Around Shikoku with 'Why Not': Tokushima and Kochi

First published: 30 Apr 2013

An early Sunday morning in Kochi.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Taylor and I travelled to Tokushima for the purpose of water rafting for the first time. It was an incredible experience, and you can read all about it here.

Water-rafting = bantz!

That trip was within the wider context of a weekend trip around both Tokushima and Kochi, as run by the 'WhyNot' group that operates within Japan. As I mentioned in my water-rafting post, the 'WhyNot' group operates tours across Japan that encourage interaction between groups of (mostly young) foreigners in Japan with other Japanese citizens, in order to explore and experience Japan while forming social bonds. It's a good little enterprise that I hadn't heard of before this trip. Taylor introduced me to the group for the purposes of water-rafting, but we took the opportunity to see a bit more of the wider areas in Tokushima and Kochi as well.

Travelling with the 'Why Not' group in Kochi.

One note; I didn't bring my Canon 60D along for the trip! A small regret that I could only use my iPhone to photograph these beautiful places.

The Anpanman Train

Children's TV characters and trains.

You'd think Thomas would have been the obvious choice?

One Friday evening in May, Taylor made her way up from Yamaguchi-ken (in the far West of Japan) to my hometown of Takamatsu. We indulged in some ramen noodles and kipped down for an early start the next day to Tokushima, taking the famous Anpanman train (!) from Kagawa to the pick-up point.

The Anpanman trains are a pretty excellent exhibit; plastering the face of the popular Japanese children's character onto regular JR trains that operate in the four prefectures of Shikoku. The trains are all Anpanman themed, full of customised chairs, roof decorations and even children's play areas. Each station and train on the line has it's own stamp to press into a stamp book you can pick up at the Shikoku stations. A fun little thing for the kids, but you'd be surprised how many grown men in suits you can see stopping to stamp their Anpanman books! Naturally, I made sure to pick up my own copy and begin my collection.

You wouldn't see this on ScotRail.

Of course, we made our way to Tokushima where we were collected by the WhyNot group, and of course we started our day with some water-rafting. After an exciting (and certainly wet) afternoon traversing the rapids, we returned to the bus - hair dripping wet - and began our evening travel to Kochi.

Overnight in Kochi

Our accommodation for the evening:

an overnight stay in a former school.

You may be interested to know that I didn't actually know we were going to Kochi during our trip. Taylor had mentioned "water rafting in Tokushima" and I hadn't really looked into it any more than that! It wasn't until after we'd left the prefecture that, when talking to fellow travellers, I discovered we'd just left Kochi. Talk about being slow on the uptake!

Travelling on the big travel bus.

After a trip to a local supermarket for supplies, we arrived at a former school somewhere in a valley in Kochi. The school was just as it was; full of classrooms, blackboards and school corridors, but had been turned into a small youth hostel of sorts which the 'WhyNot' group had booked out for the weekend. It was certainly an unusual venue! We spread our futons out across several former classrooms, with boys separated from girls.

Unchanged from it's former school days.

A delightfully spooky setting...

The corridors were dimly lit and the whole place had an unusual, creepy atmosphere. I certainly wouldn't like to be there alone at night, as it felt a bit like a horror film set! Seeing rows and rows of empty classrooms with darkened and inaccessible rooms set a bizarre tone which we weren't expecting. However, the company was good and plentiful, with everyone making light of the situation. I think it only added to the unique nature of the experience, and I wouldn't have traded the location for anywhere else. I loved it.

Getting creative with the blackboards.

After a quick shower, I joined everyone downstairs for a large barbeque party in the school grounds. All of the guests on the trip were present, along with the tour guides. As night had fallen in, the grounds were lit by the light of several fires, and we proceeded to drink merrily and indulge in social engagements. I met plenty of interesting people - most of whom were fellow ALTs on both JET and Interac - and even managed to hold a conversation in French! The only downside was the lengthy trek to the toilets on the far corner of the school; very isolated, and in a very dark area.

As the evening progressed, different groups went their different ways, but I stayed up to the early hours discussing Scottish independence with a group of Irish and American ALTs.

