Hi!! I'm Ai. How are you today? I'm very fine!
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My name is Ai Motozawa.
I was born in Ritsurin Town, Kagawa Prefecture on september 9, 1984.
My hobby are reading books, listening to music, playing the piano,
playing sport, talking with my friend, and so on.
Now, I am a first year student at Kagawa Junior College.
My major is Nutrition. In the future, I want to be a dietitian.
And, want to warking in a hospital.
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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 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 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 island 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.
Its 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 archaeological findings.
Remote as it was for many centuries, however, Shikoku did not stand aloof but observed movements on the Inland Sea as an artery of Japan's cultural, political 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 always drawn a large number of people 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 welcomed and sometimes the culture they brought here was carefully preserved or developed even long after being forgotten in its homeland - language, festivals, arts and techniques. These cultural assets now peculiar to Shikoku have added another dimension rewarding 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 young 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 inspiring on this island.
We hope this guidebook will help you enjoy Shikoku, and Japan herself seen through 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 traditionally been called the gateway to Shikoku, with the whole land of the prefecture jutting out into the Seto Inland 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 Airport handles non-stop flights to and from Seoul, Korea.
Another place in Takamatsu appropriate as a gateway to Shikoku is the Takamatsu Heike Monogatari Historical Museum that features not only the famous historical literature called Heike Monogatari but also about 50 great historical figures closely associated with Shikoku or native to Shikoku.
Takamatsu became the capital in 1587 with the advent of Lord Ikoma I as governor of Sanuki Province. The castle he built on the harbor was succeeded by 11 generations of Matsudaira lords, governing Takamatsu Province with a fief of 120,000 koku.
One ninth of the former 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 (Important Cultural Properties) survived the air raid in 1945. Admission: 100yen
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 Chikko just opposite 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 Ritsurin 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 larger stroll-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 azaleas in May, Irises and water lilies in June, giant lotuses in August, and Japanese 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. The museum just inside the main gate houses a variety of mostly local handicrafts. There is a zoo, too, inside the gate.
Bus: 30 minutes' ride from Chikko to the terminal (Kotoden Bus for Yashima-sanjo or Yashima Hilltop).
Tram + Cable: 30 minutes' tram ride from Chikko to Yashima (Shido-sen Line) + 5 minutes' cable-car ride.
Yashima, a pine-wooded tableland to the northeast of downtown Takamatsu, is one of the world's rare lava 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, an aquarium and observatories all linked by forest promenades.
One of the observatories, dankorei, commands 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 Yashima and wrote a poem that was engraved on a stone here at Dankorei observatory:
- Like a long roof, men say, and will they say,
- This hill of warrior ghosts surmounts the plain...
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 peaceful. In 1156 the first battle took place in the capital, thus opening up a new era dominated by martial emotions. Two martial clans - the Minamoto and Taira clans - began to acquire greater and greater influence in politics through fighting against each other in the name of "the Emperor" or "the Ex-Emperor".
In 1159, the Tairas succeeded temporarily in staving off the Minamotos. the 20 years that followed saw the Tairas rise to increasingly control the Imperial Family, inviting animosity from the reigning Emperors, the Ex-Emperors, powerful priests, warriors and lords, to say nothing of the Minamotos in exile.
In 1181 the patriarch of the clan Taira no Kiyomori died just when the Tairas faced more battles against the Minamotos, who were gradually consolidating their power.
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 remaining Tairas hire 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 with 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. 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 of the Tairas."
On the last weekend in March the Gempei Yashima Festival is held, whose highlight is the Warriors'Pageant.
It was an insurrection caused by the discord between Emperor Goshirakawa(1127-92) and Ex-Emperor Sutoku(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.
Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-89): By bringing about victory in the civil war, Yoshitsune had greatly helped Minamoto no Yoshitsune, 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 Yoritomo, until four years later he killed himself. His tragic life and death was so appealing 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 without being reminded of an episode shown in the picture above:
It was on the afternoon of February 19, 1185, that Minamoto no Yoshitsune mounted another surprise 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 fierce 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 cabin, produced a pole with a bright 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 attendant.
"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 north wind was strong. The boat was tossing up and down. The fan painted with the golden sun at its 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 to 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 precursor of their demise? Two monthe later, the Tairas finally fell.
3 minutes' walk after leaving the bus at Toshofu-mae. (Kotoden Bus : Yashima-sanjofgToshogu-maefgChikko)
3 minites' 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' Kabuki Theater, peasants' 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.
Japan's largest wax doll museum. The first floor is dedicated to the 41 dolls of historical figures or modern men and women of celebrity who have been closely associated with Shikoku.
The one of Kobo Daishi in his nyujo has its own corner as a special exhibition.
The other dolls include:
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 large number of revealing episodes, was and still is an inexhaustible source of Japanese literature and art. Some of the most famous scenes took place at the 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 a blind biwa - playing bard who traveled around chanting The Tale of the Taira 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 impermanence 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 direction 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 world'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 the lower contains Japan Railway's system for a dual 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 (1849-1891), 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 dream in a congratulatory speech he made as a member of the Prefectural Parliament at the opening ceremony of the first railroad in Shikoku between Marugame and Kotohira.
