Hiwasa, Sea Turtles & Tokushima's Surf Coast: 2026 Guide

Southern Tokushima’s Pacific shore is the quiet side of Shikoku — a warm, uncrowded coast of pilgrim temples, loggerhead sea turtles and some of the best surf in Japan. This guide covers a relaxed two-day family trip built around Hiwasa, with its hilltop temple and the world’s first sea-turtle museum, then south to a car-free heritage island and the beginner surf beaches near Shishikui. It assumes a car and an interest in nature and slow travel, and it’s honest about what you can and can’t see of the turtles, which is the question everyone asks.

At a glance — Duration: 2 days. Cost band: low (temple free, Caretta museum ¥1,000, ferry ¥440, surf lesson ¥5,000–8,000, approx., 2026). Best season: late spring–autumn; turtle nesting May–August. Who it’s for: families, nature lovers, surfers. Base: Hotel Riviera Shishikui.

Hiwasa: temple, turtles and a nesting beach

The port town of Hiwasa packs three contrasting sights into a small space. Yakuoji is the 23rd temple of the Shikoku pilgrimage and one of the country’s most famous yakuyoke temples, for warding off misfortune in the unlucky years of Japanese tradition. Pilgrims climb its stone stairways placing a one-yen coin on each step — one for every year of the unlucky age — so the worn steps are scattered with coins, and a vermilion pagoda at the top looks out over the bay. Grounds free, roughly 7:00–17:00.

On the shore below sits Caretta, the world’s first museum devoted entirely to sea turtles, renewed and reopened in 2025. Named for the loggerhead that nests on the beach outside, it keeps live turtles of several kinds — including long-lived loggerheads raised here for decades — and tells the story of their life cycle, their Pacific migrations, and the long local effort to protect the beach. Admission was raised to about ¥1,000 at the 2025 renewal (approx., 2026; don’t rely on older lower figures), open roughly 9:00–17:00, closed Mondays.

Beside it, Ohama Beach is a clean, curving arc of sand and a designated National Natural Monument — one of the last beaches on mainland Japan where wild loggerheads still come ashore to nest. Here’s the honest part: the turtles nest on summer nights, roughly May to August (peak late June to late July), but the beach is closed at night in season and viewing is only through the town’s strictly managed observation programme, with no lights and firm rules — not free, independent night-watching. By day, the beach is simply a lovely, quiet place for a walk and a paddle.

For a sequenced two-day version, see our Hiwasa sea turtles and southern coast itinerary.

South to the surf coast

From Hiwasa the road runs south through the fishing town of Mugi, the gateway to Dejima — a tiny car-free island a 15-minute ferry ride offshore, whose old fishing village of weathered wooden houses (many with the fold-down “mise-dana” shop shutters of the Meiji and Taisho eras) is a designated Important Preservation District. A path circles the island past a clear cove and an old lighthouse, and the whole place has the stilled, salt-washed quiet of a Japan that has almost vanished. Ferries run only a few times a day (about ¥440 each way, approx., 2026), so plan around the timetable.

At the far southern tip, where Tokushima meets Kochi, the Shishikui coast is one of Japan’s best-loved surf zones, warmed by the Kuroshio current. The gentle sand beaches here are ideal for beginners and families: surf schools rent boards and wetsuits and run lessons for first-timers (roughly ¥5,000–8,000 per person, approx., 2026), starting on the sand and moving into the small white water close in. The water stays warm well into autumn. After a session, the roadside Michi-no-Eki Shishikui Onsen has a hot-spring bath, a seafood restaurant and a local-produce shop on the same site as the area’s main hotel.

Where to stay

This coast has no luxury hotel — set expectations for a comfortable, unpretentious base rather than a resort in the international sense. The strongest option is the Hotel Riviera Shishikui, a relaxed seaside resort hotel with its own onsen at the southern end of the coast (roughly ¥8,000–13,000 per person half-board, approx., 2026), right by the beginner surf beaches and the roadside hot spring. Dinner leans on the day’s Pacific catch.

If you want to combine the coast with the mountains, the remote Iya Valley is a few hours northwest — see our Iya Valley and Oboke gorge guide.

Getting there and getting around

The southern coast is reached down Route 55, the coastal highway that hugs the Pacific shore from Tokushima City through Anan toward Kochi. Hiwasa is about an hour from Tokushima City by car or by the JR Mugi Line, the single-track railway that runs along this coast and stops at Hiwasa Station right below Yakuoji. Shishikui, at the far southern tip, is roughly another 50 minutes on. A car is the practical choice for a two-day trip: it lets you reach the surf beaches, the Mugi ferry port and the quieter coves between towns, none of which line up neatly with train times. If you do come by train, base yourself in Hiwasa, where the temple, the turtle museum and the beach are all within walking distance of the station, and treat Shishikui as a separate add-on. The Mugi Line is scenic but infrequent, so check return times before you set out, and note that the last connections back toward the city run earlier than you might expect.

A note on what to skip

A couple of things along this coast are best left off the plan. Hiwasa Castle is a 1978 concrete mock-keep that is now closed for seismic reasons — building and grounds are off-limits, with no reopening date, so it’s a distant photo at most. Cape Kamoda, Shikoku’s easternmost point, is genuinely remote and in Anan city rather than near Hiwasa, so it doesn’t fit a two-day coast trip well. And Tachibana Bay, while a pretty ria coast, is flanked by large power stations — admire it selectively rather than expecting pristine scenery.

FAQ

Can I see the sea turtles nesting? Only in summer (roughly May–August, peak late June to late July) and only through the town’s managed night programme at Ohama Beach — the beach is closed to free, independent night-watching in season, with strict rules and no lights to protect the turtles. By day you can see live turtles year-round at the Caretta museum next door, which is the reliable way for families to see them up close.

Is the Shishikui surf suitable for beginners? Yes. The sand beaches around Shishikui have gentle, forgiving waves and several surf schools that run lessons for first-timers, including children, with board and wetsuit rental. The local surf community is welcoming but etiquette-conscious, so booking a lesson is the right way in rather than paddling out unguided.

How do I get to Dejima island? By a short ferry (about 15 minutes, ¥440 each way) from Mugi port. Sailings are limited to a few a day, so check the timetable and build your visit around it. The island is car-free, so you’ll explore the preserved village and the circular path on foot.

Is the Caretta museum worth it if I can’t see wild turtles? Yes — it’s a genuinely good, family-friendly museum with live loggerheads and other turtles at eye level and a clear telling of their life cycle and migrations. Note the admission was raised to about ¥1,000 at the 2025 renewal, and it’s closed on Mondays.

When is the best time to visit the southern coast? Late spring to autumn. Turtle nesting season is May–August; the surf and warm water are good from late spring through autumn; and the temples and heritage island reward a visit any time. Winter is quieter and cooler, with the turtles and warm-water swimming out of season.

Request a personalized quote from a local operator