The Shikoku Shimbun

is a Japanese regional daily newspaper based in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. It is operated by . As of 2025, the company published around 200,000 copies daily. It was founded in April 1889 as . It also operates the website Shikoku News (stylized in all caps).

History

The first edition of the newspaper was published on April 10, 1889, under the name Kagawa Shinpo following the separation of Kagawa Prefecture from Ehime Prefecture. It is the fourth-oldest local newspaper published in Japan. It was founded by Takeei Nakano and his cousin Chishu Oda, the latter of whom served as the publication's first president. The original staff included publisher Tomoshu Oda, editor Seizo Adachi, printer Taira Konishi, and lead writer Doichi Matsunaga. The first issue was 45 cm long and 32 cm wide with four pages. The paper was renamed on May 1, 1918.

On February 11, 1941, under Japan's "one prefecture, one newspaper" ordinance, the and merged to form the . Several company buildings, including the headquarters and printing offices, were destroyed during the air raid on Takamatsu in July 1945 during World War II. On February 11, 1946, the paper changed its name to Shikoku Shimbun. The Shikoku Shimbun website, Shikoku News, was launched in April 1997.

Notable reporting and incidents On February 24, 1947, the publication ran an editorial opposing the held that same month. In 1956, the paper published an editorial regarding Kagawa Governor 's trip to the United States for a leadership award, after the Kagawa Prefectural Assembly approved one million yen for the journey. Since 2017, the publication has campaigned to "improve children's health", running various interviews and articles regarding video game addiction. The campaign report won the 2019 Newspaper Association Award. On February 12, 2016, the morning edition went viral for a front-page headline reading "Kake Udon 235.7 yen" in large font, reporting on rising udon prices in Kagawa prefecture, which is famed for its udon noodles. On December 20, 2021, the newspaper ran a morning advertisement with the text "don't just study, play some games" after the Kagawa Prefectural Assembly passed an ordinance restricting children's use of smartphones and games. On May 19, 2023, the front-page date was mistakenly printed as "April 19" instead of "May 19".

The Shikoku Shimbun

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