Exactly a century later, the Bridge came into being after decades 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 drinking 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 apace ship. Its port, let me tell you, dear, will be that mountaintop over there!
One of the best points to view the Bridge is Yashima Island, a central pier of the Bridge. It also serves as a sightseeing outpost for the Shikoku and Inland Sea Districts, providing 2 parking areas for those who like to enjoy bridge-viewing, seafood and shopping.
To Yashima: 25 minutes from JR Sakaide By 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.
Admission to the tower: 800yen.
To the Seto Ohashi Memorial Park: 10 minutes from JR Sakaide by shuttle bus (free of charge).
The Gold Tower near JR Utazu Station offers a marvelous 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.
Open daily. Admission to the tower: 800yen / 1000yen (Toilet Museum included).
Bridge-viewing cruises are available from Keihan Fisherman's Wharf on Yashima, Memorial Park and Sakaide Port. (1,000-1.500yen)
25 minutes' train ride from JR Takamatsu.
To the Castle: 15 minutes' walk from JR Marugame.
The three-storied donjon on top of 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 manufacturing, 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 m ramparts, the tallest and among the most beautiful in Japan, also contribute to the beauty of the castle.
O-shiro Matsuri Castle Festival is held on the 3rd weekend in May.
The Inokuma Genichiro Modern Art Museum adjacent to JR Marugame Station is dedicated to Inokuma Genichiro (1902-93)
Banshoen Garden built in 1688 as a villa for the Lord of the province is 10 minutes' drive from downtown Marugame. One of the galleries 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.
10 minutes' walk from Nakazu-bashi Bus Stop after 10 minutes' ride from Marugame Toricho near the castle. (Kotosan Bus for Zentsuji via Tadotsu)
[From JR Kotohira] 5 minutes to JR Zentsuji by ordinary train.
[From JR Takamatsu] 40 minutes to JR Zentsuji by express train (Dosan line).
25 minutes' walk from JR Zentsuji along the street in front of the station.
Zentsu-ji Temple , is known as the birthplace of Kobo Daishi Kukai. Kukai is one of the greatest geniuses Japan has ever produced. He made a great contribution in 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 journey is called kaidan-meguri. 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 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 small 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 abbot 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.
Shorinji Kempo is not merely a sport or martial art, but a religious exercise to approach the Buddha's spirit in the principles of "self-realization" and "help each other."
It was started by So Doshin I (1911-1980) in 1947. Two years before he had been repatriated from Manchuria, the northeastern part of China that "Imperialist Japan" held for 13 years till the end of World War II. Doshin had seen how people could be dehumanized in the dire extremities of war and its aftermath. "Developing good humanity is the only way to save Japan and the world at large," he kept saying to himself. Doshin, who had learned various martial arts in China, pondered over the Zen philosophy of Bodhidharma, trying to restore the martial art that Bodhidharma himself was said to have practised about 1,500 years ago when he brought Zen from India to China. Finally, Doshin succeeded in restoring and reorganizing the whole body of that art, which he named Shorinji Kempo. Now its Headquarters has more than 100 branches in 23 countries in the world.
- [From JR Takamatsu to JR Kotohira]
- 60 minutes by shuttle train (Dosan Line).
- [From Takamatsu Chikko]
- 70 minutes' tram ride to Kotohira (Kotoden).
- [From JR Okayama]
- 67 minutes' train ride by special express.
- 2 hours to Kotoden Kotohira Station by seto Ohashi Kosoku Bus.
- Especially Noted Product: Ittobori woodcarving.
Kotohira-gu, a great shrine complex, often affectionately 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-old 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 Omononushi became the chief god along with the deified emperor Sutoku who had been enshrined here in the 15th century. Yet "Kompira Worship" continued to flourish, for the Hindu deity had already enshrined himself deep in the hearts of the Japanese people.
There are 785 stone steps to climb before one reaches the Main Shrine. Fortunately its route consists first of a colorful street of souvenir shops and then of a quiet promenade lined with gardens, shrines and museums. The numberless granite lanterns, fences and tablets bordering the approach were all dedicated by Kompira worshippers nationwide, as were the stone steps themselves.
Many of the shrine treasures in the Homotsukan Museum, the Gakugeikan Museum, Omote-shoin and Oku-shoin Art Museum were offered by famous artists, poets, lords of Provinces and characters of historical renown. In the 17th century the Tokugawa Shogun, too, dedicated a stipend of 330 koku to the shrine, augmenting its prosperity.
Asahi-no-yashiro Shrine in the Buddhist style is the former Main Hall. The present Main Hall is a few more flights of stone steps above.
Emado Hall near the main Shrine is a gallery for votive tablets and offerings mainly from seamen. In March 1889 there was offered a photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York - the Eighth Wonder of the World at that time - dedicated by a Japanese acrobatic troupe that had completed a tour around the U.S.A. So it is thought that Okubo Jinnojo, seeing the photograph here, was inspired to envision the Seto Ohashi Bridge that he proposed in May that same year.
