Boat Travel

Shikoku receives ferries from Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, western Honshu, and Kyushu. Except for overnight ferries, reservations are rarely necessary if you don't have a vehicle, though it's a good idea to make one during the busy travel seasons of Golden Week (early May) and Obon (mid-August). Popular routes are Tokushima to Tokyo (19 hours), Toyo (near Matsuyama) to Kobe/Osaka (from 6 to 8 hours), Matsuyama to Hiroshima (3 hours by slow boat or 70 minutes by hydrofoil), Yawataham (west of Matsuyama) to Beppu (1½ hours), Naoshima to Kobe and Kobe Airport (4 hours), Takamatsu to Kobe (4½ hours), and Tokushima to Wakayama (2 hours).