Tokushima Travels

I can cross yet another of Japan's major four islands off my list: Shikoku. All that remains is Hokkaido which I may/may not visit next year; I certainly would like to go in time for the February Snow Festival!

I traveled to Tokushima to visit two friends. Coincidentally they both know me separately: I knew Ayana from college in the U.S. and I met Robert while studying abroad at Akita International University. As ALTs they were both placed in Tokushima and discovered their mutual acquaintance is me! Wow, what are the chances? It took me a few years but I finally made it there!

Of course it wasn't easy. All told my travels included one ferry, one airplane, and two buses; it took exactly twelve hours. This is all one way too. In the future I may be less cheap and fork out the extra dough to take the jetfoil: it just saves so much time. While I can simply rest on the ferry, I am quickly realizing that the less time I spend commuting, the happier I am.

After arriving in Nagasaki, I took a bus to the airport, which like seemingly many airports in Asia is on an island. I flew directly to Kansai Airport outside of Osaka (also on an island); the flight was about an hour and a half. I had about twenty minutes to catch my Tokushima bus, which I did and then sat for another 2.5 hours until I finally arrived at Tokushima Station. What is pretty neat is that a series of bridges connect Shikoku to the Honshu mainland using Awaji Island as a convenient connector. I arrived too late in the evening to see it but on my return trip Sunday morning I could see the bridges; it was very impressive.

Shikoku's kanji is 四国 or four "countries" or provinces. True to its name both historically and presently Shikoku is divided into four prefectures. When I ask people what Shikoku is known for I typically hear udon, a noodle dish that can truly be eaten anywhere in Japan. I also heard the mountains are beautiful, which I attest to be true (yet Japan as a whole is mountainous). It wasn't until much later that I learned of the Shikoku Henro or Pilgrimage. The Pilgrimage is 750 miles long, circumnavigates the whole island, and includes stopping at 88 temples along the way.

Picture of Shikoku's mountains. I took it from Rise and Win Brewing Co.'s backyard!

Picture of the pilgrims from behind. I am borrowing this picture from Google Images.

As crazy as it sounds, this idea intrigues me. Last spring I applied for a grant to walk the El Camino in Spain with theologians, but unfortunately failed to make the cut. I think this could be an excellent and, due to my interest in Japan, relevant alternative. Of course it would be challenging, intense, and time-consuming. It would also require careful planning and I couldn't attempt it until after I finished employment here in Goto. If I walked twenty miles a day, an estimate for El Camino walkers, I would finish in about 38 days. That is assuming the weather was decent which is unlikely: I would be walking it in summer, the absolute worst time to do it. I don't know. I need to think about it and thankfully I have time to do it. The experiences as a whole would be very transforming.

Thursday Night

I arrived in Tokushima at about 8pm and enjoyed dinner, booze, and delightful music with friends. We ate at a small restaurant that could fit perhaps twelve people at the bar; there were no tables. The owners, a couple, were very kind and spoke a fair amount of English; they had a record player and even played Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" at my request! As we ate and drank, they offered snacks including a bug snack which tasted ok. Of course I had several drinks by that point so my inhibitions were down. I also spoke with a Japanese nurse about my age named Yuka who knew about Goto. She said it was famous for being "inconvenient"--true, true words. But she also expressed an interest in visiting and enjoying Goto's delicious fish and swimming in the ocean, which I encouraged her to do. She was hilarious and very charismatic. Thursday night was a wonderful start to my short trip.

Friday

In the morning, I went with Ayana to her adult English classes. It was such an interesting experience for me because the adults' listening and English speaking abilities were much higher than my young students. Thus I could express myself more with higher level vocabulary and ideas. The students seemed to enjoy the conversation and they were very curious about me and my experiences. I enjoyed listening to them as well. A number of students were seasoned travelers and visited many foreign countries. Honestly I was a bit surprised to discover so many internationally-minded people in Shikoku! One student blew my mind with a comment. She talked about how she read an article about how some African tribes believe they "rent" land and belongings from future generations. In other words when we die, we don't "leave things behind"; rather we return things to posterity. Her eloquence and fascinating ideas impressed me considerably. That afternoon I saw "Star Trek: Beyond". I enjoyed it; the plot was ok but as always the screen writers' writing and the crews' performances were exceptional. For me that is enough.

In the evening a group of ALTs and I went to Awa Brewery for dinner. I had a good pizza with a delightful stout (only my second pizza since coming to Japan in July). Later that evening we sang karaoke; I must admit that that night was the most fun I had at karaoke in a long time! Even though my voice was less than stellar, I won points for being "cute", according to my friends. I'll take it.

Saturday

Saturday was absolutely splendid. My friends and I started off the day right by going to an onsen (public baths usually built over hot springs). Last time I used an onsen before Saturday was four years ago in Akita. It is very relaxing but if it's too hot, I don't last very long. I'm already warm-blooded as it is. Most onsen, like the one we used, separate the genders. You basically bathe with naked men/women depending on your gender. Four years ago I was a bit self-conscious my first time but after that experience the insecurities dissipate fairly quickly (at least for me). I applaud Japan for lacking the body shame and self-consciousness that is so prevalent in the U.S. The body is what it is and at the onsen everyone else is as butt-naked as you are. It's actually rather liberating.

Clean and refreshed we set off for Rise and Win Brewing Company, which was at least an hour outside of Tokushima City. It is both a brewery and a barbecue joint. The brewer spent time in Australia, which influenced his rustic, hipster establishment. I enjoyed a few good beers, lunch, and the pretty view of the mountains from the brewery's backyard. We later scaled one mountain--Mt. Bizen--by driving to the top (haha). Bizen offers an incredible view of the city and surrounding area. It was a bit hazy sadly; on a clear day you can apparently see Honshu.

I shopped for omiyage or souvenirs (often sweets) for my fellow teachers and picked up a few things for myself including BILLIKEN!

Billiken is an interesting figure who I discovered in Shinsekai, Osaka four years ago. He was originally created by an American artist in Missouri in the 1900s but somehow made it over to Japan and became enshrined as a demi-god in Osaka. He is known as the "God of Things As They Ought to Be", which really resonates with my idealism. You can find statues, pictures, and memorabilia everywhere in Osaka and apparently at Kansai Airport too where I bought these items. I am presently using the ￥1,000,000 Billiken "bucks" with the kids when they do well in English class; thus far it's gone over really well! Fun fact: Billiken is the mascot of St. Louis University High School. Who knew a connection could exist between Osaka and St. Louis?

My friends knew of a Mexican restaurant in Tokushima so we ate there; I loved the burrito I ordered. We then went to a small bar called The Plum Bar, which specializes in umeshu. I enjoyed tasting a few varieties and simply chatting with friends while listening to jazz music. The next day I began my long return to Goto.

Overall I had a solid trip to Tokushima. I would enjoy seeing other parts of Shikoku but it is so remote and difficult to navigate without a car. Hmm.....I may just have to do this pilgrimage so I have the opportunity to explore all of Shikoku.

That's all for now.