You can explore Tonoshō through several distinct traces of its history: a narrow strait sits alongside a history of quarries and castle stones; in Hidoyama, a rural kabuki tradition is kept alive. This is useful when choosing a destination if you want to experience culture through more than a single building.

A Unique Strait

The Dōfuchi Strait runs between Maejima in Tonoshō District and Honjima in Fuchizaki District. At its narrowest point, the strait is 9.93 meters wide; in 1996, Guinness recognized it as the world’s narrowest strait. This combines a geographical feature with a specific historical reference point. The Dōfuchi Strait offers a different emphasis from Tonoshō’s cultural themes: here, the focus is on the precise shape of the strait, while elsewhere it is on the history of objects, places and performances.

Stones and History in Tonoshō

At the Memorial Park for the Stone Remains of Osaka Castle, you can see unworked stones that were quarried about 400 years ago for a castle repair but were not used. Historical photographs and documents about the quarries on Shōdoshima, as well as tools used to transport stone, round out the displays. This brings together different stages of a building project: quarrying, transport and the intended use of the stones. The focus is therefore not only on finished architecture, but also on the materials and labor behind a repair project. If you are interested in architectural and engineering history, the park’s particular appeal lies in this combination of unworked stones, photographs, documents and tools.

Labyrinthine Alleys and Guided Tours

The old-town lanes in Tonoshō-Honmachi form a complex, labyrinthine network and are among the few surviving mazes of this kind in Japan. Their distinctive character lies in the way the lanes work together: the focus is not on a single building, but on a connected, winding street pattern. To explore the labyrinthine alleys, you can inquire about paid tours offered by the local volunteer Maze Town Guides Association. If you want to include this in your stay, take both the inquiry and the cost into account. This will help you decide whether to explore the network of lanes on your own or join a tour arranged upon request.

Rural Kabuki and an Annual Performance

Hidoyama rural kabuki theater brings together a local tradition and a recurring performance. According to tradition, it began about 330 years ago to celebrate the completion of a pond built for agriculture. Today, the local preservation group performs kabuki every year on May 3 on the stage at Rikyu Hachiman Shrine. Unlike the lanes or the memorial park, the focus here is on a specific annual date. If you want kabuki to shape your visit, you can use May 3 as a date to plan around and check the latest event details in advance.

Note on the Climb to Kasaneiwa

The condition of the path near the summit is important when climbing to Kasaneiwa: the path is narrow and slippery, and sports shoes are recommended for the climb. Keep this specific recommendation in mind when preparing if you plan to include Kasaneiwa in your trip.

Discover more destinations: Naoshima, Shozu District, Takamatsu, Higashikagawa, Sakaide, Furue, Zentsūji, Marugame

For the regional travel overview: Kagawa Prefecture.