Summer in Shikoku

Shikoku

(Click on any photo to expand) 

It has been a while since I last wrote.  Six months in fact.  I seem to be on a six month update schedule, so I suppose I am right on time.  Kai, Kaori and I just got back from a four day vacation in Shikoku. Shikoku is the large Island just south of "Honshu", the main island in Japan. On the way to Shikoku, we stopped off at Naoshima, an "art" island between Shikoku and Honshu. The island has been overrun by artist and has become quite famous for world class museums.  

After staying the night on Naoshima, we took a ferry to Takamatsu where we rented a car and drove to Ehime Prefecture.  In Ehime, we stayed at a great hotel across the street from the famous Dogo Onsen.  This onsen (hotspring bath) was the inspiration for the bath house in Miyazaki's film, "Spirited Away"

The next day we drove to Uchiko town in the mountains and stayed at a small, local Minshuku (inn).  The inn was actually an old traditional farm house that had been recently converted into an inn. 

On the last day of the trip we got back in the car and drove to Matsuyama airport and flew back to Tokyo.

That is the quick version.  Now  you have an overview of the trip, I have a few photo's to illustrate the journey.

Back up to the very beginning. 

The journey begins in Hiroo, Tokyo in front of our house.  Here is the departure photo of Kaori and Kai excited to go on vacation.  I think Kai is actually more excited about the juice we just gave him, but I'd like to think he is just as excited about the adventure we are about to embark upon.

 We took the train from Tokyo to Okayama which takes about three hours by Shinkansen.  We then had to take another train to the ferry port in Uno which took another hour with a transfer in Okayama.

After 3 hours on a bullet train and half an hour more on a dinky train, Kai was getting a bit tired.

So we decided to monkey around a bit.

When we finally arrived at the ferry, Kai was again in good spirits, running around on the dock.

Once on the ferry, I took a few photos of the boat...

and of some of the other smaller islands we passed on the way.

I liked the design of the lights. Why such an interesting design for lights on a ferry? Could this be the effect of a ferry going to an "ART" island? Could be residual art. 

When we finally arrived in Noshima, we checked into the Benesse hotel which is a part of the main museum complex.  It's like staying at the Smithsonian Hotel on the mall in WDC, if there was such a thing.  This was the view from our balcony:

I don't know how clearly you can see it in the photo, but it was a view across the sculpture garden and out over the ocean.

Kai's favorite thing about the hotel was that all the light switches were just at his hight.  A BIG hit with a little guy.

So after a quick rest, we went out to introduce ourselves to the locals.

Here is Kai learning a bit about the culture.

He quickly became a critic.

 

And then he saw it ...

The great squash art "Cabocha." It was an approximately 7' yellow spotted squash sitting on the end of a cement dock absorbing the ocean vibes. 

... More inspection was required

  

Its sheer mass blurred reality a bit

(Could be my favorite photo of the trip. Click to enlarge)

... and a bit more inspection ...

... and finally, a verdict...

"Great Art." 

As with all great art, we should learn from it and emulate it a bit.

So we sat and soaked up the vibes of the ocean for a bit. 

And after we left, the great squash sat, as it always had, and soaked up yet even more vibes from the ocean.  Communing with the ecosphere.

But Naoshima was not all Museums and Art.  We had some fun too. 

Here is Kai ridding down the ramp on the suitcase from one museum to the bus stop (With papa holding on the entire way) 

I didn't have any photos of the museums themselves, as no photos were allowed, but they were pretty impressive.  I won't even try to describe them.  You'll have to go and check them out. 

We then got back on the ferry and went to Takamatsu. 

Our Ferry:

 We then rented a car and drove to the famous Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama. 

Here we are in front of the Onsen

 

You can see from the gate some of the similarities in Miyazaki's Onsen design. 

 

You can better see the size of the thing from the side view

There is a big drum at the top that they will hit in the morning and at night. The Onsen has three floors.  The first for the regular baths, the second for the elite bath, and the third floor for the sacred bath of the gods.  

While in town, Kai met up with a few famous characters

We even found a great outside foot spa where we could relax our tired dogs.  

The last day of the trip we drove to Uchiko town, a tiny traditional inn in the mountains.

We stopped off at a historical district where I wish I had taken more photos.  My favorite photos from the time we were there, were of the three of us posing as the famous ad for the raw egg vinegar drink that the area was famous for.  As curious as I was to try it, I declined the offer. 

Here I am as the egg-vinigar Drink-Man:

Here is Kaori as the  egg-vinigar Drink-Man:

Even Kai-kun was the  egg-vinigar Drink-Man:

From the historical district to the farm house was not too far.  It did take some driving on very winding, narrow roads. But it was well worth the drive. Here's the inside of the farm house where we stayed.  

 

That thing hanging from the ceiling in the back is to hang a pot over a fire.  For us, they slowly cooked fish over good local charcoal.  

They served us an amazing local dinner there.

To the left of the meal is a toy fish that we bought Kai in the historical district.  It rattles. 

One of the tourist attractions in the mountains was a small local shrine that sits at the end of a long wooden bridge that adorns a lake. Here Kaori and Kai are walking over the bridge. They are just at the end of the long bridge.  I don't have a good photo of the whole bridge. 

The shrine was beautiful. Very simple, very green.

Here's Kai checking out the shrine guard dog.

And here's a picture I like that I took of Kai while Kaori was looking up at the shrine.

There were some beautiful iris next to the shrine at the edge of the rice paddy. 

and

Everything was so green on the mountain.  Just the color we were looking for.  The scenery you just can't find in Tokyo

and here Kai and I are looking at it.

We had a great day walking around the mountain.  That night, some local volunteers took us to a road that leads between two rice paddies and we saw swarms of fire files. It was interesting how they attract them actually.  They turn on the hazard lights on a car and the fire flies all come over to see the great blinking beauty.  They all light up and cover the truck.  It was something to see. 

But as everyone knows, all good things must some day come to an end. 

The next day we had to drive back into town and fly back home.  

Here is a good final shot to show the day before we drove back. Kai and I are standing in front of the inn. Seems like a good final shot for the entry.

"Bye bye,"  as the boy likes to say.