Koyo Maigo 紅葉迷子

Koyo Maigo – Afterword

This trip has been a real learning lesson. After how well the Sanin and Shirakawa trip went I’ve gotten a bit confident.

A lot of things went wrong on this trip, some in my control and some out of my control. Interesting unlike previous trips, I for the most part got the micro bit right, with the pacing and on the day decisions. The macro part, the overall plan which I’m usually pretty good at tackling with meticulous over-planning, this time came back to bite me as all the over-planning reduced effective prioritisation.

In short, I gambled on this trip and lost. In fact, I gambled twice and lost both times. I failed to get on the Twilight Express and failed to catch the autumn leaves in Oirase. In attempt to balance the two in planning meant I never fully committed to either (full do or die on Twilight express would have gave me 12 chances over 2 weeks, if I was willing to kill time around central Japan until a train is secured). In light of that my gamble failing many aspects of the trip was a waste and in hind sight were wrong or unnecessary.

Making the trip 15 days was not needed and doing so cost me over 6000Y on the first day.

I might have gambled on one thing instead of two. If I had not been so fixed on Twilight Express I could have picked an earlier time with flexibility to go to Oirase on different dates pending on the autumn leaves.

In terms of the trip itself, I’d like to think of it in 4 phases.

 

Trip review summary

Phase 1 – Nikko

Not much to be said, I wish I’d never went there.

Phase 2 – Aomori

The best part of the trip. A fantastic side tour to Yamadera, great hotel and breakfast.

I still can’t believe I ran the 10km Oirase in 2.5 hours. If I hadn’t made it in that time I would never have caught the ferry which turned out to be quite a scenic ride.

Hirosaki is where I actually ended up with the most autumn leave shots.

The Nebuta house and especially Hakkoda ferry museum both turned out to be better than imagined.

Phase 3 – Sendai ~ Hakodate

This is the phase where a lot of things possibly went wrong and my mood was almost devastated.

One bright spot is Chusonji, seeing the golden hall was really an eye opener.

Sendai, in retrospect could have been done with day trips from Aomori. In the initial planning I thought I could watch the sunrise and sunset at Matsushima but given both plans were voided early on I should have revisited the basis on which I planned two nights at Sendai. In the end it was time wasting and expensive.

Leaving Matsushima early because of the weather was probably the correct choice, but I should have planned for better contingencies and things to do in Sendai, as it went I spent half of the afternoon wandering the shopping arcades, not that that wasn’t interesting itself.

Hakodate, a beautiful city but the cold overwhelmed me. I wish I had braved the cold and got some night time shots.

Lake Toya, almost perfect all the way. I’m starting to think I should have gone up close to the observatory. Also, not enough photos of the town itself.

Catching the Hokutosei when I couldn’t get the Twilight Express remains a divisive choice. On one hand I spent a lot of money (16000Y) and the train was in pretty terrible shape, but it did give me quite the unique experience. Plus, I wouldn’t have gone to Himeji otherwise (backup with Sunrise Seto puts me right at Takamatsu the next morning)

Phase 4 – Takamatsu ~ Matsuyama

It was fortunate I hopped off at Himeji. Not only was the castle a sight to behold it gave me the morale boost I desperately needed at that point.

Matsuyama castle is without a doubt one of the best castle in Japan. It is the first castle that feels like a fortress instead of just a keep rising out of a park like many others.

The Dogo Onsen is a little less interesting. I think it requires a more relaxing approach, take a bath there and go on a evening walk to get the full experience. However given the position of Matsuyama this will not be so easy to plan.

Konpira is weird. It’s not so much seeing but climbing, overall I’ll say it was a good experience.

In contract, Takamatsu is lacking in attractions. Ritsurin garden is decent, but there are many other Japanese gardens of its calibre throughout Japan. It won’t be the attraction that anchors a trip.

I lucked out with the Evangelion exhibit as it was never in my sight until I saw the banner in the arcade.

 

Overall I’d say about 70% of the trip went to plan.

 

Expenditure

I blew my original budget by close to 20%. This is in mostly due to the Hokutosei and I forgot to factor in how much visiting temples cost. 300Y here and there does add up quite quickly.

