Shikoku Part 1

November 15, 2017

Shikoku Part 1

Matsuyama Castle 松山城

Shikoku was, until this summer, the only region of Japan that I had not visited. After my visit I have to say that I think it might be the most underrated area of Japan. That is partly because if there were a "rating", Shikoku would not make the list. This is perhaps part of the charm; compared to the heavily visited areas of Japan, Shikoku remains somewhat forgotten.

Ehime (愛媛)
Perhaps the most touristy of the places I visited, I got to Matsuyama, the main city in Ehime, early (REALLY early), so I had a long breakfast before heading to the castle. Nearby the castle is a beautiful little area with restaurants and cafes, plus a museum which was really interesting to see on the outside, but definitely a huge disappointment inside.

Matsuyama Castle 松山城

Part of the museum - this was worth checking out inside, but the adjacent museum was a huge dud.

After that, I took the tram to Dogo Onsen, which was the inspiration for the building in Miyazaki's Sprited Away. After checking into my guesthouse, I walked to Dogo to check out the main onsen (hot spring baths).

Clock welcoming you to Dogo in Matsuyama City, Ehime.

Dogo Onsen 道後温泉

After a wander around, I also checked out the nearby areas, including Dogo Park, which was surprisingly nice despite a bit of rain. I also walked down to Ishite Temple, which is (according to my guidebook) one of the best of the Henro 88 Temples.

Ishite Temple 石手寺

The next day, I took the tram, but this time I used the refurbished original train, which is just about the cutest mode of transportation imaginable. Unfortunately, it was raining really hard at this point because there was a typhoon. Happily, it didn't hit Ehime, where I was staying; unfortunately, I was going to Kouchi, where it was on the day I'd hoped to go. Still, it just meant sitting down with a book and drinking some coffee for the morning while I waited out the storm.

Very stern warning. I wonder what the punishment is for running by a bicycle? (I don't post too much "Engrish", but I like this law a lot.

I definitely rode on both of these trams. The one on the right is the restored one and is probably the cutest way to get anywhere.

Kouchi (高知)

屋台安兵衛 Yasubei gyoza restaurant, Kouchi.

Famous food market - it has lots of food stalls, but it was super busy, so I passed on it.

Now, if Shikoku is underrated, Kouchi is completely forgotten. Difficult to get to and nothing notable as far as tourist sights go, I almost didn't go there. Still, I thought it might be good to check it out anyhow. It may have been the highlight of my trip. Despite the ridiculous heat (35 degree or more every day I was in Shikoku), Kouchi is near the beach, so I was able to head down there for a day. Also, Kouchi has a castle, although nothing special in my opinion. Still, it feels almost tropical, and they were already harvesting rice in early August. The food was amazing, with plenty of good recommendations, plus I was there the day before the festival, so I had the chance to see people practicing the dance.

Kouchi Castle 高知城

Downtown Kouchi at night.

I met some really nice people in Kouchi as well. At an izakaya that was recommended to me for katsuo tataki (seared bonito), I ended up sitting beside a woman, who accidently spilled water all over my lap. She apologies for about 5 minutes as she tried to wipe the water off of my lap with a towel provided by the restaurant staff. After convincing her that I really was fine and that the heat would dry up the water, we ended up talking for a long time. She told me not to forgot the old lady (she wasn't that old) that I met in Kouchi. (incidently, I had also had one of my funniest Japanese mix-up moments; I was rushed into ordering, and I pointed to a word under the Kouchi specialties that I thought was bonito - 鰹, but was actually 鯨 (whale). The next night, at a yakitori restaurant, the guy beside me asked me why I was in Kouchi. Good question. Anyhow, after a while I told him that I really wanted to eat at this famous gyoza place, but the lineup was about 30 minutes, so I came to the yakitori restaurant instead. Apparently, it's a local chain, and the original restaurant is a food stand (屋台), so we went there together and he treated me to really great gyoza!