Category: Japan

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Matsuyama, Japan

6 reasons to visit Matsuyama

As soon as we arrived in Matsuyama we realized that it’s not on every traveler’s list. Western faces disappeared and only Japanese and Korean tourists passed us from time to time. We were actually wondering ourselves what we would do in there. Initially we wanted to visit one of Japan's most famous bath houses (Dogo Onsen). We changed our minds and thankfully we discovered mind blowing sights that kept us busy.

  1. Matsuyama castle

Although it was damaged by fires and World War II, walking through it we realized there was not much of the original construction left but we didn’t regret visiting it. The wide view on the city and lower parts of the castle is already a good enough reason to buy the ticket. Except for that, we got to find out a lot about the history of the castle and specific parts of it from extensive info in English. A treat really! The castle is situated on top of a hill which sounds and looks like quite a hike but it really isn’t. It’s just a nice walk up through a forest passing through a big garden and other smaller parts of the castle.

  1. Hidden bamboo forest

One of the most famous and most visited sights in Japan is a bamboo forest in Kyoto. There is no reason to wake up at dawn or line up with other people to see it. You can just go to Matsuyama. There is a really big one in there, completely overlooked and it's really a hidden gem. We stumbled upon it by accident. I guess we are just attracted by bamboo. There we really could hear the music that bamboo trees make when moved by the wind. Something that with crowds and cars passing you by just can’t be appreciated.

  1. The secret tunnel

While exploring the outside part of Matsuyama we saw a weirdly looking tunnel just on the side of the road. Interested we just went right in there. It turned out to be a tunnel leading to Ishiteji Temple. It was dark, a bit spooky and mysterious. We were passing statues of Buddha dressed up in crochet clothes and chandeliers with weird hangers on them. That tunnel alone was enough to impress us not to mention the temple.

  1. Ishiteji Temple

Getting out of the tunnel we reached the Ishiteji Temple which is part of an important pilgrimage route. There are walking sticks everywhere with intricate inscriptions and colorful chains of origami cranes. The main square is surrounded by many temple buildings and a three-storied pagoda.

  1. Isaniwa Shrine

The shrine raises impressively over the center of the city, already from the street we saw what looked like a million stairs to the top. It’s definitely worth a walk for the view of the city as well as for the shrine itself. It’s quite small but full of little details and ornaments.

  1. Public spa

Matsuyama is mainly famous for one of the oldest onsens (Dogo Onsen) in the country. But for those who don’t like that kind of entertainment or are travelling on a budget there are a few spots across the city where one can rest with their feet in warm water. In the one just opposite the Bocchan train station there is even a place to warm up your hands. Perfect spot to stop and take a break from a long, winter walk 🙂

How to get to Matsuyama?

From Hiroshima Port we took a slow ferry which takes 2.5 hrs and costs 2000 yen (around 17 euros). That’s a special, low price available only for foreigners. For those who can’t wait or just want to go there for a day trip there is also a speed boat (3800 yen(32 euros) and takes a bit more than 1 hr).

Welcome to Fukuoka

Fukuoka was supposed to be our base to see the whole Kyushu Island. We couldn’t find any other place with affordable accommodation on the island and soon it also turned out that we couldn’t afford the trains going deeper in Kyushu either. Fortunately we discovered we wouldn’t be bored in Fukuoka at all.

The city itself doesn’t have good fame. From many we heard it was very industrial and just now it’s starting to do some major changes. For us it was just marvelous. Big, vibrant with lots of people but also no crowds that would kill us. It seemed like a perfect city to live in. Not only does it have small, charming streets full of cafes and restaurants just like Kyoto or Osaka where all the people in suits can hang out after work. But it also has other essential things for the Japanese: lots of shops. Japan could easily be the France of Asia. People care about their look here. So much that even with just a few degrees above 0 most ladies already walk around in sandals and short skirts. Beauty hurts… No wonder that in every major metropolis there are commercial centers and shopping streets. Fukuoka is no different. The Hakata Mall is like a little city with hundreds of shops and restaurants. For us It was a nice stop for free wifi and a little fountain show on the main square.

Just a stroll away from the beating heart of the city we spotted an oasis. Calm, green park and in the middle of it ACROS, an International Hall with tourist information and terraced gardens raising to the very top of the building where there is a viewing terrace. Great example of where the modern architecture should be heading.

Fukuoka is really a green city full of parks and the biggest one is just in the middle of the city. Ohori Park was perfect to go for a walk far from the crowds or just rest on one of the benches looking at the lake. But it was also fun to watch how the locals used the park. Except for the obvious running, walking and chilling out, people were using it also as a beauty salon for their dogs, trimming their hair to prepare for warmer, spring days.

As much as we loved Ohori Park, we couldn’t spot any flowers in there. But we have learnt that shrines are the best spots to do that. All the shrines starting from the famous Kushida Shrine were pleasantly quiet and free of charge. Here we started seeing the first cherry blossom. It turns out that there are variations that blossom earlier, even in February. Except for those we started spotting magnolias and other flowers everywhere. Spring was coming!