A rough breakdown by back of napkin numbers. Airfare is only for flights between Taiwan and Japan.

Expense breakdown

Expense breakdown

 

 Photos Taken

In total I shot over 40gb in about 9500 photos. Another few hundred and the photo folder will look really weird as the file names start repeating. (they go from 0000 to 9999)

 

Map

A basic view of where I visited and stayed.

Locations visited

Locations visited

Koyo Maigo – Day 15

It’s probably a good idea I didn’t think of going to Osaka. The weather forecast shows all day of rain throughout Kansai and Shikoku. Indoor activity it is then, so the Evangelion exhibit.

Superhotel breakfast

Superhotel breakfast

 

It's raining

It’s raining

 

 

I have never seen the original Evangelion series, only the movie remakes. Its aesthetics is amazing and production quality is unmatched, unique in its blend of bio-mecha. My issue with it is the pretentiousness and absolute, absolute unlikable main character. Shinji is a self-centred, cowardly teenager who hides behind his depression and begs the world for attention and sympathy, even as the world collapses around him.

Overall, it’s not an anime I can say I like, but I won’t mind a behind the scene look at it.

The exhibit is at the Takamatsu art museum. I kill some time at the Doutor till it opens at 10am (which also means I’ve visited Doutor on every trip).

Doutor

Doutor

 

Doutor breakfast

Doutor breakfast

 

Outside the art museum, characters from Evangelion

Outside the art museum, characters from Evangelion

In the lobby of the museum is a statue of Unit 01, the mecha piloted Shinji the main character. Along the walls are posters of all five main characters and Eva pilots, Asuka, Kaworu, Shinji, Rei and Mari.

 

Unit 01 mecha

Unit 01

 

Unit 01

Unit 01

 

Entrance poster

Entrance poster

There’s no photos allowed inside so obviously, no photos. The exhibits are divided into several sections.

Design, which includes sketches, concept art and sculptures.

Character design, this is different from design in that character design focuses on the clothing and expression for each emotion (sad, laugh, tense, angry…etc)

Storyboard, which decides the flow and direction of each scene.

Keyframes, moving objects of the scene are meticulously drawn to capture the pacing and movements of the scene. This is what really struck me as in some scenes the mechas moved so fast I believe the keyframe might well have been done at a 1:1 ratio (ie, no betweening).

3D animation and blending. This section surprised me as I was not aware they used 3D animation for the mechas. 3D animation in anime is a tricky business.

On one hand 3D animation saves a lot of time and money and allows certain shots that would not be possible otherwise (eg, wide landscape shot with sweeping camera). On the other hand, blending 3D with 2D drawings is incredibly hard.
The 2D elements either cannot keep up with the 3D components, or the 3D components appear too clean (hand drawn lines squiggle, 3D lines don’t). Poorly blended 3D animation becomes a jarring mess that breaks suspension of belief, like watching a 80s film with a guy in a puppet suit rampaging through cardboard cities.

That I could not tell they used 3D animation for the Eva is a real testament to the animator’s skills.

All the materials are sourced from the battle scene against the 10th Angel, and after showing all the storyboard, design, keyframes for it, the scene is played on a giant projector to demonstrate how they all came together in the final product.

The last area contains sketches and sneak peak from the upcoming last movie.

In the souvenir area I bought a glass printed with the outline of the 7th Angel. The glass turns red when filled with ice water.

Normal color

Normal color

 

Filled with ice water

Filled with ice water

The exhibit far exceeded my expectations and the 1000Y entry fee. It gave me a much deeper understanding for the Evangelion movies that while I still won’t call it good, I can respect and appreciate the love, effort and care that went into it.

 

I spent just over an hour at the exhibit, perfect timing to catch my ride out. It’s a non-stop dash all the way from Takamatsu to Okayama, transfer to Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka, then onto the Haruka express straight to Kansai airport.

Marine liner to Okayama

Marine liner to Okayama

 

Short pause at Okayama for transfer

Short pause at Okayama for transfer

My transfer at Shin-Osaka is a bit longer and I am able to check out the souvenir shops quickly. Everyone is buying up the famous banana cake I almost wondered if I should buy one.

