I am a second year student at Kagawa Junior College in Japan. Our class home page is http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/students. My major is Life Culture.
My hobby is listening to music..
PREFACE Visiting or living in Sikoku is something special , for this island has always been the spiritual sanctuary of the Japanese people , No other place in Japan has been visited by so many generations of people from all over the country .
They have often spent more than 60 days walking along the whole circuit of the eighty-eight temples that compose the longest , oldest and most popular pilgrimage in Japan .
Even those who have arrived here in weariness of life , in unhappiness or weak health , have usually left the island with a lighter heart , more snlightened , and in many cass in improved health .
Though today the island is quite accessible and traveling around it can it very easy , some of the eighty-eight temples still remain very hard to reach .
This pilgrimage circling the island is nationally known as O-Shikoku-san , showing that “Dear old Sikoku Pilgrimage” is synonymous with this island and provides sancuary to the soul of Japan . The scenes along the Sikoku Pilgrimage correspond well to what Sikoku offers-the Seto Island Sea , the Uwa-kai Sea , the Pacific Ocean , the green mountains that crown a large part of the island , cosy little towns and middle-sized cities that fringe the coasts .
Its climate is mild ; the seas are bountifle ; the land is fertil . Natnrally local people have been content with their blessed island , even if it has remined underdeveloped since the 8th century . Until then the northern coast of Sikoku was among the first areas to enjoy civilization in Japan , as proved by so many archaeological findings .
Remote as it was for many centuries , however , Sikoku did not stand aloof but observed movements on the Inland Sea as artery of Japan ' s cultural , political and economic development . On the ohter hand , Sikoku 's unique attractions such as the Sikoku Pilgrimage, Kompira worship and the Dogo Onsen Hot Spring spa have always drawn a large numder of peaple from the capitals and other parts of the main island of Honshu and neighboring Kyushu .
Naturally those visitors brought something new with them each time, just as refugees and exiles from the capitals added color to the island 's history. They were welcome and sometime the culture they brought here was carefully preserved or developed even long after being forgotten in ist homeland - language, festivals, arts and techniques.These cultural assets now peculiar to Shikoku have added another dimension rewaring travelers to this island.
A new type of attraction in Shikoku is the fruit of modern technology that the waves of development have finally brought here in the 1980' s and 90' s - the colossal bridges connecting Shikoku with the main island , pleasure resorts , theme parks , museums , skyline drives and relatively inexpensive golf courses. So the charm of Shikoku can rightly be called an exquisite coexistence of tradition and modernity , nature and art.
Last but not least is a spiritual climate of Shikoku that has produced people like the father of the Shikoku Pilgrimage , who is often credited as a father of Japanese culture , the man who aired the idea , of the Seto Ohashi Bridge , and two yong men who turned out to be most instrumental in carrying out the modernization of Japan , opening Japan's door to the world as an independent nation. They were all rare cosmopolitans in Japanese history. There must have been something inspring on this island.
we hope this guidebook will help you enjoy Shikoku , and Japan herself seen through Shikoku , hinding inspiration of your own by traveling around this small but great island. Bon voyage!
Matsuyama, the largest city in Shikoku, has dominated this area since 1595, Lord Kato arrived here. The castle he began to build seven years later still looms over downtown Matsuyama as its definitive landmark.
A large stone monument at the left-hand corner of the JR Mtsuyama station plaza reads as follows:
Come spring as of old
When such revenues of rise*
Braced this castle town! Shiki
This monument characterizes the nostalgic pride of haikuloving matsuyama people, three out of ten of whom are poets.
Very few japanese, haiku poets or not, can visit Matsuyama without remembering Shiki, a preeminent son of Mastuyama, who made this town what is called the hometown of Haiku (5-7-5 syllable verse).
Another nationwide attraction of Matsuyama is tha fabled Dogo Onsen Hot Spring 道後温泉. The Dogo Onsen Honkan public bathhouse 道後温泉本館 of distinctive architecture can be fully experienced inside.
Ishite-ji Temple 石手寺 near Dogo Onsen is one of the most impressive of the 88 Sacred Places of Shikoku. It is also known for a gripping supernatural legend deeply imbued with the origin of the Shikoku Pilgrimage.
