When to Go

Shikoku's unspoiled scenery offers some perfect locations in which to bask in the fleeting glories of springtime cherry blossoms and autumn foliage without the usual Honshu crowds. Summer is festival time throughout the country, but Shikoku has the best of the bunch in two epic dance festivals: Yosakoi in Kochi, held from August 9 to 12, and Tokushima's Awa Odori, held from August 12 to 15. Winter is mild on the island, but the roads into Iya can ice up, and the early autumn typhoons that batter Kochi and southern Ehime can disrupt transportation.