Shikoku 88 – Getting There
Finally. After four years of involuntary waiting, first due to the corona thing and then for Japan to re-open their country again, I am finally back 🙂 But, before I say anything else, I have to thank my wonderful wife for letting me do this while she has to stay home working and taking care of the house and the dog! Thank you!! And I also would like to thank my advanced Aikido students, who take care of the dojo and stand in teaching while I’m gone.
Now, for a long time I had the dream of going on a longer trip to Japan just by myself. I have 5 weeks now, and what to do with that? Why not do the Shikoku 88-temple O-Henro pilgrimage? Perfect! I love Shikoku, Japan’s 4th largest of the main islands, and from our last visit there I think Japan’s most beautiful one. Well, traditionally one would walk the 1200km along the coast all around the island to do the 88 temple tour, but that would take 7-8 weeks. And, it is mostly on paved roads in urban areas, sometimes on busy roads, and only a rather small portion is actually in nature and in the mountains. But I know that the islands innards, so to speak, have beautiful river gorges, forests and high mountains which are not to be missed… I love nature photography, meditative photography – how can I make the perfect trip and see both?
So I decided to do it similar to the way many Japanese do the pilgrimage today – by car. But instead of renting a normal car and then staying for the nights in hotels or ryokans, I instead rented a small camper car (a so called K-car) which ticks all the boxes for me. Now I can get around the island in the 5 weeks I have, I can take detours inland into the mountains if I feel so, it’s much easier now to take all my photography gear and tripod with me, and… I always have a place to sleep with me! It’s not more expensive, either, because the 45€ per day this car costs is actually less than many would spend renting their rooms for the night. Doing the O-Henro pilgrimage and doing a nature photography trip at the same time – perfect!
Now I am finally here… wow, did I miss this (this is my 8th trip to Japan). I arrived in Osaka, and had a day to spend there before I could get the car. No problem, so I get to see Osaka.
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This is in Dotonbori, Osaka’s famous district for eating and shopping, and people watching 😉 But most of my time I spent around Osaka castle, with its extensive surrounding moats and parks.
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After a beautiful day it was time to pick up my car, and, while getting used again to driving on the left side of the road and sitting on the right, I was making my way to Shikoku. It’s a 170km drive, firstly just highways though Osaka and Kobe, but then…
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… over the largest suspension bridge, the Akashi-Kaikyo bridge. Wow, but as always with expansive views like this, the picture can’t do it justice… Onwards crossing the Awaji island, and then over the Naruto bridge…
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Now finally Shikoku is actually within reach…
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What can I say, I arrived safely on Shikoku, at temple No. 1, got all my things and could start my pilgrimage. But this is a topic for my next post… I am still in the process of changing gears and getting into the feel of it… I am still adjusting and finding my way… until then, stay well!