Transfer to Haruka

Transfer to Haruka

 

Kansai airport

Kansai airport

 

There’s a small anime festival at the airport aimed at raising awareness of anime culture to visitors. Not much there, a small Animate shop selling anime goodies, a signing event for maids from some maid cafe and a stage that has panels and cosplay skits.

Anime festival at airport

Anime festival at airport

 

Cosplay skit

Cosplay skit

I check in at the Jetstar counter then head down to level 2.

Kansai airport has plenty of food options on level 2, including a ramen street and a food court for other food, such as omelet rice, stir-fry soba, pasta. As Jetstar does not include food with the ticket (of course), I intend on grabbing a quick bite.

Kansai airport restaurant street

Kansai airport restaurant street

There’s a lot of options, and I almost considered the omelet rice, something I haven’t had in Japan this time. But then the stir-fried sobas caught my eyes and I decides to try the odd looking dish.

Stir-fry soba

Stir-fry soba, average taste

There’s also plenty to shop at Kansai airport. There’s even a pokemon store selling all kinds of pokemon plushies.

At last, I give a last look at Japan and passes through customs.

Jetstar

Jetstar

The flight is operated by Jetstar Asia based in Singapore. The inflight menu is decided unappetizing and cheap looking. Where as Vanilla Air’s menu is well presented with the usual Japanese style of quirky cheeriness and cute charm. Jetstar Asia’s presentation is cold and seem to say “here’s the food, we don’t care if you really want it, we’re going to rip you off anyway”.

The inflight attendants certainly don’t try selling the food either, appearing to be more keen to stay in the galley and chat amongst themselves.

Pretty crappy menu

Pretty crappy menu

 

Canned drink and packaged snack? jeesh.

Canned drink and packaged snack? jeesh.

 

And here concludes this 15 days trip that’s full of highs and lows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Koyo Maigo – Day 14

Second day in Takamatsu stays within Kagawa prefecture. Plan is morning I go to Konpira shrine and afternoon within Takamatsu itself.

Superhotel breakfast

Superhotel breakfast

 

Since time is more leisurely today, I decide instead of catching the local train at Ritsurin, to walk to Takamatsu station and touring a vast swath of the shopping district along the way.

The main shopping arcade stretches from that supermarket I went to on the first night, all the way to about a block out from the station, some 1.5 kilometers in length.

Shopping arcade

Shopping arcade

 

Hey a Doutor

Hey a Doutor

Something caught my eye. It’s those banners hung along the arcade. An Evangelion exhibit, a cult hit anime back in the 90s that’s recently being remade as 4 anime films.

My day’s already planned out ahead so other than a intrigued smile, I pays it no further attention.

Hmm

Hmm

 

Shopping arcade

Shopping arcade

 

Train time

Train time

I catches the express to Kochi, the city in southern Shikoku. I’ll be getting off in just 3 stops at Kotohira, the express being 30 minutes faster and without transfer compared to local commuter trains. Yay JR Pass.

JR Kotohira

JR Kotohira

 

Konpira is a major shrine that for much of its history had been a mix of both shinto and buddhist worship. It was separated to be a shinto shrine by the Meiji government and this history is reflected in many of its architecture. The shrine is dedicated to gods that protects people of the sea, fishermans and sailors, in its grounds there’s a giant propeller, a shrine in remembrance of those who died trying to clear the waterways of mines after the war, and its ema halls (wooden plaques where people write their wishes or prayers) are full of photos of ships and other ocean going vessels.

The largest stone latern in Japan

The tallest stone lantern in Japan

A stone lantern next to Kotoden (the private rail)’s station is a giant lantern, the tallest in Japan. It acted as a lighthouse and could be seen in the far off harbor.

It’s about 800m from the JR station to the start of the pilgrim steps.

One of the shop has built a foot bath to attract customers

One of the shop has built a foot bath to attract customers

 

Main approach to the pilgrim steps

Main approach to the pilgrim steps

I emphasize the start of the pilgrim steps is because one of the many reasons Konpira is famous is party because how ridiculous it is to get to. Sitting half way up the mountainside, Konpira’s main hall can only be reached by climbing the 785 steps of the pilgrim path.

