Shikoku Japan Castle Tour: 3-Day Family Trip Itinerary to Kagawa and Ehime (100 Finest Castles & Local Gourmet)

April 15, 2026May 3, 2026

The theme of this trip was “Balancing the conquest of Japan’s Top 100 Castles with creating family memories.” From March 20th to 22nd, 2026, we traveled through Kagawa and Ehime prefectures. Here is the full 3-day, 2-night record of our journey, powered by my self-developed app, “ShiroLog.”

Transportation: Rental car (Pick-up at Takamatsu Airport, Drop-off at Matsuyama Airport)

Check Rental Car Rates (Klook)

TOC

Travel Itinerary (Timeline)

Day 1: Friday, March 20, 2026

Theme: Overcoming Flight Delays to Explore Takamatsu and Marugame

Morning: Haneda Airport to Takamatsu Airport (Encountered a 2-hour delay!)
Lunch: Momoyama-tei (Specialty Meat Udon)
Capture: [Marugame Castle] (Amazed by the tallest stone walls in Japan)
Spot: [Pokémon Center Pop-up Store in Takamatsu] (Meeting Slowpoke/Yadon and Wooper)
Stay: Dormy Inn Takamatsu "Tamamo-no-Yu"

Day 2: Saturday, March 21, 2026

Theme: From Kagawa to Ehime. Capturing 3 Iconic Castles in a Row

Morning: [Takamatsu Castle] capture. Then, heading to Imabari, Ehime.
Afternoon: [Imabari Castle] capture. Moving further into Matsuyama City.
Evening: [Iyo Matsuyama Castle] capture. Enjoying the sunset from one of Japan's 12 original castle towers.
Stay: CANDEO HOTELS Matsuyama Okaido

Day 3: Sunday, March 22, 2026

Theme: Deep Dive into Matsuyama & Expedition to Nanyo. Then, Heading Home

Morning: [Yuzuki Castle] capture. Exploring the deep history of Matsuyama.
Afternoon: [Ozu Castle] capture. Deeply moved by the grand wooden reconstruction of the castle tower.
Evening: Matsuyama Airport to Haneda Airport

List of Castles Captured This Trip

Individual reports on the castles where we collected stamps during this expedition.

Travel Base: Accommodation Guide

A hotel guide from the perspective of a “Sauna-loving Dad” who supported this expedition.

Dormy Inn Takamatsu Chuo Park-mae (Kagawa): Sauna, natural hot springs, and the famous “Yonaki Soba” (late-night soy ramen). Even with kids, the “manga corner” ensures Dad gets his sauna time! It’s truly a sanctuary for sauna-loving parents.

Book Dormy Inn Takamatsu on Agoda

CANDEO HOTELS Matsuyama Okaido (Ehime): A stylish hotel located right in front of Matsuyama Castle. The night view from the “Sky Spa” on the top floor and the sauna session were the ultimate rewards after successfully conquering three major castles in one day.

Book CANDEO HOTELS Matsuyama Okaido on Agoda

Make Castle Visiting More Fun! "ShiroLog" App

"Where did I get that stamp?" "I want to remember the excitement of seeing those stone walls with my child." We developed "ShiroLog" to capture those precious moments.

Covers 1,000+ castles across Japan
Keep your own "Conquest Log" with photos
Save memories with family and friends digitally My son Keigo and I use this app to record our adventures. It’s the perfect companion for every castle lover!

Keep track of your castle visits

🏯Get "ShiroLog" on Google Play

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Author of this article

daisuke

Shikoku Japan Castle Tour: 3-Day Family Trip Itinerary to Kagawa and Ehime (100 Finest Castles & Local Gourmet)