Shikoku

Island and region of Japan ShikokuNative name: 四国The island of Shikoku, JapanGeographyLocationJapanArchipelagoJapanese archipelagoArea18,801.73 km2 (7,259.39 sq mi)Area rank50thLength225 km (139.8 mi)Width50–150 km (31–93 mi)Highest elevation1,982 m (6503 ft)Highest pointMount IshizuchiAdministrationJapanPrefecturesEhime PrefectureKagawa PrefectureKōchi PrefectureTokushima PrefectureLargest settlementMatsuyama (pop. 507,137(as of 1 May 2022))DemographicsPopulation3,486,739 (1 October 2025)Pop. density185/km2 (479/sq mi)Ethnic groupsJapaneseAdditional informationTime zoneJapan Standard Time (UTC+9) Shikoku (四国, Shikoku; pronounced [ɕi̥.kó̞.kɯ̈̀, -kò̞.-] ⓘ, lit. 'four provinces') is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is 225 kilometres (140 miles) long and between 50 and 150 kilometres (30 and 95 miles) wide. It has a population of 3.5 million, the least of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima (伊予之二名島), Iyo-shima (伊予島), and Futana-shima (二名島), and its current name refers to the four former provinces that make up the island: Awa, Tosa,