Let me introduce myself. My name is Marina Mashima. I was born in Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan on December 24, 1982.
I am a second year student at Kagawa Junior College. My major is Nutrition.
My hobbies are listening to music and watching my baby smile.
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Visiting or living in Shikoku 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 pepole from all over the country.
Thay have of ten spent more than 60 days walking 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 enlightened, and in many cases in improved health.
Though today the island is quite accessible and traveling around it can be 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 Shikoku Pilgrimage" is synonymous with this iskand and provides sanctuary to the soul of Japan. The scenes along the Shikoku Pilgrimage correspond well to what Shikoku offers - the Seto Inland 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.
Ist climate is mild ; the seas are bountiful ; the land is fertile. Naturally local people have been content with their blessed island, even if it has remained underdeveloped since the 8th century. Until then the northern coast of Shikoku was among the first areas to enjoy civilization in Japan, as proved by so many archaeologicak findings.
Remote as it was for many centuries, however, Shikoku did nto stand aloof but observes movements on the Inland Sea as an artery of Japan's cultural,poitical and economic development. On the other hand, Shikoku's unique attractions such as the Shikoku Pilgrimage, Kompira worship and the Dogo Onsen Hot Spring spa have aleays drawn a large number of people from the capi tals and other parts of the main island of Honsho 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 welcomed and sometimes the culture they brought here was carefully preseved - language, festuvals, arts and techniques. These cultural assets now peculiar to Shikoku have added another dimension rewarding traveleres to this island.
A new type of attraction is Shikoku is the fruit of modern technologht that the waves of development have finally brought here in the waves of development have finally brought there in the 1980's and 90's - the colossal bridges connecting Shikoku with the main island, pleasure resorts, theme palks, museums, skyline drives and relatively inexpensive golf coureses. So the charm of Shikoku can rightly be called an exquisite coexistence of tradition and modenity, nature and art.
Last but not least is a spiritual climate of Shikoku that has producesed people like the father of the Shikoku Pilgrmage, 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, openin Japan's door to the world as an independent nation. They were all rare cosmopolitans in Japanese history. There must have been something inspiring on this island.
We hope this guidebook will help you enjoy Shikoku, and Japan herself seen througe Shikoku, finding inspiration of your own by traveling around this small but great island. Bon voyage!
Takamatsu is the capital of Kagawa Prefecture, which has taditionally been called the gateway to Shikoku, with whole land Sea like a porch.
JR Takamatsu Station next to Takamatsu Harbor is the terminal of the Kotoku Line for Tokushima Pref., the Yosan Line for Ehime Pref. and the Dosan Line for Kochi Pref.,while serving as the bus terminal to Tokushima, Matsuyama and Kochi City. Takamatsu Chikko just opposite JR Station is the terminal of Kotoden trams to and from Kotohira, the seat of 'Kompira-san.'
The New Takamatsu Airpprt handles non-stop flights to and from Seoul, Korea.
Anothe place in Takamatsu appropiate as a gateway to Shikoku is the Takamatsu Heike Monogatari Historical Museum that features not only the faousu hisutorical called Heike Monogatari bus also about 50 great hisutorical figures closely associated with Shikoku or native to Shikoku.
Takamatsu became the capital in 1578 with the advent of Lord Ikoma I as governor of Sanuki Province. The castle he built on the harbor was succeeded by 4 generations of his descendants, and then by 11 generations of Matsudaira lords, governing Takamatsu Province with a fief of 120,000 koku.
One ninth of the foremer castle ground is preserved as Tamamo Koen Park across the street from JR Takamatsu Station. The donjon is gone, but two of the 15 turrets and Mizute Gomon Gate from the 17th century (Inportant Cultural Properties) survied the air raid in 1945. Admission: 100 yen.
Traditionally the popular sightseeing spots in Takamatsu are Ritsurin Koen Park near downtown and Yashima Plateau overlooking the city and the Inland Sea. They are accessible by bus or tram,with terminals at Takamatsu Chikoku just opposote JR Station.
30 minutes' walk from JR Takamatsu Station.
The busy street in front of JR Takamatsu is the main street of downtown Takamatsu, and leads to the main gate to Ritsur in Koen Park, a National Special Scenic Spot. This spacious garden laid out with shapely mounds, cool ponds and about 160 varieties of trees and flowers provides a classic example of a Japanese garden or even a Chinese Taoist paradise fit for meditation.
Originally it belonged to a local warlord, and then to Lord Ikoma. When it was transferred to the Matsudairas, they spent five generations developing it into a larager stoll-type garden for their villa. Seasonal charms of flowers and blossoms such as ume ( Japanese plum blossoms ) in February, camellias in March, cherry blossoms in April, wisteria and azalese in May, Irises and water lilies in June, giant lotuese in August, and Japanes bush clover in September, and brilliant maple leaves in November add to the pleasure of strolling.
