Japan (Part 2): Along the Coast and Over the Mountains (Shikoku)

We had been climbing for the past few days and were finally approaching the pass, at 720m. From there it would be all downhill to the other side of Shikoku. Our route took us up a small road, which turned into a dirt road and then a rough trail, hardly an option for us. Damn cycling app!

Around Shikoku: the Henro Pilgrimage
When I started thinking about heading back to Japan for another cycling trip, I soon heard about the Shikoku Henro. It’s a pilgrimage circuit around the island of Shikoku through 88 temples. Most pilgrims walk the circuit, but some cycle it or even drive it. The cycling route around the island was the seed that caused this trip to happen. Little did we know that the cycling route mostly follows main roads and includes many narrow dark tunnels.

Hosts and Toilets
One day we discovered that we had lost our pump. I thought to myself that we’d be in a bit of trouble if we had a flat tire. Sure enough, I had a flat tire the very next day. Luckily we had just left a little town, so I rode Maya’s bike back into town with a spare tube and the wheel. It was a hot day, and Maya and Neil were forced to wait in the sun with no shade, while Kai napped in the sweltering trailer. After a few failed attempts, I managed to find an air compressor at a mechanic’s shop.

Later that day I made an on the spot decision to take a detour through the Naruto Skyline not thinking too much about the significance of the “Skyline” in the name. We climbed steeply, seemingly right up into the sky and Maya was no doubt cursing me under her breath. Of course, all this happened on a rare day when we had committed ourselves to staying at a Warm Showers host in Tokushima, so we had to keep going. We arrived in the dark, after having ridden about 61 km, our longest day of the trip.

With our hosts, Florence and Takeshi, and the owner, chef and waiter at their local izakaya

Sorami, our host in Tokushima, was our first Warm Showers host in Japan this time, and we were his first guests. In fact, he had only signed up a few hours before we contacted him… With a family of four on his doorstep, perhaps he got more than he bargained for!

After that we had a variety of Warm Showers and Couchsurfing hosts who generously hosted us and gave us a glimpse of many different ways of living. Sorami and Rashaad live in urban deserts in Tokushima and Kochi, the opposite of the walkable liveable human scale city. Florence and Takeshi live in a converted warehouse in the middle of nowhere, making lovely bamboo lanterns for a living. We went on a stroll in their neighbourhood on a rainy day, along a canal lined by rice fields, and glimpsed two monkeys crossing the road. Their somewhat stinky composting toilet converts their poop into compost. Contrast that with Toyoma, who grows tomatoes and has a toilet that opens automatically when you come in and flushes by itself when you are done.

Food: Regional Specialties
In Japan, there is a strong food culture, and many towns and regions have their own special dishes. We learned that it’s worth seeking them out. Takamatsu, and in fact the whole Kagawa prefecture, is known for its udon. So much so, that their wifi marker is drawn with a little bowl of udon on the top. The signature dish at Baka-Ichidai in Takamatsu is kama butter udon, served immediately after cooking, with butter, black pepper, and a raw egg – break the egg and mix it in. It was our first bowl of handmade udon, and it blew us away – how could such a simple dish be so good? At Ryotei Kagetsu in Muroto, we had kinmedai don, slices of a bright red fish (splendid alfonsino) in teriyaki on top of rice, a dish so beautiful it seemed a shame to eat it.

*kinmedai don* in Muroto, too beautiful to eat?

After eating so much udon, ramen, sushi, and other Japanese delicacies, we often felt like having something simple like a cheese sandwich. Finding a large Japanese supermarket is easy, and they always have fresh bread. But… the bread is invariably 100% white, boring, unnutritious, and cut into ridiculously thick pieces. I had mentioned San San Bakery a few times to Maya, but for some reason she didn’t take note, so she was truly surprised when we reached it. San San Bakery is located in what we like to call, “the place where you least expect it” – the little mountain town of Kumakogen, on the side of a main road. We devoured two rounds of mini pain au chocolat, and then picked up some still-hot bread for later.

Perspective
A long time ago I noticed that going on a longer trip and being away from our regular routine, gives some perspective to our lives. This is also a main reason why many people undertake the pilgrimage around Shikoku. Such is the case of Chisato, who was previously an investment banker in Tokyo, and met her husband on the route. She ended up moving to a tiny out of the way village to manage the family minshku (a guesthouse). We reached their minshku exactly at the right moment, after riding for a few hours in the rain. We were welcomed by the whole family, including their daughter who is one week older than Kai and the 98 year old great-grandmother.

