Days 20-21. Trip to Bekkaku 4 and stranded by Typhoon

28.07.2018

With Ritsurin park done it was time to return to the pilgrimage for a brief period and visit one of the two bekkaku temples I would need to revisit. I decided to do the 4th first as it's far away and coming from Nagasaki will take time so better to do the closer one then. Not even sure COULD I get to 4th in time.

BTW there was typhoon coming up so my Nagasaki plan was looking bit shaky. I would need to check on evening how the train prediction is. If trains don't run next day I would need to cancel up first night. One point of worry was hotel fees. I might end up paying for 2 hotels at the time. Hotel terms clearly indicated this late cancel would be full fee but maybe it doesn't apply in case of a typhoon preventing me! We'll see.

Anyway Bekkaku temple 4 Saba Daishi Honbō (or Yasakaji as it's official name knows) is located far on south between temples 23 and 24. I visited this last year early april with lovely spring weather. Would be quite a change for this year.

The trip is about 70km per direction and would be done by train without changes on the route so I had just to hop to the train. As it was early school childrens were out in the force so train was rather crowded which is how I ended up sitting with 2 other foreigners so after a while I joined with their conversation. There went my plan of reading book through the trip ;-) Anyway turns out that the elderly fellow lived in Tokushima running private english teaching lessons(surprise surprise) and was here due to his kids from his marriage which had ended but he had been unwilling to leave kids without him which kept him living here. Other fellow was traveling around Japan and had been going through Kanagawa and Tokushima prefecture and was stopping today at Hiwasa visiting the castle and temple 23. Unsurprisingly with me being in pilgrim outfit they(particularly the tourist) were curious enough about my pilgrimage so I spent time describing what it's about, where I had been and highlights about various places.

The elderly fellow dropped off first and at the Hiwasa the traveller dropped as well. I had huge sense of dejavu/nostalgy looking at the Hiwasa castle and the temple #23 I had seen last year(though castle only from distance).

From here it still took a while but last year it took me over a day! But eventually reached Sabase station which is right next door to the temple.

Last year it was much more pleasant weather. Now rainy looking and hot.

Hello. Long time no seen.

All in all I did quick version of prayers and only got the rosary ball. I had considered taking 2nd stamp but then I would have first 4 extra. And if I ever do this thing AGAIN I would have 3 stamps for first 4...I decided to ignore stamp this time.

As I was leaving elderly pair gave me drinks as osettai. It also started to rain though VERY briefly so didn't get much of a wet before reaching back to the train station.

This ad for some reason cracked me up. Japanese version of "join the army!" (well self-defence force as it's called here).

Took me a while to get back with train. By now weather forecast was indicating typhoon coming right here and checking train station indicated that tomorrows trains would be cancelled. So much for Nagasaki for tomorrow...I called the hotel and explained the situation but didn't cancel the 2nd night. Still the concert to see and I'm sure I can see something else in time. Plans got bit screwed but apart from bit weird flipping back and forth it's still doable. Lots of sitting in trains ahead though.

On the evening I had spotted "onsen"(though public bath would be more accurate term. Though onsen technically refers to place with natural hot water so assuming this place has that it IS actually onsen even if small one) nearby my hotel so I decided to pay a visit. Now otherwise this would have been completely unremarkable trip(it was just very basic bath. Nothing particularly good or bad). However it did have something I had never seen before. Electric bath! I found out about it putting my leg into the bath. I suddenly started to feel weird tingling. For a brief moment I worried about heart attack or something but then realized it's not that serious. Still puzzled on why my leg is so weird I looked around when I saw on wall text 電気風呂. Electric bath. Light bulp lighted up as I realized what was going on. This bath had electric current going through(not everywhere. It's very weak and effect wasn't notable much away from the source of current) the water. Well other quests didn't seem to be worried so I decided to try it. Have to say it felt peculiar having my muscles twitch on their own. Current wasn't steady but instead had random patterns so sometimes it went off and my arm relaxed, then it came on and my arm basically locked into one piece. Very weird experience. Later read it's supposed to have healing effect for muscle pains etc. Don't know about that. Oh and obviously avoid if you have heart issues let alone if you have pacemaker!