The effort required to take on the steps is made all that more intimidating by the number of shops along the pilgrim path offering to take care of your bags and lend you a walking stick. There are also kago (litter or sedan chair) for hire that takes you to the main gate (about half way).

One of many shops along the path

One of many shops along the path

 

Kago for hire

Kago for hire

 

The steps begin

The steps begin

 

More steps

More steps

 

 

Memorial for the minesweepers

Memorial for the minesweepers that died clearing waterways after the war

After 13 days of traveling, including running 10km in Oirase, biking 9km in Toya and who uncounted km of walking each day, maybe scheduling such physical demanding spot is not that wise.

Main gate.. aww we're only halfway?!

Main gate.. aww we’re only halfway?!

 

Main gate

Main gate

I reached to the main gate and and to take a breather. Good thing I carried drinks in my bag, far as I could see there are no vendings along the path. The shops sold drinks and bottle water, but as you’d expect at a premium.

 

Looking back down

Looking back down

Behind the main gate is a long entrance way lined with stone plaques naming major donors.

The entranceway

The entrance way

At the end of the entrance way is of course more steps. Lots and lots and lots more steps.

Looking back to the main gate

Looking back to the main gate

After the short flight of steps I reach a giant courtyard where the stables, the shrine’s offices and a giant propeller are located.

Propeller

Propeller

To reach the main shrine? Keep climbing. I think what earned Konpira’s approach its infamy is the way the steps are paced. 785 steps by themselves are hard but nothing unmanageable. What makes Konpira so devious is the way it lets you climb, then you see a roof in front of you and think you’ve done it, and it turns out to be nothing more than a gate, a courtyard, a small shrine or just a random hall. Whatever energy and strength you’ve gathered is crushed and lost and you’re having summon the will once more to face the steps.

Gate leading up from the courtyard

Gate leading up from the courtyard

 

Steps

Steps

Think that's the main hall? hahaha

Think that’s the main hall up ahead? hahaha

 

Asahi-sha

Asahi-sha

 

Yep.. steps

Yep.. steps

 

Main shrine

Main shrine

 

Main shrine

Main shrine

 

If the prospect of 785 steps excites you, why not take on another 583 to the inner shrine.

I feel like a lemming. There’s a sign with an arrow, promising something at the end and away I go.

The steps to the main shrine took me 30minutes, the steps to the inner shrine will take me another 25.

Shiramine shrine

Shiramine shrine

 

Steps steps steps

Steps steps steps

 

Inner shrine

Inner shrine

 

Inner shrine

Inner shrine

 

View from inner shrine

View from inner shrine

After praying at the inner shrine, and after a bit of gasping and resting, I walk back down to the main shrine.

Ema hall

Ema hall

It’s late morning and the approach path is full of visitors.

Heading back out the main gate

Heading back out the main gate

I checked tabelog to see if there’s some place to eat around here, wary that I do not have much time if I wish to catch the next train.

I find a highly rated croquette place near the bottom of the steps. It’s just what I want, something I can bring with me and eat at the station or on the train if time is lacking.

Meat shop

Meat shop

 

Croquette being made

Croquette being made

 

Croquette

Having croquette while waiting for the train

I don’t have croquettes very often so I can’t comment on what’s a good croquette. The stuffing is generous and having been just made there’s no sogginess or oily taste to it.

Train's here

Train’s here

 

Afternoon’s plan includes a quick tour of the Takamatsu castle ruins that’s near the station, after that Ritsurin garden.

Before the castle ruins I also took a walk along the dockside but with all the cranes and other factories around, there’s not much to see.

Takamatsu castle ruin wall

Takamatsu castle ruin wall

Within the grounds of the castle ruin is a garden and former government building. The garden is of the style of a dry garden, with river beds of pebbles and sand.

Tower that used to guard the water gate connecting to the sea

Tower that used to guard the water gate linking the castle to the sea

 

Castle ruin garden

Castle ruin garden

 

Castle ruin garden

Castle ruin garden

 

Castle ruin garden

Castle ruin garden

 

Castle ruin

Castle ruin

 

Foundations of the castle

Foundations of the castle

 

The castle ruin and its garden is not very big, easily covered in about 20 minutes.

