Shozu District: Angel Road, Nature and Food Culture

Shōdo Shima brings together impressive natural scenery, a sandbar visible only at certain tides, and local experiences steeped in tradition. The island is in Kagawa Prefecture and is part of Setonaikai National Park. It offers an exciting mix for planning your trip: coastal attractions, hiking trails and a ropeway, rice terraces, film history, and regional food culture.

Angel Road and the Tides

Angel Road is a sandbar that appears only twice a day at low tide. If you plan to visit, be sure to take the low-tide timing into account: the sandbar is not visible all the time. Angel Road is also home to Hill of Promises, a lookout point where visitors can ring a bell. The combination of a natural phenomenon and this special viewpoint makes Angel Road a destination in its own right for anyone seeking a coastal experience on Shōdo Shima.

Rice Terraces and Trails at Kankakei

Around 700 rice terraces cover the hillsides, at elevations of 150 to 250 meters, in the Nakayama area. Mountains surround the area on three sides, and it has also been selected as one of Japan’s 100 most beautiful rice terraces. This landscape is markedly different from Angel Road: here, rice paddies and mountain-framed slopes take center stage instead of a sandbar by the sea.

At Kankakei, you can choose between different ways to explore. The ropeway is 917 meters long and covers an elevation difference of 317 meters. If you take the hiking trail, allow about an hour each way. Along the way, you can see bizarre rock formations and wild plants. Chōshikei Monkey Country is another attraction in its own right: more than 600 fed wild monkeys live there. The natural highlights range from the landscape at Kankakei to the Nakayama rice terraces and the animals at Monkey Country.

Tradition, Film History and Local Specialties

Mushiokuri in Nakayama is a tradition dating back around 300 years. People walk along paths by the rice fields carrying bamboo torches and pray for a good harvest. The tradition gives Nakayama’s rice terraces a cultural dimension that goes beyond the sight of the hillsides. Shōdo Shima’s Twenty Four Eyes Film Village offers a different historical connection: it was converted from the film set of “Twenty Four Eyes.”

Travelers interested in local products and how they are made will also find plenty to explore. The Thousand-Year Olive Terrace offers olive oil courses led by an olive oil taster, with advance reservations. Yamaroku Shoyu welcomes visitors to tour its warehouse for naturally aged moromi. The island’s traditional food culture also includes the hand-pulled production of Sōmen noodles. This method, passed down on Shōdo Shima since ancient times, produces Sōmen that are smooth and have a firm texture.

What interests would you like to shape your trip?

When choosing a holiday rental in Shozu District, you can start by considering which themes matter most to you: the tides and Angel Road, the landscape and hiking trail at Kankakei, Nakayama’s rice terraces and traditions, or regional production and food culture. There are several distinct highlights to choose from, so you don’t have to limit yourself to just one way of exploring.

More places to discover: Tadotsu, Sakaide, Higashikagawa, Takamatsu, Furue, Kotohira, Sanuki, Naoshima.

For the broader travel overview: Kagawa Prefecture.