Kikugetsu-tei, one of the pond-side teahouses, was originally one of the Matsudairas formal buildings. There is a zoo, too, inside the gate. Open daily. Admission to the park: about 300yen.
Yashima Plateau Bus: 30 minutes' rede from Chikko to the terminal (Kotoden Bus for Yashima-sanjo or Yashima Hilltop).
Tram + Cable: 30 minutes' tram ride from Chikko to Yashima (Shido-esn Line)+ 5 minutes' cable-car ride.
Yashima, a pine-wooded tableland to the northeast of downtown Takamatsu, is one of the world' s rare lave mesas, about 290 m high, 3 km wide, jutting 5 km out into the sea. The hilltop, overlooking the archipelago of the Inland Sea, features Yashima-ji (No.84) 1, an aquarium 2 and observatories all linked by forest promenades. One of the observatories, Dankorei 3, commamds a view of the inlet fringed with memorials to the Gempei Yashima Battle ( the second last battle in Gempei War fought between the two rival clans, the Minamotos and the Tairas ).
Once a British poet, Edmund Blunden, visited Yasima and wrote a poem that was engraved on a stone here at Dankorei observatory:
Gempei war
In 794 Kyoto became the capital of Japan and it enjoyed peace for about 350 years (811 - 1155) - the longest peace Japan has ever attained in her history.
The last 30 years of this period, however, were far from peaseful. In 1156 the first battle took place in the capital, thus opening up a new era dominatede by martial emotions. Two martial clans - the Minamoto and Taira clans - beagan to acquire greater and greater influence in politics through fighting against each other in the name of " the Emperor " or "the Ex - Empeor".
In 1159, the Tairas succeeded temporarily in staving off the Minamotos. The 20 years that followed saw the Tairas rise to increasingly animosity from the Inperial Family, inviting animosity from the reigning Emperos, the Ex - Emperors, powerful priests, warriors and lords, to say nothing of the Minamotos in exile.
In 1181 the patriarch of the clean Taira no Kiyomori died just when the Tairas faced more battles against the Minzmotos in exile.
In 1183 the Tairas were driven from the Capital along with the 6 - year - old Emperor Antoku and his mother, who was Kiyomori 's daughter. They wandered far in search of supporters, while fighting losing battles.
Now in 1185, Minamoto no Yoshitsune attacked the romaining Tairas here at Yashima, then at Dan - no - ura in the westernmost corner of the Inland Sea, where the proud Taira finally fell, the noblewomen casting themselves into the sea wish the child Emperor Antoku.
Thus the age of ancient nobility yielded to the age of Shoguns (1185-1867).
Yashima -ji Temple treasures in its museum a folding screen depicting the Gempei no kassen Battles. (See p.42) The bell in the belfry, cast in Kyoto in 1223, was dedicated here for the repose of the defeated Tairas. But no one can strike the bell, as there is no hammer. They say, "Strike the bell, and invoke the ghosts the Tairas."
On the last weekend in March the Gampei Yashima Festival is held, whose highlight is the Warriors' Pageant.
It was an insurrection caused by the discord be tween Emperor Goshirakawa (1127-92) and Ex-Emperor Suroku (1119-64). Sutoku was defeated and banished to Sanuki (kagawa Pref.) to die a miserable death 8 years later. His ashes were buried at Temple 81. In 1184 the court elevated him to Shinto deity to placate his ghost. (See p.50)
Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-89) : By bringing about victory in the civil war, Yoshitsune had greatly helped Minamoto no Yoritomo, his elder brother, who in 1192 was to establish the first Shogunate at Kamakura. But Yoshitsune had to spend the rest of his life escaping to Japanese sentiment that he has taken on heroic proportion in Kabuki Noh and Joruri plays, based on what is called Yoshitsune Literature.
Very few Japanese visit Yashima withot beling reminded of an episode shown in the picture being reminded of an episode shown in the picture above:
It was on the afternoon of February 19, 1185, that Minamoto on Yoshitsune mounted another surpise attack against the Tairas at the then Yashima Island. Frightened by the imagined immensity of enemy forces, the Tairas jumped into their boats and sailed off. A fiece battle lasted for hours. Now the sun was setting. Both sides began to retreat, when a fair vessel parted from the Taira legions and stopped about 80 m from the beach. Then a beautiful lady appeared from the cabinm, produced a pole with a bribht red fan on its top and beckoned to the puzzled warriors on the shore.
"What does she mean?" said Yoshitsune. "perhaps she is inviting one of us to shoot the fan. Or she may be inviting you to come out onto the front line for her archers, " said his attendeant. "Then let it be shot down by someone, "said Yoshitsune.
