What tourist attractions are there in Shikoku, Japan? In which prefecture are they located? The specific attractions are briefly introduced. . .

Bridges, Uzumaki, and Awa Odori in Shikoku, Japan

I told my friends that I wanted to go to Shikoku, Japan. My friend asked: "Besides Japan, what three other countries do you want to go to?" Momentarily speechless.

After arriving in Shikoku, I joked about this matter with a Japanese person. The other person was full of shame: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Shikoku is really too small."

Japan's territory is mainly composed of 4 countries It consists of large islands - Honshu, Kyushu, Hokkaido and Shikoku. Shikoku is the smallest one, with only four prefectures in total - Tokushima, Kagawa, Kochi and Ehime. Shikoku borders the Seto Inland Sea to the north, faces Japan's largest island Honshu, and faces the Pacific Ocean to the south.

From the map, Shikoku is just a small piece of land floating alone on the sea, but its unique geographical location puts it at a strategic location. Since the 7th century, merchant ships have sailed from here to China and other parts of Asia. It is known as Japan's Maritime Silk Road. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Japanese students sent to China all went to Chang'an via the Seto Inland Sea. By the 1970s and 1980s, Japan's economy had taken off, and the four countries had become an indispensable part. So far, there are 4 bridges connecting it with Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Honshu, where Kobe is located: Seto Ohashi Bridge, Onaruto Bridge + Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, and Shimanami Kaido. Among them, the Seto Ohashi Bridge is the longest and most majestic railway and highway bridge in the world; the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is the longest cross-sea bridge in the world.

When you go to Shikoku, you can’t miss the Seto Ohashi Bridge. It is often said that there are three nationalities in the world with three major strengths: the Dutch are good at reclaiming land from the sea, the Swiss are good at drilling through mountains and opening roads, and the Japanese are good at building bridges across the sea. The Seto Ohashi Bridge is a symbol of the development of Shikoku and a tourist attraction. It is also the pride of Japanese bridge builders and a milestone in the world's bridge building industry.

The Seto Ohashi Bridge connects Okayama Prefecture in Honshu and Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku across the sea, with a total length of 13 kilometers and an offshore part of about 10 kilometers. The main bridge tower is 194 meters high and the bridge girder is 65 meters above the sea. Large oil tankers can also pass through easily. A total investment of 1.12 trillion yen was made and it took 9 and a half years. It was not completed until April 1988. If there was a "Top Ten Must-Visit Bridges in the World", the Seto Ohashi Bridge would definitely be on the list.

Seto Bridge is the first choice to take a boat, but you can also take a helicopter or drive. However, you cannot walk directly on the bridge like the San Francisco Bridge and Nanpu Bridge.

Ritsurin Park is a famous Japanese garden

I have long heard that Japanese gardens have exquisite layouts and make good use of various plants and flowers to create artistic conceptions and are unique. This time I went to Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, and had the opportunity to visit the country of Japan. A scenic spot - Ritsurin Park. Speaking of the park, it is actually a tour-style daimyo garden from the Edo period in Japan. It took more than 100 years to build it by the Ikoma family of Takamatsu princes starting about 370 years ago.

The entire garden covers an area of ??750,000 hectares. Taking advantage of the green Ziyun Mountain scenery, 13 rockeries and 6 ponds are cleverly placed. There is South Lake in the south, North Lake in the north and West Lake in the west. It is planted with flowers and trees of all seasons. , plum blossoms in February, cherry blossoms in April, lotus flowers in August, and maple leaves in November. With profound craftsmanship and exquisite techniques, it can truly be called "one scene per step, one color per season".

Naruto Uzumaki Become a world trend-setter

Uzushio is the interaction between the rising and falling tides of the ocean, resulting in a large-scale whirlpool on the sea surface. It is very spectacular. There are four major whirlpools in the world: the Charebdis whirlpool off the coast of Calabria in southern Italy, the Messina whirlpool in the strait between Sicily and Italy, the Great Whirlpool in the Lofoten Islands off the coast of Norway, and the Naruto whirlpool. Whirlpool. I didn't expect that Naruto City, with a population of only 1,600, could have such a great scene.