29.07.2018

Super quiet day. Due to typhoon trains stopped so didn't have much ways to go anywhere. Much to my surprise however typhoon pretty much ignored Tokushima. It went juuuust north enough I didn't see any sign of it(stopped trains excluded) except for slightly wet roads. Guess it rained on night but when I woke it was already sunny clear day with no wind.

Anyway with outside being hot and not much to do this day I spent mostly reading.

On the evening I took walk to another onsen(and this one was lot bigger though more pricey). Walking there wind had picked up a bit which was nice as it made heat much more bearable.

Shortest route according to google map led me through these super tiny paths between homes. Surprised google map even tracks these tiny alleys.

This onsen(Aratae hot spring) was very nice. Spent quite a bit of time there soaking up. All in all uneventful except for staff that were searching around as one unfortunate customer had managed to lose his key to locker. Wonder what's the procedure/fees for replacing one? It's pretty hard to find it from baths if it fell as most were on various colours(like milky white) so couldn't see bottom so it's either search by hand every square inch or drain bath away if you want to find it.

Tomorrow trip to Nagasaki. Very short trip. Day after that back to Tokushima...

Days 18-19. Lazying around Tokushima and Ritsurin park

Note: I didn't take much notes after pilrimage so detail level is going to drop.

26.07.2018

Well this day was rather quiet. With legs feeling need for rest I didn't do much in terms of sight seeing. Read books mostly and walked a bit on the Tokushima. Did activate my JR pass starting tomorrow though as I decided to go to Ritsurin park tomorrow.

Something of note was my hotel room though. Booked myself single room from Awa Kanko hotel. Seems they gave me double room. Compared to usual rooms I have had in hotels this is HUGE room. Basically used one bed for all my misc items during the duration :D

Those trees I always find interesting.

Have I mentioned I love Gyoza? Dangerously there's such restaurant almost literally next door...

And one more dinner at the now familiar ramen restaurant next to coin laundry. I started plotting things to do from now on. Tomorrow would be the Ritsurin park. I need to eventually revisit first 4 Bekkaku temples as being the forgetfull type I am forgot to buy rosary ball from those. Now albeit it's not NECCESSARY but I'm sucker for memoirs and having bought 5th and them from 10 to 18 this year I definitely want full set. Problem is obviously getting to those. 2 and 4 are easy ones as train takes very close. Problem is 1 and 3 far from train stations and on mountains. I figure something on some other year but for this year 2 and 4 should be doable on train. So friday Ritsurin park. Saturday temple 4. I don't think trains run often enough I can do both on same day. That temple is fair bit on south and as said trains don't run that frequently so likely lots of waiting.

Initially was planning to do 2nd on sunday but googling up found my current favourite idol band Kobushi Factory is doing concerts on Kyuushuu. Friday one didn't really suit me(too late already) but on monday there's one on Nagasaki. It's bit far but with JR it's just matter of time and I had good vibe on Nagasaki last time. Lovely city and there were few places I didn't visit last year and seeing the night view(voted in top 3 world wide in 2012) is not an unpleasant sight :D Last time photos didn't work out that well and now I have better camera for night enviroment...So making couple phone calls found out it should be possible to buy a ticket on day. Bit of a risk but even if I can't get ticket it's not like Nagasaki doesn't have interesting things to see.

So. Sunday head to Nagasaki for 2 days, on tuesday morning back to Tokushima and do the 2nd bekkaku temple. Then head to Shinjuku. Bit weird and maybe I should have left for Tokyo on thursday but thought I have got with this enough from Tokushima for now. On friday I have meeting with Japanese person and I don't really want to do that right after arrival(tired, sweaty etc). Saturday and sunday will then be spent with old friends, monday spent buying souvenirs, then back to Finland.

