3 Best Sights in Shikoku, Japan

Visitors flock to this Shinto fertility shrine not far from the train station, though not necessarily to pray: Uwajima's infamous sex museum is located here. You can tell when you've arrived—no, that sculpture is not a giant squid. Just beyond it is the museum, called Deko Boko Jindou (literally, a shrine honoring "things that poke out, things that go in"). The three-floor collection is astonishing. It's best to leave the kids at the castle for this one, as they won't be admitted.

Two bulls literally lock horns in sumo-style contests whose origins in these parts date back at least to the 17th century. If you can make it here during one of the four annual tournaments, held on a Sunday in early January, early May, mid-August, and late October, you can experience these generally bloodless battles of muscle and will, which in recent years have been rebranded as "bull sumo" in English. Uwajima's bullfighting stadium is atop Mt. Maruyama (more of a hill than a mountain), a 30-minute walk or 10-minute cab ride from Uwajima Station.

Built at the end of the 16th century, Uwajima-jo is one of the 12 castles remaining intact from the Edo era. Compared to Shikoku's Matsuyama Castle, the three-story main keep here is a very modest affair, but still worth a look for the samurai exhibits on display and the top-floor view back over Uwajima.