#Japan16 Shikoku

Waking to my alarm at 6.30, I decided to take the ferry from Wakagama port to Shikoku. From there I could get to the south coast of Honshu, ready to re-join my itinerary by Sunday evening.

Unfortunately I spent too long over the breakfast buffet (I was delighted to get Belgian waffles, but not so delighted to see deep fried whale! So I just missed the 8.30 ferry and had to wait two hours for the next one. The crossing took two hours itself. The ferry was huge, and besides a strange lounge are which looked like the middle column of seats from an aeroplane, randomly placed in the interior deck, there was also a carpeted room with shoe racks where people were sat on the floor. I joined them and researched where to go next, breaking occasionally to look for dolphins (there were none), or buy an ice cream from the vending machine (I only did this once for the record). I also got an amusing badge which has the ferry name written on it, with a picture of a scantily clad manga girl offering her hand, I assume to invite you onto the boat...

Due to their own gulf stream, Wakayama area
is a lot warmer than Osaka, and as a result
 has a lot more Sakura (and palm trees!)

The time passed quickly, and we soon alighted at Shikoku. Shikoku means 'four regions' in Japanese. The island is split roughly into quarters, and I would be limited to the north-easterly region of Tokoshima, and a little of Kagawa.

I chatted to a Swiss couple as we waited for the bus from the port into Tokushima city. They were very friendly although they didn't seem confident in their English, they too were backpacking and told me (as Tsusonoka had also reported) that Kyoto was amazing. I was very excited for the city that would be the grand finale for my trip. on the 25th March, Japan Guide (my go to guidebook website) had announced that Sakura Season had officially begun in Kyoto, so my hopes were high.

From the bus, Shikoku didn't seem much different to the mainland. The city however was very unlike Tokyo or Osaka. Tall palm trees swayed above raised walkways. (the walkways had escalators) and the city had the bright, breezy vibe of a hot country. I grabbed a map and walked to the Tokushima museum of Awa Odori, a festival in the summer when the whole city lours kut into the streets to dance the traditional awa Odori dance, in beautiful costumes and folded straw hats. The museum had a 3D video of the carnival as well as a number of miniature models of it, with tiny dolls dressed in kimonos of carrying octopus banners. The music was very catchy, I would love to return in August for the real thing!

Tokushima:s main drag. Not how I imagined Japan, but I'm not
complaining!

My favourite part of the day was the train journey through Shikoku. It was much more lush and rural than Honshu (the main island) and interspersed with conical green mountains. A beautiful place.

Next, I had to change train at Takamatsu, so I wandered around the city square. It was very smart, and dominated by the yellow brick Symbol tower. Aided by a surreally helpful (and sharply dressed) security guard, I made it up to the 30th floor of the East tower of the Symbol Tower building, and when the lift doors opened I couldn't suppress a gasp. The low afternoon sun had cast the city in gold. The deep shadows defined every building, and I could see them wrap tightly around the base of each hill, and jut out in peninsulas into the south sinto sea. The sea itself sparkled so brightly it dazzled me, and my camera couldn't do it justice.

My favourite Japanese security guard

When I returned to the ground floor (they call it the first floor in Japan), I thanked the security guard, and he asked where I was from. We had a chat and then he lead me across the building into the lift for the west tower. On the eighth floor the doors  opened to a spectacular view of the sea, speckled with islands of every shape and size. The guard pointed out every island and told me their names, then bowed apologetically and told me he must get back to his post.

I enjoyed the beautiful view, trying to absorb that this was Japan, and I was really here! After a while I wandered down to the harbour wall, took some more photos of the sun over the islands, and then got onto the Marine Liner train, bound for Okinawa!

The marine liner wove through north Shikoku before taking the Seto Ohashi bridge from Shikoku to Honshu (the main island). Somehow I timed it just right and as the train came over the bridge, I was able to see the sun setting over the sea from my window. It was the most amazing, beautiful sight, and I think it was the cherry on top of a beautiful day on the island.

It was a lot more magical than it looks, you'll have to take my
word for it!