*It was 150,000 koku.
〔By Streetcar〕
Take the loop line in front of JR Matsuyama and get off at Okaido 大街道, and walk about 5 minutes to the “Ropeway” Station ロープウエイ or past it to the Shinonomejinja shrine stone steps 東雲神社.
〔By Bus〕
10 minutes' bus ride to Shinonome-jinja-mae or “Ropeway”-mae from JR Matsuyama（Oku-Dogo Onsen Kanko Bus bound for Oku-Dogo 奥道後）.
* To the hilltop: 15 minutes' walk up the hillside past Shinome-jinja Shirine at the end of the wide stone steps or 3 minutes by ropeway or chair lift from Ropeway Station.
The three-storied main donjon and a subsidiary donjon fortified with several turrets and gates from a typical fort castle of the 17th century. The original buildings are gone except for Inui-mon Gate,some walls and ramparts.
Recently the city has completed an extensive project to rebuild the entire castle. Great care was taken to employ the same techniques and materials as used in the original construction; not one nail was used to fit all the wooden parts together.
The main donjon houses a large collection of swords, spears,
armor, documents, works of art and calligraphy, and mementoes
mainly of the lords of the castle-the Katos, the Gamos and several
generations of the Matsudairas. Open daily. Admission: \260.
The local enthusiasm for composing haiku dates back to 1674 when Lord Matsudaira Sadanao came to govern this province. While in Edo (Tokyo), Sadanao had proved himseif a distinguished haiku student of Kikaku, one of the foremost disciples of Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), the poetic genius who virtually invented the classical Japanese haiku.
People in Matsuyama took interest in the literary art from their new lord brought to them and soon made haiku an outlet for artistic expression in their daily lives. In 1880 Japan's first haiku monthly was published in Matsuyama,with Masaoka Siki's maternal gandfather among its editors.
In the 1890's, Masaoka Siki 正岡子規 (1867-1902) , who had been trying to bring Japanese literature more up-to-date in Tokyo as a student-turned-newspaperman, succeeded in originating a new style of haiku by freeing it from formalism, while fighting a losing battle against tuberculosis. Before his death at 35, he managed to establish new standards for waka (5-7-5-7-7 syllable verse) as well.
Soon Matsuyama produced many other poets
who carried on Shiki's shasei realism as Japan's premier haiku
poets throughout the modern period that followed, including Takahama
Kyoshi, Kawahigashi Hekigodo, Naito Meisetsu, Yanagihara Kyokudo
and Ishida Hakyo. Thy in turn attracted such a large number of
haiku poets to their hometown that Matsuyama was dubbed “the hometown
of haiku.”
Literature-loving people will enjoy visiting these places:
Shiki-do House 子規堂 on the ground of Shoshuzen-ji Temple 正宗禅寺 behind Matsuyama-shi-eki Station is a replica of Shiki's home - a small house of a lowranking samurai family. Shiki spent his first 16 years there until he set out for Tokyo to study.
The exhibition includes about a dozen paintings he did with the juice of herbs and flowers his sister picked from the garden of his house in Tokyo where he was bedridden for the last seven years of his short life. Open daily. Admission: \50
◎5minutes' walk from Matsuyama-shi-eki Staition.
Another house associated with Shiki is the Gudabutsu-an 愚陀仏庵 behind Bansuiso Art Museum. At the age of 27 Shiki returned to matsuyama, teying to recover from tuberculosis he had contracted five years before, and he shared a two-storied cottage with Natsume Soseki, a friend from college in Tokyo. It was the house Soseki rented and named Gudabutsu-an after one of his pen names, Gudabutsu or Foolish Buddha. Soseki's portrait is now ubiquitous on the 1000 yen bill.
◎6 minutes' walk from Okaido on the streetcar loop line.
There are ‘haiku post 俳句ポスト’boxes of various shapes and sizes standing in many public places including Matsuyama-jo Castle. The forms to write your haiku, name and address, are placed beside each post.
Here is an example of an example of an English haiku that appeared in “A Collection of the Best Haiku of the Year” (the 20th volume) published by the City in June, 1989:
Dyes of dlue and white Glimmer in the looms so fast Making summer cloth
Stephoen L.John
This alludes to the Iyo-gasuri kimono cloth native to this prefecture.
