Kagawa Prefecture, which occupies the northeastern corner of Japan\u2019s island of Shikoku, isn\u2019t above getting a little silly in its tourism promotions. It\u2019s the prefecture that announced it was making a Pokemon its governor, and it plays wholeheartedly into the rest of the country thinking of it as \u201cthe udon<\/b>
\nKagawa Prefecture, which occupies the northeastern corner of Japan\u2019s island of\u00a0Shikoku, isn\u2019t above getting a little silly in its tourism promotions. It\u2019s the prefecture that\u00a0announced it was making a Pokemon its governor, and it plays wholeheartedly into the rest of the country thinking of it as \u201cthe udon prefecture,\u201d going so far as to hold a\u00a0combination foot race\/noodle-eating contest.
But the Kagawa town of\u00a0Mitoyo\u00a0is perfectly capable of making us\u00a0desperately\u00a0want to visit without utilizing any sort of wacky comedy.
Coastal Mitoyo\u2019s most scenic spot is the one-kilometer-long\u00a0Chichibugahama Beach. A popular swimming spot in the summer, it\u2019s also worth checking out in the off-season, because of the breathtaking sunset views.
\u25bc The 30 minutes before and after sunset form the optimum hour for picture-taking.
The closest train station to Chichibugahama is\u00a0Takuma Station, on the Yosan Line. It\u2019s about a 40-minute ride from the prefectural capital of Takamatsu, and once you get to Takuma there are buses that can take you to the Chichibugahama bus stop, which is just a short walk from the sand.
Granted, Kagawa isn\u2019t on the standard Tokyo-to-Kyoto stretch that most foreign visitors to Japan spend most of their travel time on. But it\u2019s well-worth a detour, especially since while you\u2019re on Shikoku you can also check out\u00a0 the amazing Shimanami Kaido island-hopping bicycling course.
Related:\u00a0 Chichibugahama Beach website<\/p>\n