Next is Ritsurin, once the garden of the local daimyo.

Ritsurin north gate

Ritsurin north gate

 

Ritsurin

Ritsurin

 

Turtle pine, grown on a mound built from 100 stones

Turtle pine, grown on a mound built from 100 stones

 

Ritsurin

Ritsurin

There are many pines in Ritsurin which the garden is famous for.

Small shop and resting place

Small shop and rest area

 

Teahouse

Teahouse

 

Ritsurin

Ritsurin

 

Pond side teahouse

Pond side teahouse

 

Teahouse

Teahouse

Ritsurin garden has 4 main ponds. The largest one southern pond can be toured by a small boat.

Tour boat

Tour boat

 

Pond side rest area, lots of people feeding koi fish

Pond side rest area, lots of people feeding koi fish

 

Ritsurin

Ritsurin

 

Ritsurin

Ritsurin

 

Ritsurin

Ritsurin

 

Old duck hunting hideout

Old duck hunting hideout

As this is used to be the private garden of the daimyo, it also served as a duck hunting ground for the lord’s pleasures. There are remains of ponds, ditches and hideouts from those olden days.

A few thoughts by the garden.

It’s about on par with the Korakoen in Okayama. Korakoen has more landscaping and a castle as its backdrop, while Ritsurin has more ponds which make for nice scenery too. One disappointment with Ritsurin is its north side (mostly lotus flower ponds) is much less interesting.

The garden has an audio guide but that is not necessary. Unlike Chusonji where the audio guide is most excellent, the audio guide does not offer much info over what’s written in the pamphlets.

It’s almost sundown by the time I leave the garden. I take a chance to do some window shopping on the way to the supermarket.

At 6pm the arcade is very lively, the junction outside the department store even has a live performance going on.

 

Outside department store

Outside department store

 

Takamatsu arcade

Takamatsu arcade

 

Takamatsu arcade

Takamatsu arcade

 

Dinner

Dinner

After dinner I start researching plans for tomorrow.

I have two main options, leave early and do some sightseeing in Osaka or leave late and do some more sightseeing here.

After some researching I find that I cannot fit Osaka in easily. The quickest way to Kansai airport is the Haruka express but that one only stops at Shin-Osaka then Tennoji, bypassing Osaka main station. This means I need to drop my bags off at Tennoji, but even that’s not ideal. Shin-Osaka is on the north side of the city and Tennoji on the south, it takes 20min just to get from Shin-Osaka to Tennoji. Then I suppose I can see Shitennoji temple and the shopping centers.

Alternatively I can stay in Takamatsu and leave around 11:30am, I can either go to the folk village museum about 10 minutes by train out or… go to the Evangelion museum.

Weighing the hassle of transferring at Shin-Osaka to the subway, I decide to sleep in and stay in Takamatsu. As to what I’d do exactly I defer the choice till tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Koyo Maigo – Day 13

There’s a few good things about Superhotel. First is that their breakfast starts early at 6:30, next is they’re predictable. Free drinks from the vending, rice, miso soup, plenty of salad, a few decent if not necessarily well made hot dishes, bread buns and some fruit.

Superhotel breakfast

Superhotel breakfast

The last 3 days of the trip are all in Shikoku, the island in southern Japan. Since my flight leaves at 5pm on the 3rd day, I get 2 full days and a few hours on the 3rd.

The first day is a day trip to Matsuyama, capital of Ehime prefecture in western Shikoku. Matsuyama is a little over 2.5 hours by express train. As a rough rule I do not consider journeys under 3 hours to be worth changing hotels.

I’m an early person and outside of castles and temples (and even that’s a maybe) there’s really no activities before 9-10am, using the early morning to cover distances means I loses very few time getting to my destination.

And, changing hotels takes at least 40 minutes. There’s the need to haul bags around, either finding a locker to store them or taking a detour to the hotel to drop them off, then time spent checking in hotel, familiarizing with surroundings.

Add it up a 2.5 hours travel time is pretty reasonable.