There are actually two major attractions in Naruto City. The first is the Onaruto Cable-Stayed Bridge, which spans Naruto and Awaji Island. It is a maritime artery connecting Shikoku and Kobe, with a total length of 1,629 meters. The other is the large whirlpool under the bridge, but the latter is more famous. The Naruto whirlpool surges in the 1,300-meter strait between Sunozaki and Awaji Island in Naruto City. It is caused when the tides of the Seto Inland Sea and the Kii Channel meet. Due to the different rise and fall times of the two, it occurs in spring and autumn. At its peak, the vortex can reach a maximum diameter of 20 meters and a speed of 20 kilometers per hour.

Awa Odori dances in a national style

When I first heard about "Awa Odori" in Tokushima, I thought it was an imported product. In fact, it is the most representative traditional dance in Tokushima. There are three theories about its origin. One is the Bon dance that can be seen all over Japan; the other is that during the Tensho period (1574-1592), in order to celebrate the completion of the Tokushima Castle built by Minesuka Housekeeper, citizens began to dance around the city, which continues to this day; The third is that it was influenced by "Feng Liu", one of the origins of Noh. The "Miyoshiki" in 1663 contains records about the Feng Liu dance held in Katsuri Castle. Nowadays, the second statement is the most popular.

Every year from August 12th to 15th, the "Awa Odori Festival" is held in Tokushima. It is the largest summer festival in Tokushima and Shikoku, and it is also the most representative dance festival in Japan every August. . In the four days starting from August 12, people will spread out mats at 7 locations as the main venue, and more than 50 dance groups will take the stage one night, with men, women, old and young dancing crazily from 6 p.m. to around 10 p.m. Onlookers would twist their bodies involuntarily as they watched. ”

In order to let more people know about Awa Odori, Tokushima City has specially built an “Awa Odori Hall”, where tourists can enjoy and experience Awa Odori all year round.

Awa Odori is also known as the "dancing dance". We first watched the men's and women's dance performances of the "Yu Meiren" and "Exclusive Company" dance groups at the "Awa Dance Hall". The dance movements are not complicated, and basically follow the rhythm of 2 beats. As long as the basic essentials are grasped, the dancers can make some "articles" on their hands and feet and dance with some personality. The most important movements are: first, the body should be slumped but the upper body is straight; second, the right hand and right foot, left hand and left foot must be alternately extended forward at the same time. I remember doing queue drills at school. If anyone stepped with his right hand and right foot together, he would definitely be laughed at by others. Unexpectedly, it was the other way around here.

Aiyuan: Soaking in the oldest hot spring

There is a local proverb: As long as you take a bath in the Dagogo Hot Spring, there is nothing else you can’t bear to do in life! Dogo Onsen is known as the oldest hot spring in Japan, with a history of three thousand years. The Dogo Onsen Main Building was built in 1894. It is a majestic wooden castle-like building with three floors, carved beams and painted beams, and gorgeous decorations. There is a bronze suzaku on the top, and there are several Tang Dynasties unique to Japanese ancient buildings on the eaves of the first floor. Door.

Other attractions: Ishizui Mountain in the eastern part of Aiyu County is famous for its majestic appearance. The peak is so high that it looks like a sword thrust into the sky. It is the highest peak in Western Japan. In addition, the Towel Museum in Imabari City is also very famous.

Kagawa: Udon dough with your feet

The Japanese are good at absorbing foreign culture and carrying forward the craftsmanship passed down from China and developing it into something unique to them. Today, Kagawa is The hometown of Japanese udon noodles, it has become an indispensable staple food for Japanese people, and the Japanese fan is an important symbol of Japanese culture.

Other attractions: Kotohira-gu Shrine. Climb the 785 steps from the shrine entrance to the top of the mountain. It is a must-visit place for pilgrims.

Tokushima: ***Dance Awa Odori

Naruto whirlpool is one of the four largest whirlpools in the world, and the most exciting way to watch it is to take a tide-watching boat Go directly to the center of the whirlpool and feel the rolling waves for yourself. Take an antique ship and board the top deck. The sea breeze is blowing gently. The Onaruto cable-stayed bridge serves as the background, standing between the sea and the sky. It hangs high in the air like a long string, holding the clouds and caressing the wind. Winding and stretching, unusually majestic.

Other attractions: The scenery of Dabuwei and Xiaobuwei is very spectacular.