Today, we’re leaving touristic Hiroshima to check out yet another of Japan’s four main land masses: Shikoku. The smallest one of the lot, it is meant to be a little off the beaten path for travellers and this was a big factor in including it in our itinerary. Plus, it will be quite neat to have seen all four islands on our trip - we’re already three in!
We’ve finally activated our Japan Rail Pass, which gives us free rides on most trains in the country - essential considering the distance we want to cover and the high cost of the train tickets - and luckily, once remote Shikoku is now connected to its big sister Honshu by a whole network of immense bridges, including one for trains. The journey takes us through a bit of a detour East before looping back towards our goal of Matsuyama, but the trains are, as we’ve come to expect, spotless and very comfortable, and we reserved seats yesterday so we get a spot together.
We glimpse a few nice views out of the window as we head out of Hiroshima: plenty of blossoming cherry trees, shrines, and temples nestled on top of pretty hills. And then, as we cross the bridges and continue on the coast of Shikoku, breath-taking panoramas over the many islets dotting the Seto inland sea. It’s almost comparable to Halong as a beautiful sea-scape.
Our comfortable mid-morning train (the auspiciously-named Sakura 422) gets us to Matsuyama at one in the afternoon, and we’ve already eaten thanks to very fancy eel-based ekibens (special train lunchboxes) purchased before leaving, so we have plenty of time to explore. After dropping off our bag at the aptly named Comfort Hotel, which has practical lockers to keep our stuff safe until our room is ready, we head back out towards the castle. The preserved fief of the old samurai ruling family is still standing proudly in the centre of town, surrounded by a series of parks and gardens, and we’re staying right next to it, so it’s a very easy walk over.
After traversing an ancient moat and a belt of tall trees, we spot the blue-tiled, pagoda roofs of the castle at the top of a forested hill. We head that way through the park lawn, but as we approach, we spot a haze of Sakura petals to our right, and still very much under the charm of this quintessential Japanese tree, we decide to make a detour. There’s a whole orchard of neatly spaced out cherry trees, all in full bloom, and it’s (as always) quite a magical sight. The townsfolk think so too, and on this beautiful spring day, they are out in droves to enjoy it - and a few snack carts have seen the opportunity and set up nearby. All the better for us, as we both get a small pot of macha ice-cream from an adorable little trolley run by a sweet young lady who speaks just enough English to have a chat about our trip and reveal she herself has been to quite a few of the same countries. In proper Japanese fashion, we pick a spot under the flowers to eat our dessert and gaze, slightly awestruck, at the gently falling petals - this is quite a perfect experience.
I could stay forever - but it’s better not to abuse a good thing and we still have a hill to climb and a castle to see! We finally find the road up tucked away behind a parking lot, and start our ascent. Very soon, there’s a first stop: the remains of the ninomura, the more public building of the castle. While the house was completely destroyed, it has been turned into a beautiful garden, with a series of still basins following the layout of the foundations to give an idea of what the space was like. It’s a bit abstract but a lovely endeavour and quite a pretty result - although my favourite part of the garden is the much wilder back half, with a series of more natural-looking ponds, streams and little waterfalls set against the backdrop of the hill.
As we come out, we continue our climb up, and soon the path turns into flight after flight of steep, uneven steps - this hill is higher than it looked! A few rest stops later, and we make it to the top. There’s more gorgeous cherry trees on the esplanade - lining the path to the entrance gate of the honmaru (the equivalent of the keep). The building itself is quite pretty too: square tiers with pagoda roofs rising over the ramparts, all exposed dark wood and crisp chalked walls.
Once in, the wooden construction is the star of the show: beautiful dark planks, beams and pillars everywhere, as we’re given rubber slippers to avoid damaging the building. The low ceilings, creaky floors, narrow ladders and unexpected random steps make navigating a challenge, but we’re rewarded with some impressive samurai armours from the previous lords, and, once we get to the top of the dungeon, beautiful views out across the town and all the way to the Seto sea.
We find another way down the hill: a lovely flat road, avoiding all the stone steps, and head back to our hotel to check in. The programme for this evening was to visit the famous Dogo Onsen, a traditional wooden labyrinthine bathhouse claiming to be the inspiration behind the main setting in Spirited Away. Unfortunately, further research reveals that the venerable building is closed down for repairs, and although it’s kept some access for the public all the reviews confirm it’s not really worth visiting until the works are done. Instead, we have a quiet evening in with one of our trusty combini dinners, taking advantage of the Comfort Hotel’s spacious common area. Sometimes it’s nice to have a low-key night too!
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