Painted train carriage of the Kotoden private rail

Painted train carriage of the Kotoden private rail

 

Ritsurin station

Ritsurin station

 

Tourism poster for Tokushima

Tourism poster for Tokushima, advertising temple pilgrimages Shikoku is famous for

 

Takamatsu station front

Takamatsu station front

 

Takamatsu station

Takamatsu station

The express train between Matsuyama and Takamatsu is a very sleek tilt train.

Very sleek train

Very sleek train

 

Seto sea

Seto inland sea

I studies the view outside, of the seto inland sea and the fields of Shikoku. Perhaps of the route, traveling along the coast, Shikoku did not feel particularly rural to me. Certain no city, but at the same time it was not endless fields or orchards like touhoku.

Matsuyama station

Matsuyama station

 

Compared to the fairly modern Takamatsu station, the Matsuyama station is decidedly backwater. There aren’t even automated barrier gates, instead tickets are checked manually by staffs.

Same goes for the streets. They've all just got that little bit more age to them

Same goes for the streets. They’ve all just got that little bit more age to them

Matsuyama castle is also one of the remaining twelve original castles in Japan. The first thing I noticed soon as I step into the castle grounds is that it’s actually on top of a small mountain that rises above the city flatlands.

This is a real mountain fortress. And it means a long arduous climb that I was not expecting.

 

Whoa that's the castle?

Whoa that’s the castle?

 

The lower fortification at the bottom of the hill

The lower fortification at the bottom

 

Remnants of the first gate

Remnants of the lower gate

 

Almost at the top

Almost at the top

The climb is steep and took me about 10 minutes.

The southern gate

The southern entrance to the castle plateau

The fortress design of the castle is reflected in its many walls, snaking routes and layered defenses.

The southern approach to the plateau entrance is a good example. For an attacker battling up the mountainside, he’ll see a path that splits into two, one which does a U-turn up a slope into the southern end of the courtyard and heavily guarded by towers, another path goes straight along the base of the wall toward the keep in the back.

This is actually a trap intended to split the attackers. Anyone that is lured by seemingly easy and straight path to the keep will find themselves at a dead end, all while death rains down from the walls above.

The doorless gate, named so as there are no hinges or evidence of doors ever being installed here

The doorless gate, named so for there are no hinges or evidence of doors ever being installed here

Past the U-turn and doorless gate is another two layer of walls and gates.

First gate

First gate

 

Second gate

Second gate

 

The keep in the north end of the plateau

The keep in the north end of the plateau

Rows of cherry blossoms are planted over the plateau, making the castle one of the best cherry blossom flowers viewing spots.

The keep's outer wall

The keep’s outer wall

 

Matsuyama castle keep

Matsuyama castle keep

 

Inside the corridors of the keep complex are displays of the castle's history

Inside the corridors of the keep complex are displays of the castle’s history

 

Looking down the plateau from atop the keep

Looking down the plateau from atop the keep

 

Mandarin fruit ice cream

Mikan fruit ice cream

Ehime produces a lot of mikan (mandarin?) fruits (about 70% of the mikan I bought on this trip were grown in Ehime) and a local specialty is the mikan fruit ice cream. Please don’t be an idiot like me and buy the ice cream from the only shop up in the plateau. Buy them down below for half the price.

I had come up the western side and I now head down the eastern route toward Dogo Onsen. It is only then I discover there’s a chairlift that brings people up from the bottom of the mountain….. doh. It’s 270Y one way and 510Y return. You probably only need it for the way up.

Chairlift station

Chairlift station

 

Chairlift base station

Chairlift base station

 

Botchan tram to Dogo onsen

Botchan historic light rail to Dogo onsen

By accident (or perhaps unplanned is the better word) I walk into Dogo park and the Yuzuki castle ruin archive museum.

Yuzuki castle was built by the Kono clan that ruled the area from the Kamakura period until the end of the Sengoku period when they surrendered to Hideyoshi. There’s few signs of it left but some foundations in the park.

Not many people visits the archive museum, I can tell cause the museum staff was very excited to see me, and somewhat disappointed when he found out I wasn’t Japanese and he wouldn’t be able to share everything he knows about the castle.