Taneda Santoka 種田山頭火 (1882-1940), a haiku nonconformist who cast aside all the rules including the 5-7-5 syllable structue, is also associated with Matsuyama. Santoka, an ordained Zen priest, after spending most of his life wandering all over the Matsuyama only to die 10 months later.
The humdle cottage where he dwelt - Isso-an 一草庵 (A Blade of Grass Hermitage) is preserved north of Ehime University. His books and documents are also preserved in Shiki Memorial Museum. (See p . 78)
A pop of hail even in my iron bowl* ! Santoka
(Tetsu-bachi no naka nimo arare 鉄鉢の中にも霰)
*A bowl used by a mendicant priest.
◎30 minutes ' walk from sekijuji Byoin-mae
赤十字病院前 on the loop line.
Literature-loving people will enjoy visiting these places :
Shiki-do House 子規堂 on the ground of Shoshuzen-ji Temple 正宗禅寺 dehind Matsuyama-shi-eki Station is a replica of Shiki' s home - a small house of a lowranking samurai family. shiki spent his first 16 years there until he sent ont for Tokyo to study.
The exhibition includes about a dozen paintings he did with the juice of herbs and flowers his sister picked from the garden of his house in Tokyo where he was bedridden for the last seven years of his short life. Open daily. Admission: \50
◎5 minutes' walk from Matsuyama-shi-eki Station.
Another house associated with Shiki is the Gudabutsu-an 愚陀仏庵 buhind Bansuiso Art Museum. At the age of 27 Shiki returned to Matsuyama, trying to recover from tuberculosis he had contracted five years before, and he shared a two-storied cottage with Natsume Soseki, a friend from collage in Tokyo. It was the house Soseki rented and named Gudabutsu-an after one of his pen names, Gudabutsu or Foolish Buddha. Soseki's portrait is now ubiquitous on the 1000 yen bill.
◎6 minutes' walk from Okaido on the streetcar loop line.
There are ‘haiku post 俳句ポスト’ boxes of various shapes and sizes standing in many public places including Matsuyama-jo Castle. The forms to write your haiku, name and address, are placed beside each post.
Here is an example of an English haiku that appeared in “A Collection of the Best Haiku of the Year” (the 20th voiume) published by the City in June, 1989:
Dyes of blue and white Glimmer in the looms so fast Making summer cloth
Stephen L . John
This alludes to the Iyo-gasuri kimono cloth native to this prefecture.
Taneda Santoka 種田山頭火 (1882-1940) , a haiku nonconformist who cast aside all the rules including the 5-7-5 syllable structure, is also associated with Matsuyama. Santoka, an ordained Zen priest , after spending most of his life wandering all over the country as a begging monk, chose to settle in Matsuyama only to die 10 months later.
The humble cottage where he dwelt - Isso-an 一草庵 (A Blade of Grass Hermitage) is preserved north of Ehime University. His books and documents are also preserved in Siki Memorial Museum. (See p 78 )
A pop of hail even in my iron bowl* ! Santoka
(Tetsu-bachi no naka nimo arare 鉄鉢の中にも霰)
*a bowl used by a mendicant priest.
◎30 minutes' walk from Sekijuji Byoin-mae
赤十字病院前 on the loop line.
Iyo-gasuri Kaikan Museum 伊予がすり会館 ◎5 minutes' walk from Kinuyama Station on Iyotetsu Takahama Line 高浜線.
The museum houses 2,300 items concerning this traditional art of Iyo-gasuri making - the indigo dyeing and weaving peculiar to this former Iyo Province, desingnated as a National Folk Art by the goverment, and enjoying nationwide fame.It has a workshop to demonstrate the art and a shop to sell the products, as well. Admission free. Open daily except December 31 and January 1.
Dogo Onsen 道後温泉 〔From JR Matsuyama〕
20 minutes by streetcar bound for Dogo Onsen.
〔From the castle〕
5 minutes by streetcar from the nearest station, Higashi Keisatsusho-mae 東警察署前, bound for Dogo Onsen.
〔From Matuyama Kanko-ko Port〕
45 minutes by bus bound for Dogo Onsen.
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