I had dinner in Okinawa's underground shopping mall, ordering a vegetable and rice dish which I had chosen from the array of plastic replica dishes on display ("yasai?" "Hai!") it was absolutely delicious and surprisingly normal! If was also fantastically cheap and filling, so I was a happy bunny. There didn't seem to be anything worth staying late for in Okinawawa. There was a castle I couldn't be bothered to visit (I'd been castling at dawn and dusk the day before after all) and after I'd got a photo of the golf ball shaped waterfall, and got the obligatory stamp, I took the shinkansen to Fukuyama, where I spent the night in an un-noteworthy business hotel.

#Japan16 Lost in Hakone

I left Khaosan Kabuki Hostel with a heart almost as heavy as my backpack (which, believe me, is less comfortable than it looks!) . I could happily have spent another day in Tokyo, it is an enormous city, which unlike London or Glasgow which seem to shrink, it only seemed to get bigger the more you explored it.

Me and my baggage leaving Khaosan Kabuki Hostel

I journeyed to Tokyo station, from which I grabbed a bento box brunch, and had the pleasure of seeing the train cleaners bowing to a shinkhansen as it pulled into the station, before boarding it, turning the seats, and thoroughly cleaning it within ten minutes. They moved fast, and looked fantastic in their pink uniform with a Sakura print. I'd seen a video of this on youtube beforehand, so I was quite excited by it. All the more so because I then boarded the shinkhansen myself and settled down in one of the newly clean seats!

My pickled vegetable brunch, mm-mm!

Despite being able to travel at more than 200 mph, the shinkhansen didn't feel any faster than a normal train. It was a bit smoother though, and much brighter and more comfortable. As the train left the city, I caught my first glimpse of a misty Mount Fuji. I was so excited!

Shortly after, we stopped at Odawara station, where I collected four stamps in black, red, and purple, and I bought my misleadingly named Hakone Free Pass for 4000y. This allowed me to board the local train into Hakone-Yumuto station, from where I got a mountain railway up into the hills for Gora. The mountain railway is apparently the only full size one of its kind in Japan, and features three switchbacks up the hill, which is cool but takes absolutely ages. Everyone on the train was dozing, myself included, luckily my destination was the terminal.

A brief flicker of the fantastic mountain scenery

from Gora (where I got another stamp!) I took the 'cable car' (funicular railway) directly up the mountain, stopping at Naka-Gora for my Ryokan. There were a lot of lost tourists wandering around consulting maps and smartphones, but I happily made my way directly to my destination, thanks to the numerous maps they had sent me, besides the fact it was a straight walk down the road directly out of the station.

Suirinso Ryokan has a deceptively modern exterior, but inside was not only traditional, but old and worn in a less romantic sense too. Regardless, I was very impressed, not only by the array of slippers available, the fast food vending machine, and the free ice lollies, but also the traditional style rooms with Tatami mat floors and kneeling chairs, which I peeked at through paper doors on my way to the toilet.

Having used the facilities, decanted my sightseeing essentials into my day-pack, and stolen a yogurt flavour ice-lolly, I boarded the funicular again and visited the Hakone Open-Air Museum, an art gallery (predominantly sculptural) set into the beautiful hillside. I was very happy here. I saw no less than three Henry Moore statues (I had studied his work at school, but I got a much better understanding of it in person) besides an impressive number of fascinating and thought provoking artworks, the symphonic sculpture (a cylindrical tower of stained glass with a spiral staircase inside, which illuminated beautifully in the afternoon sunshine, and a large gallery dedicated entirely to original Picassos!

A lot of the art was very easy to enjoy

My plan had been next to get the ropeway (an actual cable car) down to Lake Ashi, so that I could get a cruise as included in my free pass. However, the ropeway was closed due to heightened volcanic activity in the area (don't worry Mum!) so I had to get a bus. "no problem" I thought, clambering onto a tourist bus (also included in mh pass) which was going the right direction. The scenery was spectacular, and once I got a seat, (most people got off at the same stop, about half way through the journey) I really enjoyed the ride. The bus driver was a character, announcing to all his passengers as he checked each mirror every time before he pulled off. He too wore a smart peaked cap, shirt and tie, and little white gloves.