27.07.2018

Bit more active  day for today as I had decided to visit famous park called Ritsurien in Takamatsu. I had been in Takamatsu first time 3 years ago but simply had ran out of time to visit it as Takamatsu festival and Awaodori kept me busy enough. By the time I would have had free time it was dark and park closed! Last year I had another chance but then my ankle was way worse than it was now so simply didn't feel like doing it. I had been planning to drop by here between walking from temple 83 and 84 but with things being as it was...Well let's do it today! I want to see it ASAP(after all there's no quarantee I CAN come back to Japan ever again...I plan to but life is unpredictable. I could end up workless, health could go bad enough I can't travel or I can't get sufficient holidays or some other weird thing happens) and this way I can enjoy it on my own pace without worrying about making it in time to next temple and lodging in time. Win-win! And hey it's not like I have anything more important planned for today :)

With JR pass it was free trip there. I hopped out of train at the nearest station and with google map directions passed through small side roads and found myself at the front gate of the park.

History of the park.

Looking at the map of the park figured it's going to be a loooong walk around. Glad I didn't try to cram this among pilgrimage. Even with reduced distance for day could have been hectic day...

Fairly normal elements for Japanese gardens reminding me much of Kourakuen in Okayama.

Not quite sure what this was. Went in but wasn't still sure was it even OK to wander around. Japanese person came around, looked around looking confused and left so figured let's play it safe and leave as well.

Tree planted by Emperor Showa(who reigned from 1926 to 1989 so the previous Emperor.

This cute turtle was swimming around much to amusement of all who saw him.

Walking here under shade of trees was oh so nice.

Testing out my camera :D

Lots of small rivers and lakes in this park.

This scene somehow reminded me VERY much of the Kourakuen park.

Why I get tropical feel from this.

Not much left of the temple area...

No-one else came to this little area while I was there. Not surprised really.

I had been planning to do this myself but alas by the time I had completed circle next one would have been almost hour later so decided to skip it rather than wait in the summer sun blazing.

After lots of walking ran up into small restaurant and had myself tenpura udon.

For "best views of the park" I can agree.

Love the idea of this having been created accidentally :D

Small bonzai trees were visible as well.

After this my circle of Ritsurin park was done. It had indeed been lovely park though if you prefer your parks as natural ones then Japanese gardens are not for you.

From here I decided to head north for main Takamatsu station rather than back where I had came from. Reason was two fold. The udon restaurant, Takamatsu central park for quick revisit and Tower Records store near that park. Trip north didn't take much time. First up the central park.

Last time I was here was august 2015 so almost 3 years ago. During that time I had stayed here aiming to go visit Tokushima to see the Awaodori festival but as it turns out there was Takamatsu festival so arriving here on 12.8.2015 I had came to this park as I had read there's event here. Nostalgic. There was indeed lots of people, lots of food stalls and lots of dance performances. I particularly remember the dances kids(starting from kindergarden all the way up to high school) did.

Already signs for the festival that's still about month later. Wish I could be here then!

On the right can be seen the platform where the kids performed. Adults had their performance area elsewhere so I had had trouble trying to keep eye on both.

Just walking here brought up memories. The sound and feel of crowd. Compared to walking here now alone quite a difference.

These two were pair of one statue named unsurprisingly "2 girls".

After the park I dropped by in Tower Records. It was funny when the staff kept talking in english while I spoke with Japanese. This occasionally happens. But her english was more than a decent with only slight accent. After this back to the Udon restaurant I had found last time for another bowl of Sanuki Udon.

"Welcome to Kagawa". Hmm...Being greeted by a ogre/daemon...

On the evening I went for a laundry and while waiting for programs to finish spent time next to a river with this boat ride thing going on. Have to remember one day to find out how to get ticket to that.

Finland, Japan, both share same birds which kept walking around going "quack quack".

On the night decided to go for bar on top of hotel. I was barely in time for last orders(surprisingly early closeup). Had my first sake for this trip. Finland has only dry which I'm not too much of a fan but here got the sweet version which is more to my taste. Although small bottle got to my head. As I was last customer staff didn't seem to have much to do as they kept talking with me so the bottle went up while talking about my trip here and elsewhere in Japan as well as what Finland is like.