Shodoshima: The Mediterranean of Japan

Known as the Mediterranean of Japan, Shodoshima is an incredible destination for food, culture, and art. Located just an hour’s ferry ride from Takamatsu Port in Kagawa Prefecture, it is the second largest island in the Seto inland sea and home to some of Shikoku’s most amazing sights.

Graced by year-round warm weather, Shodoshima is a popular destination for beautiful scenic locations, like a gorgeous sandbar, known as “Angel Road,” and one of the most spectacular gorges in Japan, Kankakei Gorge. Visitors come for the many beaches and resorts, but also for the breathtaking scenery of the mountainous interior of the island. It’s also known for being the set of a famous Japanese movie filmed in the late 1950s. You can still visit the set, a reconstruction of a small Japanese town before WWII!

The many beaches and coastal scenery aren’t the only reasons Shodoshima is known as the Mediterranean of Japan. The island is also renowned for its olive production. The mascot for the island is even an olive, called Olive Shima-chan. As a result, when visiting you’ll find plenty of high-quality olive products, including delicious olive oil. Further strengthening its ties to the Mediterranean, Shodoshima’s sister city is Milos, Greece!

While Shodoshima may now be famous for olives, it was (and still is) known for its soy sauce production, which dates back 400 years. With such a long history, the island is home to some of the most respected producers of soy sauce in Japan. As a result of centuries of prosperous production and distribution of top-quality shoyu, the island, relative to its overall size, has more ports along its coast than anywhere else in Japan. In fact, the name Shodoshima can be directly translated as “Small Bean Island,” and while that actually refers to azuki beans, it is now also a reference to the soybeans and olives that Shodoshima is known for. 

Another amazing part of what makes Shodoshima such a great destination is that it is one of the venues for the Setouchi Triennale Art Festival. Both as an effort to revitalize the declining rural area and strengthen the region’s image as a hub of contemporary art in Japan, this festival spans 12 islands in the area and houses permanent installations throughout that can be seen year-round. The festival takes place over three sessions each year during the spring, summer, and autumn.

Art isn’t the only thing to trek across the island to see. Created as a microcosm of the larger 88-temple pilgrimage on the island of Shikoku, Shodoshima has its own 88-temple pilgrimage. The hike will take you about one week on foot (compared to the six weeks it can take to complete the Shikoku pilgrimage) and gives incredible views of the entire island as you visit unique stone temples built into the bases of rock faces and inside of caves.

Lastly, for food lovers, the delicious tastes of Shodoshima don’t stop at the olive oil and soy sauce. Shodoshima artisans are famous for the meticulous, labor-intensive production of somen noodles, thin wheat-based noodles traditionally eaten during the warmer months of the year. With an abundance of sunshine, Shodoshima is the perfect place to produce delicious hand-pulled and sun-dried noodles.

About the author: 

Kevin Kilcoyne

The spark that lit Kevin Kilcoyne’s interest in Japanese culture began in elementary school through a friendship with his then classmate Keisuke. Since then, that passion has evolved and bloomed to encompass more than just video games and manga, leading Kevin to live in Japan as a participant of the JET program. During his time in Japan, Kevin sought out as many foods as he could, the experiences and taste memories lingering long after they had gone. Now he is forging a path to link his passions for Japanese food, history, and visual culture and is planning for his return to live in Japan once again. For now, you can find Kevin on Instagram (@waruishouten) where he posts his photography and illustration work. Keep an eye out for more posts and updates as Kevin delves more deeply into his passions for writing and food.