The path back to Honshū lead us over 6 bridges and the islands Oshima, Hakatajima, Omishima, Ikuchijima, Innoshima and Mukaishima. This course is widely known as “Shimanami Kaido” and is a bicycle paradise. So we rented again two bikes and started our ride. Passing the bridges was nothing but spectacular.
After our mini Pilgrimage we swapped our shoes for train tickets. With a 4-day All Shikoku Railpass we circled around the island. In Matsuyama we enjoyed a bath at Dogō Onsen one of the oldest Onsen in Japan. During the journey to Uwajima we stopped in Uchiko, where we took a look at the manufacturing of japanese candles made from the Sumac tree. Further south we explored the banks of the Shimanto river on bicycles, before continuing to Kochi. There we strolled through Sunday’s market before completing our island circle in Imabari.
As we spent less time in the Alps than assumed, we got plenty time to visit the smallest of Japan’s four main islands: Shikoku.
In Kōbō Daishi’s (Kūkai) footsteps we walked a 4-day Kugiri-Uchi (section) along the “88 Sacred Semple Route”. During our Gyaku-uchi Henro (walking in reverse order) we visited the temple No. 83 through 68 (skipping No. 70). Even without the traditional pilgrim clothing (white robe, conical straw hat, wooden staff, etc.) we have been recognized as walking henro and made many friendly encounters.
Five days immersed in Kyotos culture were not enough, so we continued to Nara. Amused we watched everyone feeding the tame deer in the park. The major sightseeing spot in Nara is the gigantic Tōdai-ji featuring the Daibutsu (big Buddah). Wow this one is indeed big. Almost beeing 15m tall, (14.98m precisely), it is spectacular. Plain crazy what the japanese built in thr early days!
Along our journey heading to Shikoku we visited the harbour city Kobe and the Himeji-castle.
We made it to Kyoto. This city boasts with no less than 17 (!) Unesco world heritage sites and countless temples and shrines. Culture was the name of the game! During our 5 day visit we visited Nijō-jō, a castle built in 1603. Or the Kiyomizu-dera temple with its enormous veranda, Chion-in (another temple) with the largest bell of Japan (weighing colossal 70 tons), the Ninna-ji temple featuring a five-story Pagoda and the Fushimi-Inari Taisha (Shintō Shrine) with its myriads of orange Torii (gates). Furthermore we visited the famous bamboo forest of Arashiyama and admired the the modern train station of Kyoto.
