuchi, the highest mountain in western Japan.

Please fully enjoy this one and only view with the Torii gate against the sky and the Seto Inland Sea and Shikoku Mountains in the background.

*Please drive carefully – the road to the shrine is very narrow, and sometimes visitors get a wheel stuck in the ditch besides the road.

Takaya Shrine Hongu
Address／2800, Takaya-cho, Kan’onji-shi, Kagawa
Phone／0875-24-9231（Tourist Conceirge of Mitoyo City）
http://kanonji-kankou.jp/visit/01/005.html

“Chichibugahama Beach” is the one of the “hottest” spots now in Mitoyo City.

This is because it’s a spot where you can take pictures just like you can at “Salar de Uyuni” in Bolivia in South America, which is called “a mirror of the sky.”
Also, Chichibugahama Beach has been selected as one of the “100 most beautiful sunset-watching spots in Japan.”

You will never encounter the same weather on any given day, so try taking a picture of the wonderful natural view here.

>This is Salar de Uyuni in Japan! Let’s take some wonderful photos where the Setouchi Inland Sea mirrors the sky!/Chichibugahama Beach (Mitoyo-shi, Kagawa)

Next we are head to a café in the forest, which is located only a little bit further from the last spot.
However, this place has not only a café, but also a shop, a library, and some playground equipment. For this reason, women and families with kids have become fans of this place.

The interior of the café is made of all-natural solid wood, so you will feel comfortable and want to be embraced by its atmosphere forever.

>KITOKURAS : Café, Shop, Library, Toys… Fun Playground in the Woods for Children & Adults Alike!

“Kotohira-gu Shrine,” which is also known as “Konpira-san,” is very famous for its long stone-stairway, 785 steps approaching the main shrine, and a total of 1,368 steps to the inner shrine.
People often visit this shrine to pray for happiness even though the burden of the long climb up to the main hall has been required for hundreds of years.

You can see a dynamic view of the Sanuki Plain next to the main shrine, which is at an altitude of 251 meters.
Please feel the history and culture of “Konpira-san,” full of charms for each season as well as a great view.

>Well Worth the Climb – Kotohira-gu Shrine with a View

>Konpirasan – the famous Pilgrimage of Shikoku (Kagawa)

The next place is in Tokushima Prefecture, which is next to (south of) Kagawa Prefecture.
“Udatsu-no-Machinami” is an old street which retains the atmosphere of the Edo period, and has been designated as one of the “Shikoku 88 View Spots.”

This old street is located in the middle basin of the Yoshinogawa River, the main river in Shikoku.

The streetlights, which resemble old lanterns, light up the streets in the evening.
Walking on the illuminated street with its silent and calm ambience is very elegant, and it is nice to discover the big difference between day and night here.

>Udatsu Old Street, Traditional Japanese Architecture and History in Mima (Tokushima)

Have you enjoyed Day 1 of your visit to the “Shikoku 88 View Spots”?
You will have fun with more profound and charming spots among them on Day2!
Please check out the latter half of this trip!

Shikoku 88 View Spots

Photographs and text by Megumi Yamada