Tour of Shikoku
The official 四国一周 (Shikoku Ichishū, or “Cycling Around Shikoku”) route is one of Japan’s premier long-distance cycling courses, offering riders the opportunity to circumnavigate with a marked course on the road. However, the route does tend to stick to the larger roads (see the Wabisabi Course below for an option that stays off the main roads as much as possible). Developed as a designated touring route by local governments and tourism organizations, the course combines coastal scenery, mountain landscapes, historic towns, and pilgrimage culture into a single continuous ride of approximately 1,000 kilometers.
Unlike purely recreational cycling paths, the Shikoku Ichishū route is designed as a practical multi-day touring course using public roads. Riders follow blue line markings and directional signage around the island, making navigation considerably easier than planning an independent route from scratch. While the course is intended to be accessible to a wide range of cyclists, the terrain and distances still make it a physically demanding undertaking.
This course is different from the Ohenro 88 pilgrimage tour around Shikoku. Both do a loop of the island, but the pilgrimage tour visits 88 temples, many of which are atop hills or in the mountains, making the pilgrimage a substantially more difficult tour.
The Route
The official route circles all four prefectures of Shikoku (Tokushima, Kochi, Ehime and Kagawa). The official route is here and includes the Michi-no-eki service areas as well as hotel and onsen information.
The course primarily follows the coastline, though it occasionally moves inland to avoid dangerous sections or to connect more scenic roads. Riders can start anywhere along the loop, but many begin near Tokushima due to convenient ferry and transport connections from the Kansai region.
Wabisabi Course
The Wabisabi Route tries to make a good compromise of keeping off the main roads without excessive detours to allow the rides to experience as much of the beauty that Shikoku has to offer as possible
Navigation and Route Markings
One of the defining features of the official Shikoku Ichishū course is its dedicated navigation system. Blue directional arrows and road markings appear throughout much of the route, helping riders remain on course without relying entirely on GPS devices.
Terrain and Difficulty
Although the course largely follows the coastline, Shikoku’s geography ensures that the ride is far from flat. The island’s mountainous interior pushes many coastal roads directly against the sea, resulting in frequent climbs and descents.
Daily elevation gain can be substantial even when riding beside the ocean. The Pacific coastline in particular contains repeated rolling terrain and occasional steep sections.
The most physically demanding portions are commonly found in:
- Southern Kōchi Prefecture
- Southwestern Ehime Prefecture
- Cape regions with narrow coastal roads
Northern Shikoku along the Seto Inland Sea tends to be somewhat less mountainous and more urbanized.
Highlights Around the Island
Tokushima
Eastern Shikoku offers a relatively gentle introduction to the route. Riders pass rivers, agricultural landscapes, and smaller coastal communities while gradually adapting to the island’s terrain.
Tokushima is also closely associated with the beginning of the Shikoku Ohenro pilgrimage, and cyclists frequently encounter pilgrims traveling between temples.
Kōchi
The southern Pacific coast is often considered the most dramatic section of the route. Long stretches of ocean views, rugged cliffs, fishing towns, and surf beaches define the riding experience.
However, Kōchi also contains some of the route’s longest and most isolated sections. Services can become sparse between towns, making planning more important.
Cape Ashizuri, located at the southwestern tip of Shikoku, is one of the route’s major landmarks and a common highlight for touring cyclists.
Ehime
Western Shikoku combines coastal riding with views across the Uwa Sea. Citrus orchards, terraced hillsides, and quiet fishing ports characterize much of the region.
Further north, riders approach the internationally known Shimanami Kaidō, the cycling route linking Shikoku with Honshu via a chain of bridges across the Seto Inland Sea.
Kagawa
Kagawa Prefecture provides a contrast to the remoteness of southern Shikoku. Population density increases, roads become busier, and urban services become more frequent.
The region is especially famous for udon noodles, and many cyclists incorporate local noodle shops into their daily stops.
Getting there and away
Shimanami Kaido
The only way to ride from Honshu to Shikoku is over the Shimanami Kaido and with it’s spectacular views is great way to start a Shikoku adventure
Okayama
Okayama, with it’s Shinkansen connection is easy to access from throughout Japan. It then offers railway service to all major cities in Shikoku with the closest station being Sakaide in Kagawa prefecture just 38 minutes from Okayama on the “Marine Liner” service which runs every half hour and also goes onto the larger Takamatsu Station, another good jumping off point for a Shikoku tour.
Tokushima Ferry
The Tokushima Ferry offers an easy way to arrive in Shikoku from Kansai with a direct train connection in Wakayama
Awaji Island
There are no ferries that connect Awaji to Shikoku. The only option is a highway bus service (information, Japanese only). For 660 the bus will secure the roadbike with the front wheel removed under the bus or in a rinko bag with the limit per bus being 3 of the former and 4 of the latter. There are only 3 busses per day so a reservation is recommended.
Naruto Bridge is schedule to have a bike bath across it from 2027/2028 using the space for the once planned but since abandonded Shikoku Shinkansen.