Soon a young man called Nasu no Yoichi appeared on horseback with bow and arrow in his hands. The norsh wind was strong. The boat was tossing up and down. The fan painted with the golden sun at ist center was fluttering on the pole. All the Tairas in the boats and all the Minamotos on the shore were watching Yoichi. What would he do? Would he succeed?
Yoichi rode into the water as far as he could. But it was still about 70 m the target. He closed his eyes and prayed. Then the wind fell for a moment. He shot. The arrow pierced through a little above the rivet. The fan, flying up a moment or two, came floating down, glittering in the setting sun. There was great applause from both sides.
Then a man in armor appeared in the same boat. He began to dance an elegant dance perhaps in genuine appreciation of Yoichi's archery. Then Yoichi got another order and shot down the dancing man, too. Some said, "Good shot!" But others said, "Not fair."
The Tairas were silent this time. Was it a precusor fo tbeir damise? Twio months later, the Tairas familly fell.
3 minutes' walk after leaving the bus at Toshogu-mae. (Kotoden Bus: Yashima-sanjo Toshogu-mea Chikko)
3 minutes' walk from the cable-car station.
This is an open-air museum laid out at the foot of Yashima Plateau. About 20 old rural buildings from various parts of Shikoku have been reassembled here, including a Farmers' houses, a fisherman's house, a sugar mill, a shed for steaming mulberry bark to make paper, and workshops for making soy sauce and so on. There is a reprica of Kazura-bashi from Nishi Iyayama-son, too. (p.173) Open daily : 8:30 - 16:30. Admission: 500 yen
On May 5, people including children from Shodoshima Island, from which the Kabuki Theater came here, stage an annual performance of their traditional farmers' kabuki.
3 minutes' walk from Nihon Tabako-mae Bus Stop af ter 10 minutes' ride from JR Takamatsu. (Kotoden Bus: Asahimachi Line)
30 minutes' walk from JR Takamatsu Station.
Japan' s largest wax doll museum. The first floor is dedicated to the 41 dolls of celebrity who have been closely associated with Shikoku. The one of Kodo Daishi in his nyujo has its own corner as a special exhibition.
The othr dolls include: Sakamoto Ryoma Nakaoka Shintaro Nakahama Manjiro Wenceslau de Moraes Inokuma Genichiro Takahama Kyoshi Ninomiya Chuhachi Setouchi Jakucho (literature: 1922- ) Makino Tomitaro Yasuoka Shotaro (literature: 1920- ) Kagawa Toyohiko (religion, social work, literature: 1909- ) Terada Torahiko (science, essay: 1878-1935) Abe Yoshishige (philosophy, education: 1883-1966) Nambara Shigeru (philosophy, 1888-1974) Masaoka Shiki Kotoku Shusui Nakea Chomin Kikuchi Ken (literature: 1888-1948) Manabe Hiroshi (illustration: 1932- ) Yoshida Shigeru Itagaki Taisuke
The second floor exhibits about 300 dolls portraying the 17 scenes from the Heike Monogatari or The Tale Of the Tairas. The Saga, composed of a larfe number of revealing episodes, was and still is an inexhaustible source of Japamese literature and foot of Yashima Plateau at the northeastern tip of Takamatsu
One hi-tech doll seen at the end of the exhibition is what was called biwa hoshi or blind biwa - playing bard who trabeled around chanting The Tale of the Taiya Family even before it was written down in the first half of the 13th century. Its opening passage is especially famous for its Buddhist idea of impermeanence that goes as follows:
The doll begins to talk and sing the first line of the opening passage when it senses visitors approaching. Open daily Admission: 1200yen (High school students: 800yen Children: 600yen)
Yoshida Shigeru (1878-1967), Prime Minister from 1946 to 1954, is credited with giving japan direct-ion through her most difficult times after the war.
The Kojima-Sakaide Route, popularly known as the Seto Ohashi Bridge, was completed in 1988. It is the word's longest two-tiered bridge system, stretching 13.1 km from Kojima to Sakaide, connecting the 5 islands in between. The 11 bridges in the system include 3 suspension bridges, 2 twin cable- stayed, 1 truss and 5 viaducts. The upper level accommodates a motor expressway of four lanes, and track ordinary line at present and for a dual track superexpress line in the future. The first person to air the idea of the Seto Ohashi Bridge was Okubo Jinnojo (1894-1891), a Kagawa native, who at that time was constructing the first Shikoku Roads to link all the prefectures on the island. In 1889 Jinnojo disclosed his drem in a congratulatory speech he made as a member of the Prefectural parliament at the openig ceremony of the first railroad in Shikoku between Marugame and Kotohira . Exactly a century later, the Bridge came into being after dacades of planning and ten years of construction, 13 million workers involved (with the loss of 17 lives), and costing 1,190,000 million yen. Surprisingly, Jinnojo had also foretold man's traveling to the moon in his favorite drink-ing song of his own making, which went as follows: I'll tell you, dear, don't laugh at me, a hundred years from now, I'll be seeing you flying to and from the moon in a spece ship. Its port, let me tell you, dear, will be that mountaintop over there!
