Shodoshima Olive Park

Shodoshima Olive Park is a bright, Mediterranean-flavoured hillside park on the south coast of Shodoshima, the 'olive island' of the Seto Inland Sea. Sloping down toward the water and planted with thousands of silver-leaved olive trees, herbs and flowers, it celebrates a surprising slice of Japanese history: Shodoshima is the birthplace of successful olive cultivation in Japan.

The story began in 1908, when the Japanese government, seeking a domestic source of olive oil, planted trial groves in a handful of locations. Only Shodoshima's warm, dry, sun-soaked climate — genuinely reminiscent of the Mediterranean — allowed the trees to thrive, and the island has been Japan's olive heartland ever since. Olive Park grew up around that heritage, and today it is equal parts working olive grove, botanical garden and leisure destination. Rows of gnarled olive trees, some decades old, march across the slope, interplanted with rosemary, lavender and seasonal blooms, and the whole park is scented and sun-drenched on a fine day.

The park's signature landmark is a gleaming white Greek windmill, built to mark Shodoshima's sister-island relationship with Milos in Greece. Framed by olive trees and the blue sea beyond, it is one of the most photographed spots in all of Kagawa. The park leans playfully into its most famous pop-culture connection too: the 2014 live-action film of Studio Ghibli's Kiki's Delivery Service was shot partly on Shodoshima, and visitors can borrow a broom for free and leap into the air below the windmill for a 'flying witch' photo — a joyful, only-here experience that delights families and couples alike.

Beyond the photo opportunities, Olive Park offers plenty to fill an hour or two. There is a herb garden and greenhouse, a shop selling island-made olive oil, olive cosmetics, olive-leaf tea and the local speciality of olive-fed products, and a cafe with sea views. A hot-spring bath, Sun Olive Onsen, sits within the complex for a relaxing soak, and gentle paths let you wander the groves and terraces at leisure. Look out too for the small heart-shaped olive leaves visitors hunt among the trees as good-luck charms.

The park is loveliest from late spring into early summer, when the herbs flower and the olive trees put on fresh growth, and again in autumn when the fruit ripens ahead of the harvest. The elevated position gives lovely views over the Inland Sea and passing ferries, and sunset here is memorable.

Getting to Shodoshima is a scenic adventure in itself: ferries run from Takamatsu Port to the island in around an hour, and from the ports a local bus or rental car reaches Olive Park easily. Allow around 90 minutes to enjoy the groves, the windmill, the shop and perhaps a coffee. Combine it with the island's other highlights — Angel Road, the Kankakei Gorge and the Nakayama rice terraces — for a full and rewarding day trip from Takamatsu. Comfortable shoes and sun protection make the sloping, open grounds more enjoyable, especially in high summer.