Reflections on Monkey

When Monkey first went to Japan back in March 2022 she started sending us 'pyjama selfies', because the hotels provide pyjamas for guests, such a wonderful idea. This was our first pyjama selfie and Tish said we looked like we had joined a cult. 

While I had the overarching plan for our trip to Shikoku it was Monkey who worked out the details; she knew when the trains were running, she found interesting places to see and knew when they were open, she checked what the local specialities to eat were. She found the garden and the workshops and the boat trip, and shared her wisdom about life in Japan. She made the whole trip a delight. I could not have done it without her and would not have wanted to do it with anyone else.

She has struggled with anxiety and depression for much of her 20s and to see how learning Japanese and going to Japan has transformed her makes me love the place even more. She has grown in confidence and become a real grown-up, but retains her childlike enthusiasm for everything she does:

dancing on the udon dough ... don't ask me why

insisting on putting on the entire set of Samurai armour

ice-cream pretty much every day

crossing the vine bridge

and skimming stones in the river down below

We rode bikes and climbed mountains together

We managed to balance the things that I wanted to do and the things she wanted to do to create the perfect holiday ... but we hardly have any photos of the two of us together.

Stay safe. Be kind. 

Reflections on Mountains

 

Japan is an entire country of mountains. I think the thing that makes Mount Fuji so iconic is that it stands alone, not in amongst loads of other mountains. Everywhere we went on Shikoku we were surrounded by mountains. We drove up them, down them and through them. We stopped and admired them. We gazed in awe.

This was our view from the restaurant the first full day when we stopped for lunch:

So many mountains ... so we just had to climb the biggest one.

Mount Ishizuchi is the tallest mountain in western Japan, just short of 2,000 metres.

A seven minute cable car ride takes you probably about half way.

then you hike up to a shrine, and back down into the dip. This chart shows that point at 1300m, from where you go almost straight up:

This friendly sign give the 'rules for hikers', stuff like taking your litter home and being careful on the mountain:

In places there are these climbing chains that allow you to cut off some of the meandering route (if you're up to the climb):

It was very early April. We did not anticipate how much snow might remain on the mountain. The wooden steps were buried in places:

... until the path disappeared altogether. This is the point at which we admitted defeat and turned back. We were not well equipped, the last cable car was at 5 and we were not going to reach the top:

It was an exhilarating adventure just to look down from what felt like the top of the world.

View from the castle across the city of Matsuyama:

Go for the food ... stay for the mountains.

Reflections on Food

Looks like a doughnut, crispy and delicious ... but then it has curry in the middle😮

Breakfast most days came from the konbini because we got up so early, onigiri mostly and little crispy croquette things, some days steamed buns with pork filling.

Other favourite konbini finds were these edamame snacks:

We aimed to try and eat different every day ... sushi, ramen, rice, and miso soup with everything.

For the authentic Japanese experience we had bento boxes on the Shinkansen. I picked the one on the right ... picking each thing up and wondering what it was.

Monkey was keen for me to try Yakiniku, tabletop cooking at its best, just order plates of meat and cook it yourself. 

After our boat trip down the river and a visit to the Ghoul Museum we had wild boar and venison burgers at the cafe:

In Kochi we had the local speciality, Katsuo no Tataki, seared tuna, cooked while we watched:

and it was my favourite meal of the trip, utterly delicious;

Eating udon, prior to going to the Udon making workshop:

Eel is the speciality in Kawagoe but we didn't manage to have any while we were there so we had some in a lovely little place in Matsuyama ... served in beautiful lacquered boxes:

Monkey had a sudden need for pancakes. We spotted a place by the roadside and did very precarious U-turn ... and it was worth it.

Last night ice-cream selfie at the Tokyo Sky Tree

Go to Japan ... eat food ... enjoy.

Reflections on Japan

When you plan something for as long as I planned my trip to Japan the comedown was always going to take a while. We packed every day with interesting and delightful experiences and I came back knowing it cannot be the only time I visit. As a place Japan manages to feel both familiar and utterly different. I was very keen to follow Monkey's advice so as not to be seen as a 'bloody foreigner' by doing stupid, disrespectful things. I confess, I did not manage to speak much Japanese.

Some things will get their own post but this one is an overview of the trip, not necessarily highlights. We tried not to be distracted from what we were doing or seeing by taking too many photos, allowing ourselves to just look and enjoy. 

After a couple of days in Kawagoe and Tokyo we took the Shinkansen to Hiroshima. This was the one place I had very much wanted to visit and really the only tourist stop, though it feels weird to call the Peace Memorial that. It was utterly overwhelming to see the shell of the building and to learn more and understand the impact, both immediate and long term, that the bomb had on the city and people of Hiroshima. The building was iconic even before the war and it marks pretty much ground zero of the explosion and was one of only a few brick structures that remained standing, and after much local debate the city decided to retain this stark reminder of the bomb's impact as part of their commitment to strive for a peaceful future. The Peace Museum tells the background history and then tells the stories of many of the people whose lives were affected, some who died and others who survived. Some of it is quite graphic and not for the faint hearted or those who want their history nicely sanitised. 

From Hiroshima we travelled to Onomichi which is the start of the Shimanami cycle route across the inland sea. This was taken from the top of a small cablecar and looks across the sea towards Shikoku (though I think all the islands are in the way). Mountains were quite a big feature of our trip.

Over two days we cycled about 100 kilometres stopping off half way on Omishima at the Miyaura-Goten hostel, eating wild boar curry and watching the sunset behind the mountains. It was a wonderful traditional old building with 'shoes off by the door please', sliding doors, futons and tatami mats. It was just the kind of place I had hoped to stay since the rest of the time we had boring modern hotels.

The final stretch across to Shikoku is the Kurushima Kaikyo bridge which is 4km long:

We then travelled to Matsuyama to hire a car and spent the next week exploring the island of Shikoku.

We had meals in random roadside restaurants:

Saw the Pacific Ocean (from the other side):

We took tea in the teahouse in the Ritsurin Garden:

Made udon noodles:

Made paper at the Paper Museum:

Crossed the vine bridge in the Iya valley:

Got used to the squatty toilets:

Learned quite a bit of Japanese history, such as the significance of Sakamoto Ryoma:

Saw some castles ... and learned more Japanese history:

Saw lots, and lots and lots of cherry blossom:

... and very much admired the lack of rubbish anywhere that people happened to be gathering:

Walked the very narrow pavements without incident

Travelled by Shinkansen, train, bus, tram, bike, car, cablecar, chairlift, 

riverboat and ferry (back across the Seto Inland Sea to Naoshima):

Spent the night Japanese style:

and visited lots of onsens ... but you cant take photos inside so here is the outside of the Dogo Onsen, one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, claiming a 3,000 year history:

And I didn't use a knife and fork for a fortnight ... but more of that to come.