One of the best points to view the Bridge is Yoshima Island , a central pier of the Bridge. It also serves as a sighteeing outpost for the Shikoku and Inland Sea Districts, providing 2 parking areas for those who like to enjoy bridge-viewing, seafood and shopping.
To Yoshima: 20 minutes from JR Sakaide by Seto Ohashi Express Bus.
Another is a rotating tower 132 m tall at the Seto Ohashi Memorial Park at the foot of the Bridge in Sakaide. The Memorial Hall provides all kinds of information on the Bridge and its construction, while the park itself applies modern art to stone and water.
The Gold Tower near JR Utazu Station offfers a marbelous view, too The 144 m tower made of half-mirror glass is the tallest of its kind in Japan, housing the Sky Lounge, restaurants, stores and a World Toilet Museum.
The three- storied donjon on top a green hill crowns the city of Marugame. When a Marugame Province of 53,000 koku was formed in 1641, an old castle was reconstructed and the castle seen today dates back to 1660, one of the few genuine Edo Period castles remaining in Japan.
The present-day Marugame is famous for uchiwa or round paper fan manufactur-ing, producing about 90 % of these fans in Japan. The Castle Park, 15 minutes' walk from JR Marugame, is surrounded by moats, featuring the donjon, a couple of main gates (all Important Cultural Properties) and walls from the 17th century. The 4-level 60 mramparts, the tallest and among the most beautiful in Japan, also contribute to the beauty of the castle.
Banshoen Garden built in 1688 as a villa for the Lord of the Province is 10 minutes' drive from downtown Marugame. One of the gallerise there houses Chinese ceramic ware and a collection of Iranian' earthenware and glassware dating back to 2500 B.C. through the 1200's A.D. Open daily. Admission to the Garden & Galleries : 1000 yen (Students : 600yen, Children : 400yen)
10 minutes' walk from Nakazu- bashi Bus Stop after 10 minutes' ride from MarugameToricho near the castle. (Kotosan Bus for Zentsuji via Tadotsu)
Zentsu - ji Temple, is known as the birthplace of Kodo Daishi Kukai. Kukai is one of the greatest geniuses Japan has ever produced. He made a great contrbution is remolding Japanese religion, while making unparalleled achievements as a scholar, poet, artist, calligrapher, sculptor, architect, educator, social worker, inventor, discoverer and civil engineer.
The giant camphor trees near the five-storied pagoda in the East Precinct are said to have already been several hundred years old when Kukai was born in 774. The Mieido Hall in the West Precinct at the foot of the green hill is the Birthplace. Visitors may traverse the basement of the hall along a pitch-dark path. This introspective joureny is called kaidan-meguri. The entrace is at the right-hand corner of the Hall. The entrance fee includes the admission to the Museum. 300yen
The utter blackness along the path symbolizes the darkness of the human mind or human ignorance of the Truth. The notice says: "Go along with the palm of your left hand pressed against the left- hand wall. The wall, painted with mandalas, angels and left-hand wall. The wall, painted with mandalas, angels and lotus flowers, is the Buddha's Way. You will be safely guided as long as you are on His Way.
After the Kaidan-meguri, arrows guide you to the Museum. The temple treasures exhibited there include a samll clay pagoda Kukai molded at 7, a bowl used by Kukai as a mendicant priest, a robe and a ritual stick (a National Treasure) of Indian make, both presented to Kukai by his Chinese master About Hui-kuo, and a sutra scroll (a National Treasure) with each of the Chinese characters accompanied by a little Bodhisattva on a lotus pedestal; Kukai did the calligraphy, his mother the painting.
Kotohira-gu, a great shrine complex, of ten affectionately called Kompira-san, has been a celebrated destination for pilgrims and tourists for hundreds of years.
According to legend, Kompira-san came into being when kumbhira-a guardian god of Buddhism, originally a Hindu crocodile god of the Ganges, was beckoned by a Buddhist priest of Matsuo-ji, a thousand-year-ord temple in this neighborhood.
Kumbhira from the holy waters of the Ganges was naturally believed to be a mighty patron deity for seamen, fishermen and rice-growing farmers, and in later years came to be considered a Great Incarnation of the Buddha himself.
But the temple remained a Shinto shrine in part with Omononushi-no-mikoto, the native god of fertility, medicine and commerce also summoned from the mythological land of Izumo. Omononushi-no-mikoto. along with Daikoku-ten representing Chinese folk religion, were then identified with the Indian god Kumbhira (Kompira), a case of religious internationalism in classical Japan.
In 1868 Buddhism and Shintoism were separated by law, and