Shikoku and Hiroshima
 

I'm wondering if anyone can give me any "must-sees" for Shikoku... I'm looking for beautiful, quirky, off-the-beaten track destinations, although I'd also like to visit places like Dogo Onsen and Mount Ishizuchi as well. I think I'll be on the island for 5-10 days and am wondering how much of the island I would be able to see in that time.

I'm thinking of flying into Matsuyama from Tokyo and then after touring Shikoku I want to take a ferry to Hiroshima, which leads me to my second question- has anyone done this? Would there be a better way to get between the two cities?

Thank you!

Welcome to the Japan Forum, just_lindsay

To start with, here are two extremely recent threads:
Need Help for travel to Shikoku
Kyushu & Shikoku in May

Perhaps you'd like to comment first on any tips that interest you in these and invite people to go on from there.

Whilst those who use this forum are usually delighted to help new members, it's always gratifying to have at least some of one's previous thoughts on the subject acknowledged.

The ferry is far and away the best way to get from Matsuyama to Hiroshima. There's 2 kinds, fast and slow. Slow takes 2 hours 40 minutes and is about 2700 yen, fast is about an hour and is 5900 yen. There's a bus that goes out to the port from town, leaves from the city station.
Website for the ferry fwiw, sorry all Japanese
http://www.ishizakikisen.co.jp/

One idea might be to fly into a different airport in Shikoku if you're planning on leaving from Matsuyama to Hiroshima at the end of your trip. I don't know which, though.... Maybe Tokushima or Kochi?
http://www.shikoku.meti.go.jp/soshik...tion/main.html

Shikoku's big tourist attraction is the 88 temple pilgrimage - You could visit one or two ... and skip a few.
http://wikitravel.org/en/88_Temple_Pilgrimage

And the Iya Valley is one of Japan's three hidden valleys (三大秘境 Sandaihikkyo):
http://wikitravel.org/en/Iya_Valley

Maybe Alex Kerr has written about the area?... He's this forum's favourite author... [ducking for cover]

Ferry is certainly the way to get from Matsuyama to Hiroshima:
http://home.e-catv.ne.jp/tour-ehime/hiroshima2.html

Yes, I understand you can have a memorable night's stay at this lodging [grabbing provisions and heading for bomb shelter]