On our arrival to the minshku, they offered to run us a bath. This was not just an ordinary bath, it was the size of the jacuzzi at a public pool. As suggested by them, we all took a bath together. But first we scrubbed ourselves down, sitting of course, so as not to dirty the bath water. Then we enjoyed a family soak in the scalding water. Chisato explained that one of the reasons pilgrims leave early in the morning is to race each other to the next minshku, so that they can be the first into the bath – the water is reused by everyone that day. Later, we sat down for dinner with the pilgrims and the plates of food kept on coming. Soup, sashimi, a whole fish, a local mountain vegetable, katsuo tataki (seared skipjack tuna), tofu, treats for the kids, and of course unlimited rice and tea.

Kai’s Birthday: An Ocean Boy
Kai started walking on this trip. At first it was a careful few steps, but now he is virtually unstoppable. To celebrate his first birthday, we inflated a purple balloon in our tent in the morning. It matched his purple pajamas perfectly. The next day we bought a little chocolate cake that we shared. Kai loves water, in all its forms, especially the ocean, and our trip has given him a lot of opportunities to engage his interest (which borders on an obsession). This is very fitting, since his name means “ocean” in Japanese.

Crossing the Mountains
To get from the end of our coastal route to Matsuyama on the other side of Shikoku, we had to cross the mountains. We spent a while mulling over routes, eventually settling on the mellowest option, which also happened to be a pretty busy road (highway 33). For most of the way it didn’t have a shoulder, nor sidewalk. We often found a sidewalk (AKA bike path) along roads we were cycling in Japan. Those sidewalks can be a fleeting thing. One moment you are enjoying the nice smooth bike path, the next moment it changes sides at a blind corner, disappears, or a bollard or electricity pole block your way. Japan has some wonderful tiny roads, that wind up the mountain sides through bamboo forests with not a car in sight. The problem is that we had to avoid most of those roads due to our limited ability to climb with all our gear and kids…

Climbing all those hills can get tiring!

Those Tunnels
Every time we saw a tunnel up ahead, we looked at each other with that look in our eyes. It’s absolutely incredible to see how many tunnels there are in Japan, even on small roads, and how long they are, sometimes a few km’s. The tunnels almost always have a sidewalk on the side, but it’s a very inconsistent thing.

This tunnel had a very narrow sidewalk through it

One particular tunnel had a very narrow sidewalk, just wide enough for the trailer. In the end we decided to walk it. It was a busy road, and any vehicles passing by caused a huge racket. By the time we were done, it was almost dark. Earlier, we had had the choice of camping at a nearby park or heading down to the farther beach. Somehow, temptation won, and we ended up at the beach after all, but not before negotiating that tunnel. We arrived in pitch black darkness, everyone tired and grumpy. Someone suggested going to sleep without dinner, but reason prevailed. It was only on the next day that we saw we had camped at a beautiful spot. The next morning we played on the beach and then rode one of those wonderful narrow and quiet roads through bamboo forests that keeps reminding me why I love Japan.

Matsuyama: A One Thousand Year Old Onsen
After four days in the mountains, we arrived to Matsuyama. We arrived directly to Dogo Onsen, one of the oldest onsen (hotspring) in Japan. So many people were trying to photograph it, that it was difficult to get through with the bikes. Dogo onsen is so famous in Japanese circles that many Japanese tourists visit especially to bathe there. The nearby streets were full of people wearing their yukata (colourful robes) and geta (wooden sandals), and carrying little baskets with their toiletries. Since our Airbnb was located a short walk from the onsen, we went there daily, just like the locals. Neil particularly enjoyed soaking in the hot water for a while, and then dumping buckets full of cold water over our heads.

In Matsuyama, when we opened our door we stepped straight out into an arcade, a covered shopping street. It was so nice to be located in such a central location. These arcades stretch out across many Japanese cities, a genius idea for rainy days. They don’t have the stuffiness of a closed mall since fresh air is allowed in, and they are usually lined with small stores and restaurants instead of box stores and chains. Many arcades also allow cycling, and we enjoyed the novelty of cycling along a covered pathway, right by stores and restaurants.

There was an old little train right by our Airbnb. Neil was happy to inspect it from all angles, and it was all we could do to stop him from climbing on top of it. Later we discovered it actually goes, and so we caught it downtown. After we arrived, the train had to be turned around, which was accomplished by lifting it over the tracks and turning it by hand…

We visited Matsuyama Castle on Halloween, Neil tried on an old Samurai armor. We told him it was his Halloween costume. It was too heavy though, and he didn’t last very long. On the train ride back we met some highschoolers dressed up for Halloween, a reminder of the holiday we were missing. Sure, being on a longer trip means missing some things that are happening back home, but it’s worth it!

(Stay tuned for Part Three!)