Up early the next day - and not quite ready to face the day - we trekked downstairs to the school grounds where we posed for photographs in a large group. Unfortunately, we were unable to use the showers in the morning (my cynical nature made me suspect it was an excuse to get us on the bus faster). As we trekked to the bus, the scale and beauty of where we were stretched out before us - absolutely stunning in the morning sun.

Iya Kazurabashi Rope Bridge (Tokushima)

  

After a lengthy bus ride (and plenty of conversations upon it), we arrived back in Tokushima prefecture by the Iya Kazurabashi Rope Bridge.
The bridge was certainly an interesting sight to see, placed in the remote Iya valley and with apparently an unclear and conflicting history. From what my research has told me, this bridge is one of three remaining bridges from a full set of thirteen (though I didn't see any others nearby).

Being the largest bridge, Iya Kazurabahsi seemed to have turned into quite the tourist spot, and the interwoven vines which make the bridge are now supported by concealed steel cables which make sure the whole thing doesn't collapse. Certainly good to know, but walking along the bridge, I couldn't help but notice how wide the gaps between the footholds were!

Oh my...

After crossing the bridge, the group took some time to relax in and around the valley below. Many people stopped at a waterfall just on the other side of the bridge, which offered a nice bit of sightseeing before moving down the rocks to the valley. It was a warm day with cool water, and plenty of people went barefoot among the rocks or dipped their toes in the water. It was a very pleasant setting. Most people who exposed their feet to the water - including myself - discovered them to be covered with strange, tiny black creatures (leeches?) which had lodged themselves to our feet. Everyone was constantly trying to remove them, though they seemed fairly harmless.

I'm not gonna lie; I felt like a much-needed dip

after failing to have a shower that morning...

A small anecdote is that Taylor almost lost one of her shoes in the running water. It was retrieved just in time by another boy on the trip, just before it swept away for good. Hopefully her feet weren't too damp for the rest of the day!

Beautiful.

Fighting the fishies.

The surrounding area had a few little shops and restaurants which offered venues for lunch. I picked up a smoked fish - fully intact - and ate it off the stick, which was actually delicious! I sat with a few people I'd met the previous day in a small cafe to eat, where another girl ate far more of her fish than I did. The area felt very traditional and "Japanese", despite its accommodation of tourists.

Surprisingly pleasant.

Naruto Whirlpools (Tokushima)

The Naruto whirlpools beneath the Onaruto bridge.

Our final stop for the day was at the Naruto whirlpools situated beneath the huge Onaruto bridge (which was very reminiscent for me of the Forth Road Bridge back in Scotland). The whirlpools (known as "naruto" in Japanese) are a popular tourist attraction in the city of Naruto - I presume the city was named after them. We would be taking a boat tour out to see and experience the whirlpools first hand. A service runs constantly everyday, as - surprisingly - the whirlpools are apparently very safe and pose little danger to the boats.

Photo from a Google search.

We made our way out to see the whirlpools, getting a gorgeous view of the surrounding scenery in the process. While we could certainly see the thrashing water, I'm told that the best views of the whirlpools are actually from above, and I must admit that I found it difficult to distinguish any circular patterns. It was certainly thrilling to get so close to the waters and to see the waves and splashes so intimately, but I feel a return journey is necessary to complete the visual spectacle the whirlpools are said to give. It was unfortunately very difficult for me to take any satisfactory photographs!

A bit dark.

Following our visit the whirlpools, we returned to the bus stop where I would have to make my departure. As I lived in Shikoku, it was easier for me to take the train service in Tokushima back to Kagawa prefecture and my home Takamatsu. I said my farewells, and sat waving at the bus stop as I watched the 'WhyNot' group - and Taylor - disappear.

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It was an enlightening weekend. Shikoku is the smallest of Japan's islands, and yet because I live here I rarely explore it as much as I do other parts of Japan. As well as being an opportunity to meet some new friends and enjoy some extreme sports, the trip served as a small reminder that there's still a lot to do here on my own doorstep, and definitely encouraged me to try and see a bit more.

A big thank you to the 'WhyNot' group - they were exceptionally well-organised, very inclusive of all of the weekend travellers, and definitely the best travel service I've been with in Japan. I'd recommend them to anyone.