Uwajima & Kurashiki

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April 12th
Uwajima is pretty far down the coast in Ehime Prefecture and a fairly long journey from where I live in Kagawa, but I wanted to visit it for a long time. Since I decided to change jobs and move away from Shikoku I figured I should probably go before I left. The main purpose for the visit was to see Uwajima-jo (castle), one of the twelve original castles in Japan and supposedly a pretty park/building. Uwajima is also famous for bull fighting and a fertility shrine, Taga Jinja, which is next to a sex museum full of umm……unusual items from all over the world. Apparently an old caretaker of the shrine liked to travel the world and collect these things, quite an interesting hobby. The castle was really pretty, the rumors were true. The main donjon dates from the 1600s and it managed to avoid war, natural disaster and the Meiji restoration intact and in great condition. I was really happy to see it because I’ve now seen 7 of the 12 original castles! This brings me one step closer to seeing all 12 of the original castles in Japan! The shrine/museum was weird, but (novelty factor aside) not that intriguing. I kind of wish I could have gone during the bull fighting. It’s not like bull fighting in Spain; it’s more like a sumo match between two bulls. Uwajima doesn’t really have much besides that, a couple of other shrines and a park for kids. It is a very small quiet village with mainly houses and a half dead shopping arcade, but it still managed to have really good seafood which is always a bonus. I also found a really cute kokeshi doll for a couple dollars. ^_^ Bargain!
April 20th
Kurashiki was another fun day trip on the list of places to see before I move to another part of the country. I had been to Kurashiki before with Naomi, but we were on a shopping mission and went to the massive AEON shopping center in a new part of town. The Bikan area of Kurashiki is old, picturesque and well-preserved. I had missed it entirely last time I was in the area. The historical area is centered on a canal with quaint bridges, old boats, lined with willows and filled with koi. The old seventieth century warehouses (Kura倉) are all converted into modern shops and restaurants, but still remain the traditional black and white on the outside. Besides walking the streets and shopping there wasn’t too much else to do. It is catered 100% to tourism. There is a supposedly great museum of Western art, but it was closed while we were there. Still it was a nice place to spend an afternoon and we did manage to find some yummy snacks. =)

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Photos

Anpan Man!!!
One or two express trains on Shikoku are special Anpan Man trains. Anpan man is a cartoon character made out of bread. He lets starving children eat him.