Finally the board at the front of the bus showed that we were approaching our final stop. To our dismay, we arrived at Gotemba outlet centre. I spoke to the bus driver as I got off. "Togenda?" I asked him. He told me I should have changed where everyone else got off. I gesticulated to ask if I could stay on the bus "next bus four" he told me. I hopped off and thanked him, and settled down for my four minute wait. I made several bad assumptions here.
1) this is not Tokyo, therefore public transport would be not as frequent and prompt
2) the queue of four schoolgirls at the stop did nor mean a bus was due
3) "four" did not mean four hours, but 4pm. It was ten past three.
I realised this with only five minutes until the bus was due, when the queue was forty or more people long, and my lack of sleep had started to catch up with me in the form of shivering cold. If I had realised earlier I could at least have walked around the outlet, although from what I saw it was just a disappointing version of the Swindon designer outlet.

At 4pm, I rode the bus to Sengoku, hopped off, and waited for the Togenda bus, shivering with exhaustion and feeling pretty miserable. When the bus finally arrived (10 minutes late. Where do they think this is? England?!) I cheered up at the prospect of potentially getting some good sunset shots of Lake Ashi and Mt Fuji. I had given up on getting traditional dinner delivered to my room at the Ryokan, but found that if I got off the cruise at Hal way point, there was a restaurant in the information guide, which offered vegetarian adjustments to the dishes. As my bus pulled in at the lake, I was dismayed to see that the last boat had just left the dock. It was pulling away as the bus halted, and the gate to the jetty had closed. The last ferry was supposed to be at 5pm, but it was 4.35.

I was freezing and feeling very miserable. My day had not turned out at all as planned, almost entirely consumed with travelling. I got on the next bus, even though it would only take me to Hakone-Yamote station (at the foot of the long mountain railway) but the bus was stuck in terrible traffic. At the station I grabbed a plastic pot dinner and a cream cake just like the night before, and sat jn the cafe watching trains rumble in and out of the station. It was surprisingly pleasant until they started playing One Direction background music!

I rode the mountain railway up to Goya, but the funicular had closed for the night. The station master advised me to wait for a taxi, but I was in a bit of a fluster, and knew I could almost see my station from here, so I decided to walk it. As I started up the hill, a Japanese lady called up to me "No, stop, you can't walk! Too far!" I thanked her but insisted that I wanted to. I only had my light backpack, and these shoes didn't hurt, so I determinedly scrambled up the steep road. I got to my station easily, but there was no bridge or underpass. I looked down at the cable track. I had seen someone jump across it earlier in the afternoon, and it seemed to be the only way across, but I have a strange fear (and recurring nightmares) about train tracks, and I know that I wasn't supposed to... I walked back and forth along the platform to make my mind up, then walked back down the hill to the nearest underpass. With google maps leading the way, I began to walk along the block to my Ryokan, when I heard a car approaching. As it slowed down, my heart began to race, but I turned to recognise the lady from the station. She wound her window down "I worry about you." She told me, beckoning for me to get in. Her daughter watched me with interest from the back seat. I got into the car. She introduced herself, as did I, and asked me where I was staying. It was a very short drive to the Ryokan and I thanked her repeatedly. I know it isn't appropriate to tip in Japanese culture, but they do like gifts. I wish I'd thought on my feet but I was too exhausted.

Luckily when I entered the Ryokan, a little old Japanese lady was just tidying the reception area. She gave me a tour and then I headed straight down to the onsen bath, just as three Japanese ladies were leaving. In a way this was good because I didn't feel self conscious. The water was cloudy and smelt of rocks and minerals. It was naturally hot from the spring so the effect was like a bath that never gets cold. It was the best thing all day. I got an early night, sleeping on the futon I prepared myself with a pillow of sand(?), and slept in my Yukata robe.

My Japanese room, complete with tatami mats, kneeling chair, and paper door.