About an hour's walk to Okusha or the Inner Sanctuary further along the path through primeval forest is enjoyable to nature-lovers, though one has to climb 583 more stone steps.
On the night of October 10, a grand procession starts at the Main Hall at 9 p.m., slowly marching down the 785 stone steps into the downtown streets an far as O-tabisho, the Sacred Destination. This is the highlight of the 3-day Grand Festival of this time-honored shrine.
Izumo: An ancient city in Shimane Pref. on the Japan See; one of the political and religious centers during the mythological age.
At the foot of the mountain there stands Kompira Oshibai Kabuki Theater, the oldest Kabuki theater remaining in Japan. A guide shows visitors around the building including the primitive but ingenious device to operate the rotating stage.
In Kabuki Season in mid-April or may, first-class Kabuki actors are invited from Tokyo or Osaka to perform under almost the same conditions as their ancestors did in the 17th through 19th centuries.
For further information about the dates and tickets call the office of JR Shikoku in Takamatsu: (0878) 23-0973
[From Sakaide]
30 minutes by shuttle bus from JR Sakaide.
[From Takamatsu]
7 minutes by shuttle bus from Okada after 50 minutes by tram from Takamatsu Chikko to Okada:(Kotoden:Takamatsu ChikkofgOkadafgKotohira)
[From Kotohira]
7 minutes by shuttle bus from Okada after 10 minutes by tram :( Kotoden: Takamatsu ChikkofgOkadafgKotohira)
Reoma World, opened in 1991, is a pleasure resort, the largest of its kind in western Japan. It offers different types of pleasures for people of different ages - thrilling experiences by hi-tech gadgetry, a Kindergarden of fantastic amusements, ancient temples and monuments of Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan, a Mosque bazaar, Chinese restaurants, an enormous aviary, an art museum and occasional shows, attractions and entertainments. A lakeside hotel and cottages are available, too.
To JR Kanonji from JR Takamatsu: 70 minutes by shuttle train.
To the Park: 20 minutes' walk across downtown Kanonji.
Kotohiki Koen Park features a pine-wooded sand beach and a shady hill with the ancient shrine Kotohiki Hachiman-gu at the top and two of the 88 Temples - Jinne-in and Kannon-ji - at the foot.
One should not miss the Zenigata huge coin known as Kan-ei-tsuho carved about 2 m deep in the white sand. It is best viewed from a hilltop observatory behind the Hachiman-gu Shrine. Its broad rim looks completely circular from there, but in reality it is elliptic (122m r 90m) with a circumference of 345 m. when and how it came into being is a mystery, providing a subject for endless debate among local people.
[From Takamatsu Port]
35 minutes by speedboat to Tonosho port.
Especially Noted products: olive goods, soy sauce and somen noodles.
Shodoshima Island is the second largest island in the Seto Inland Sea. It is nicknamed "Olive Island" as olive saplings were successfully transplanted in 1908 from Greece to the soil of this island of all places in Japan.
In spring and autumn a great number of pilgrims arrive here to make a tour around the 88 Sacred Places of this island. For further information, call the Shodoshima Reijo-kai (0879) 62-0227.
In summer, Futagoura Beach, Silver Beach and many other beaches are favored by sunbathers, swimmers, campers, wind- surfers and water-skiers.
To Futagoura Beach: 10 minutes' bus ride from Tonosho Port to Futagoura Bus Stop.
Annual sports events that attract a large number of participants are as follows:
Tonosho Port provides a starting point for all the sightseeing routes on this island. The local bus services are not frequent, but the sightseeing buses cover the main spots of the island in 4 to 7 hours. Among the 3 courses offered, the C course (About 3800, excluding lunch and admission fees) is the most recommendable.
It takes 5 and a half hours, beginning with Choshikei Ravine and its Monkey Reserve, followed by Kankakei Ravine, a National Scenic spot, known for its autumnal tints in November, Taiyo-no-oka Highland, Nijyushi no Hitomi Movie village and the peacock garden.
The bronze statues of "People in peace" (above) in the Tonosho Port plaza are emblematic to the local people who often call their home "Isle of Peace" or "Olive Island".
The statues depict a scene from the story of Nijushi no Hitomi (Twenty-four Eyes), written in 1952 by Tsuboi Sakae, a woman writer born on this island. When filmed 2 years later by Kinoshita Keisuke, a leading director, it created a sensation throughout the country. In 1987, it was filmed for the second time and its set including 11 cottages and a small school building was preserved as Nijushi no Hitomi Movie Village. In a cottage near the entrance, the latter film is shown on video.
The story begins in 1928, when a dozen children formed a small class in a tiny branch school to spend the happiest months of their lives with their woman teacher Oishi sensei. But the 20 years that followed saw the children growing into men and women more or less affected by war, even killed or crippled.
Clearly the author's heart was filled with pity for the miseries of war and for human helplessness against war, which captured the post-war mood and the continuing desire for peace.
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