Megijima Island

What to know

Megijima (女木島) is a tiny island just a short ferry ride from Takamatsu port, measuring less than four kilometers long and one kilometer wide. Home to around 150 residents, it features two small villages, some farmland, and mostly forested hills.

The island is famously linked to Onigashima, the Ogre Island from the beloved Momotaro tale, where a young boy sailed to battle the ogres. Near Megijima's highest peak lies a cave believed to have been the ogres' fortress. Inside, visitors find a series of connected chambers with large cartoon ogre statues illustrating scenes from the story.

Just steps from the cave, a mountaintop park with an observation deck offers 360-degree views of the Seto Inland Sea and surrounding islands. Hundreds of cherry trees transform the park into a lovely cherry blossom spot each spring, typically blooming in early April.

On the opposite peak stands a large statue of Nichiren, founder of the Nichiren sect of Japanese Buddhism. A paved trail leads up to the statue.

Megijima's atmospheric village, with old wooden houses and narrow lanes, clusters around the ferry terminal and is shielded from the sea by high stone walls. In summer, the island draws city dwellers to its sandy beach near the port, lined with several minshuku lodgings.

The ferry terminal, one of the island's more modern buildings, houses a tourist information desk, bicycle rentals, and snacks. It also features a small exhibition space about the ogres from the Momotaro story.