Shodoshima Island, located in the Seto Inland Sea, is the second largest island in the region and belongs to Kagawa Prefecture. As of 2019, it has a population of approximately 27,000 people. Our trip took place from November 21 to 23, 2022.


Day 1

We departed from home shortly after 6:00 AM and traveled to Himeji via JR West Japan. From Himeji Station, we took a local bus to Himeji Port and then boarded a ferry bound for Fukuda Port on Shodoshima Island. There are several ferry routes to Shodoshima Island:

Takamatsu to Tonosho Port

Takamatsu to Ikeda Port

Takamatsu to Kusakabe Port

Okayama to Tonosho Port

Okayama and Hinase to Obe Port

Himeji to Fukuda Port

Kobe to Sakate Port

The ferry I took arrived at Fukuda Port in about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Shodoshima Island consists of two towns: Shodoshima Town and Tonosho Town. We headed to Tonosho Town, which serves as the island’s gateway and is home to many commercial facilities and prefectural offices.

First, we dropped off our luggage at our accommodation for the night and visited a mysterious and romantic spot—Bentenjima, a small island on the southern side. From Bentenjima, there is a sandy path called Angel Road that appears only during low tide twice a day, connecting to four islands. It is said that couples who walk this path holding hands will find happiness, and that day, many couples were crossing it. Unfortunately, due to backlighting, it might be better to take photos in the morning. Check the tide schedule for the best times!

Afterwards, we visited the Dofu-chikai-kyou (土渕海峡), recognized in January 1996 by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s narrowest strait. The strait, which is 2.5 kilometers long, separates Shodoshima Island (Fuchizaki) from Maejima (Tonosho) and has a narrowest point of just 9.93 meters wide. The local government office in Tonosho Town issues a “Certificate of Crossing the World’s Narrowest Strait” for a fee. This day involved sightseeing with about 10 kilometers of walking, using Google Maps as a reference.

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Day 2
Today, we took a tour bus operated by Shodoshima Kotsu Co., Ltd., departing from the Tonosho Port Tourist Center. The bus was fully booked.
Our first stop was the Choshi Valley Monkey Park. Located at the entrance to the Skyline leading to Kanka-kei, Choshi Valley is home to over 500 wild Japanese macaques (designated as a natural monument by the prefecture) that have been habituated to human presence. The park also houses peacocks. We were advised to avoid disturbing the monkeys and to observe them quietly.
Next, we visited Kanka-kei Gorge. Along with Yabakei in Oita Prefecture and Myogi Mountain in Gunma Prefecture, Kanka-kei is considered one of Japan’s three great gorges for scenic beauty. The gorge features spectacular rock formations created by volcanic activity around 13 million years ago, and subsequent crustal movements and erosion. A cable car from the Kurenai-mitei bus stop offers a 5-minute aerial view, resembling a stroll in the sky. The area is famous for its autumn foliage, and we visited during peak color season. At the summit, there are many food courts. Additionally, the summit’s observation deck offers a chance to participate in "kawara-nage," where you throw tiles at a target ring to make a wish. However, despite watching for about 5 minutes, no one successfully made a tile pass through the ring (laughs).
The highlight of the day was visiting the Twenty-Four Eyes Movie Village. The setting of the novel "Twenty-Four Eyes" is described as a "remote village by the Seto Inland Sea," but no specific location is mentioned. However, since the author, Eiichi Tsuboi, is from Shodoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture, the setting for the story was established as Shodoshima. Subsequent film adaptations also used Shodoshima as the backdrop, leading to a broad association between "Twenty-Four Eyes" and Shodoshima.
The story’s plot involves a teacher named Hisako Oishi who is assigned to a remote school on a cape and teaches 12 students. Eighteen years later, former students gather for a welcome party to reunite with her, but five of them have died due to war or illness, leaving seven to attend. The war left a significant impact even on such a remote village, and it is believed that the author, Eiichi Tsuboi, wrote "Twenty-Four Eyes" with a wish for peace, reflecting on the war’s capacity to bring only misfortune. The movie village also features the Tsuboi Eiichi Literature Museum, and there are several open sets used for filming. At the observation deck overlooking Shioe Beach, there is a wooden sign for the "Twenty-Four Eyes Movie Village," which serves as a photo spot.

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