In Fukuoka we finally managed to taste matcha, powdered green tea so famous in Japan. We tried it everywhere we went in a variety of dishes but never as tea. In most of the places it was an expensive treat but in Rakusuien Garden we finally managed to enjoy a cup of matcha with some traditional sweets for a bargain of 300 yen (3 dollars). A treat especially considering that we got our very own private, little tatami room with views on the small garden. Unforgettable experience definitely recommendable for everyone coming to this part of Japan.

There might be plenty of restaurants and cafes but it’s the ramen stalls by the river that everyone is waiting for every single night. Yatai as they are called, are really small pop up restaurants that can seat maybe up to 10 people. They are famous for grilled goodies and very thin ramen noodles usually served in a yummy broth. Since the dishes are pretty cheap for Japanese standards the idea is to eat fast and leave 🙂 We were slowly working our way through the bowl of soup with our chopsticks while our fellow eaters were swallowing the food with the speed of light and the sound of an anime character. Slurping was the essential signal to show appreciation for the taste. We are still working on our abilities in that area. It doesn’t help that we were not allowed to slurp for most of our lives.

How we fell in love with Japan. Our first days in Osaka

For Jandirk Japan has been a dream waiting to happen. He loves manga, Japanese food, origami and Studio Ghibli. For me it was a brand new destination on my bucket list. A few years ago I didn’t even want to go to Japan. In my mind it was a futuristic country without proper culture and with plenty of cold people… ow boy was I wrong…

Flying from Sri Lanka to Japan we knew we were in for a big shock but nothing could prepare us for what was coming. We landed in Osaka where we met our Japanese friend Juri, that we became friends with back in Panama. She offered us the most incredible experience we could ever ask for. We stayed at her grandmother’s house! 🙂 Juri and her family were just so warm and open for us. Her grandma talked to us all the time 🙂 It was all in Japanese but sometimes we could really understand her and her smile was just warming our hearts. On the other hand the homemade food was warming our stomachs. Most associate Japan with sushi and maybe sashimi but it’s not just raw food. There are varieties of soups, fermented beans and dried ingredients. As weird as they sometimes sound (dried fish with sesame seeds as a snack) they are delicious, full of flavor and mild. Such a relief to our stomachs after spicy curries on Sri Lanka.

Then the technology struck us. First visit to the toilet and we were charmed. Warmed toilet seat, built in bidet and even relaxing sounds in public toilets were inventions that surprised us. Those were not the only ones. When the evening came it turned out that the Japanese like to relax and take a bath rather than a fast shower. We literally dived into the bathtub which turned out to be way deeper than the ones we have in Europe. If we have them… Here even those can be really brought to another level, computer pouring the exact amount of water, bringing it to the right temperature and keeping it that way… Traditional but yet so futuristic and modern.

What is better after a good, warm bath than a long comfortable sleep, right? We were a bit anxious we wouldn’t be able to achieve that as we were about to sleep on a tatami floor so essentially many straw mats put on top of each other. On top of that we put a futon which is a Japanese style, very thin mattress. And voila a beautiful and potentially very uncomfortable bed is ready! We fell asleep immediately and we slept just great.

Then we got to see the city with Juri. Strolling through the streets we were surprised by how modern but not western they were. How the people took their time in everything they did and how everything was just done to the best of their abilities. There was just perfection everywhere we looked. Walking between blossoming plum trees in the park next to the Osaka Castle we met a lovely old man who sketched a little map including every plum tree from the park. All that to visit the trees, write down how they blossom, when and for how long. He has been doing that for many, many years. There was just so much love and passion in his story and in the way he spoke about it. We felt enchanted but also sad… Because in Japan it’s hard to talk to people unless you speak Japanese and we knew Juri wouldn’t travel with us forever.

There is no way I could write about any Japanese city and skip the food and street life. In Osaka it’s absolutely essential. There is nothing better than to stroll through the Dotonbori District in the evening surrounded by neons and crowds. Every cafeteria and bar looked cozy, spectacular and inviting. Every shop had a beautiful display. I thought plastic food on display would be off putting. Here it just looked realistic and mouthwatering. Every restaurant showcased what they had on the menu so I think the fake dishes were actually made to order and customized. Sometimes we really had to look closer to see if it was the real deal or a great imitation.

Juri took us out with her friend and made us realize how different everything seemed. We thought we knew what karaoke was. People getting drunk singing their hearts out to more or less pleased public at the last call of the night. Not in Japan. Here you go with your friends, you rent a room in a kind of entertainment center you sit down on a couch like if you were home and then it starts. There is nothing uncomfortable about it, you sing and have fun with the people you know and like. You don’t have to be drunk either and it doesn’t even have to be the middle of the night. We went at 5 pm with our green tea and soft ice cream we sang our souls out to the western hits and even Disney songs.

Although normally we don’t go to zoos/aquariums we decided to do an exception for Osaka. We didn’t regret it for a minute. Osaka aquarium was massive and except for the usual we also saw a whale sharks and an incredible selection of jelly fish. Something we could have never seen diving. Or better we would prefer not to see them diving as many are just really dangerous.

In Osaka we felt we were off for a great start of what could be the best part of our journey so far. So a bit sad but excited we were off to Kyoto.

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