Chugoku & Shikoku: Weather & What to Wear Guide

Kintaikyo Festival

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Hagi, Tsunoshima & Akiyoshidai

Every year April 29 (Showa Day)

Hiroshima Flower Festival

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Hiroshima & Miyajima

Every year May 3–5

Kangensai Festival at Itsukushima Shrine

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Hiroshima & Miyajima

Every year on the 17th day of the 6th lunar month (between July and early August on the modern calendar, depending on the year)

Awa Odori

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Tokushima, Naruto & Iya

Every year August 11–15

Tottori Shan-Shan Festival

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Tottori

Every year August 13–15 (eve festival on the 13th, mass umbrella dance on the 14th, Civic Summer Fireworks Festival on the 15th)

Yosakoi Festival

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Kochi & Shimanto

Every year August 9–12 (eve festival on the 9th, main festival on the 10th and 11th, national contest and after-party on the 12th)

Kotohiragu Shrine Annual Grand Festival

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Takamatsu, Naoshima & Shodoshima

Every year October 9–11 (mikoshi procession on the night of the 10th, return procession on the night of the 11th)

2026 (Reiwa 8): Oct 9 (Fri) – Oct 11 (Sun); mikoshi procession from 21:00 on the 10th

Matsuyama Autumn Festival

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Matsuyama & Dogo Onsen

Every year October 5–7 (Yoimiya on the 5th, main festival on the 6th, Honmiya on the 7th; the hachiawase in front of Dogo Onsen Station is early in the morning of the 7th)

2026: Oct 5 (Mon) – Oct 7 (Wed); hachiawase in front of Dogo Onsen Station early in the morning of the 7th

Kamiarisai at Izumo Taisha

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Izumo & Matsue

Every year on the 10th to 17th days of the 10th lunar month (varies by year on the modern calendar, usually around November)

2026: Nov 18 (Wed) Kamimukaesai – Nov 25 (Wed) Karasadesai

Akiyoshidai Safari Land

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Hagi, Tsunoshima & Akiyoshidai

A safari-style animal park in the Akiyoshidai area where you can see animals without leaving your car. Besides the Safari Zone that you drive through in your own car, there's a feeding bus that tours by dedicated bus, a Walking Zone where you can interact with animals on foot, and an amusement park with free admission.

Shimonoseki Marine Science Museum Kaikyokan

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi

A Shimonoseki City aquarium facing the Kanmon Straits. Under the concept Life in the Sea, the Sea and Life, it's known for a tank recreating the Kanmon Straits currents and its world-leading display of about 100 species of pufferfish. It reopened after renovation in August 2025, adding Hireashi Beach, a new California sea lion exhibit.

Katsurahama Aquarium

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Kochi & Shimanto

An aquarium inside Katsurahama Park, right in front of Katsurahama, one of Kochi's most famous scenic spots. It keeps about 4,000 creatures of around 220 species, and most of the facility is an open-air outdoor area with views of Katsurahama Beach and Tosa Bay. You can also bring your pet inside.

Matsue Vogel Park

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Izumo & Matsue

A flower and bird themed park spread over hills on the shore of Lake Shinji. Its 320,000㎡ grounds include display greenhouses totaling 12,000㎡, and the main facilities are linked by covered walkways, so you can get around without an umbrella even on rainy days. The Ichibata Electric Railway station connects directly to the park.

Miyajima Public Aquarium (Miyaji-Marine)

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Hiroshima & Miyajima

An aquarium themed on the Seto Inland Sea, on Miyajima, home of the World Heritage-listed Itsukushima Shrine. It reopened after renovation in 2011 and displays more than 15,000 creatures of 380 species, centered on Seto Inland Sea life. It will be closed from December 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 for equipment upgrades and repair work, so visit by November 30.

Ritsurin Garden

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Takamatsu, Naoshima & Shodoshima

A feudal lord's garden in central Takamatsu, designated a national Special Place of Scenic Beauty. With 6 ponds and 13 artificial hills, and Mt. Shiun and its pine forest behind it as borrowed scenery, it offers views that change with every step. It opens early in the morning, making it good for a morning stroll.

Shikoku Aquarium

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Utazu, Kagawa

An aquarium that opened in Utazu, Kagawa Prefecture, in 2020. Themed on Shikoku Waterscapes, it recreates the waters surrounding Shikoku, including the Seto Inland Sea, the Pacific Ocean with the Kuroshio Current, and clear rivers such as the Shimanto and Niyodo, in about 70 waterscape exhibits. It's about a 12-minute walk from JR Utazu Station.

Ehime Prefectural Tobe Zoological Park

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Tobe, Ehime

An Ehime Prefecture-run zoo in Tobe, about 20 minutes by car from central Matsuyama. Under the concept A Zoo Full of Everyone's Smiles, it keeps many animals, including polar bears, African elephants, Malayan tapirs, sea lions, and flamingos. Admission is an affordable ¥600 for adults.

Tottori Sand Dunes Sand Museum

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Tottori

The world's first museum dedicated to sand sculptures, right next to the Tottori Sand Dunes. The theme changes every year, and works by sand sculptors from Japan and abroad are displayed indoors. From April 24, 2026 to January 3, 2027, the 17th exhibition, Travel Around the World in Sand: Spain, is on.

Onaruto Bridge Walkway Uzu-no-Michi

Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Naruto, Tokushima

A 450m-long walkway built inside the girders of the Onaruto Bridge. From 45m above the sea, you can look straight down on the whirlpools of the Naruto Strait. It's a Tokushima Prefecture facility inside Naruto Park and can be visited together with the neighboring Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall Eddy.