The displays provided ample information however. I learned a detailed timeline of the Kono clans and history of the castle, what the excavations of the area discovered. Plenty of pottery and how the type of pottery correlated to each level of the social hierarchy.

Peasants and low ranking samurais had mostly locally produced plain potteries. Officials and others of higher status had more decorated plates, bowls and vases, some from Korea and south east asia.. The lords and their closest servants had elaborate fine potteries, a great portion imported from China.

I was surprised by evidence of this much trade between Japan and China a thousand years ago. Taking the general time period of 12th to 13th century puts it at the Yuan and Ming dynasties in China, neither I was aware of having close ties with Japan.

The staff also put on a short movie that acted out the rise of the Kono clan. I understood maybe 30% of it? Something about their rise due to achievements in the fight against the mongol invasion. Then expanded their influence by gathering an army of pirates that roamed the Seto inland seas.

The place is surprisingly informative for such a small museum. Entrance is free and definitely worth spending at least 30-40 minutes there. Looking back I probably should have asked the staff to play the other short films available too.

Dogo park

Dogo park

 

Yuzuki castle restored samurai house

Yuzuki castle restored samurai house

Because of my detour through the park, I sort of arrive at Dogo onsen through the back.

Dogo onsen claims to be the oldest onsen in Japan dating back to the 6th century, though the present day building only has about 100 years on it. The bathhouse has a section and bath reserved for the imperial family.

Dogo onsen

Dogo onsen

 

Dogo onsen

Dogo onsen

 

Tama no Ishi, the healing spring

Tama no Ishi, the healing spring

It’s quite different from what I expected. It’s smack in the middle of the city suburbia, lacking vistas or sceneries, not even a historic looking area. Due to the space constraints nearby hotels are also plain looking. It makes sense, people come here to go bath in the Dogo onsen, not bath in their hotels so there’s less need for keeping fancy outdoor baths themselves.

It is mid afternoon, activity around the area is subdued. It’ll get more busy toward the evening when people have checked into their hotels and want to take a bath before or after dinner.

The best way to enjoy Dogo onsen would be to go in and have a bath… but… I’m not really a take a bath during the day person.

There’s a small shopping arcade connecting the onsen and the tram station, mostly souvenir shops, teahouses and cafes.

Dogo onsen arcade

Dogo onsen arcade

I grab a light lunch at the convenience store where they have a Madoka tie-in with a meat bun shaped after Kyubey, the adorable fluffy pet from the anime.

Kyubey meat bun, nomnomnomnom

Kyubey meat bun, nomnomnomnom

By the tram station is a foot bath where many are relaxing by and a clock tower that plays a puppet show every hour.

Foot onsen

Foot onsen

 

Foot onsen and the clock

Foot onsen and the clock

On top of the clock is a white heron, a symbol of Dogo onsen based on an old legend of a injured heron that landed here and was healed.

A guide stands beneath the clock, introduces visitors to the places history in his friendly old man voice.

The clock raises up and the puppets come out

The clock raises up and the puppets come out

 

Dogo onsen entrance

Dogo onsen entrance

After the puppet show I take a round about tour through Matsuyama’s shopping arcade back to the station.

Matsuyama main arcade

Matsuyama main arcade

 

Back to the station

Back to the station

 

It is approaching 7 when I get back to Takamatsu. While waiting for the local train to Ritsurin I step out to stretch my legs. There’s a group of teenagers sitting by a lamp post, one of them playing a guitar. Next to her is a sign saying she hopes to go to Tokyo one day.

It is a powerful scene. I’ve never lived in a place that is not a major city, constantly surrounded by fame and glamor even if I paid no heed or interest. In a small city like Takamatsu, Tokyo is a big and distant place where dreams are made, where idols are crowned and stories are written.

I wonder, if I had grown up in a rural area would I have more focus of what it is I want in life.

Young street musician

Young street musician

 

Dream

Dream

Feeling pretty accomplished today, I spoil myself a little buying an extra nigiri sushi.

Even the supermarket sushi is better than any sushi trains you can find in Sydney.

Dinner

Dinner

 

Bento

Bento

 

Nigiri sushi

Nigiri sushi