Shikoku Island hike, Japan

I thought I could walk on Shikoku going along the south coast of the island for what I hoped would be excellent scenery, and using the pilgrimage route as a rough guide to help with planning. I just wanted an enjoyable and picturesque walk for my final two weeks in Japan: no bears, no earthquakes, hotels available, not too many tetrapods. It ended up being a walk in two parts to avoid a long inland section.

8 December I had a long slow train ride from Tokushima on Shikoku then two short minibus rides to reach the starting point I had decided on: Ikumi, a small beachside village. Soon after leaving the village I had to go through a tunnel and inland across a peninsula but then the rest of the day was close to the sea. I walked through a village and at the far end a man on a bicycle handed me a cold can of coffee and a rice ball with potato inside: Osettai!

I was on a major road (with some logging trucks) but it hugged the shore passing pebble beaches with rocks offshore. Ahead I saw a line of headlands. The inland mountains came down to the road.

I reached Irugi village and continued to Sakihama where I had to cross the river. Unfortunately the bridge at the place where I was supposed to cross had been dismantled, and as I turned to go back to another bridge a woman appeared, took my hand and led me up to the main road and on to the bus stop. It took two buses to get to my hotel, alone on both, and at the hotel the only food available was pot noodles. So much for my enquiries beforehand. 18 kms

9 December I went back to Sakihama (alone) and was pleased to find a konbini there to buy breakfast. I walked by the water, as much as possible on the low sea wall but it was overgrown in places, the coastline all big rocks and boulders and lots of white water, and I could soon see a group of tall rocks framed by distant headlands.

These rocks included the Married Couple rocks which I reached: two rocks of similar height with rope connecting them.

I tried to get close to them by scrambling but the tide was coming in. More roadside walking. Eagles. Palm trees. I came to a village and walked past a man sorting his fishing nets; he gave me a mandarin. I went on past a large rock to the geopark centre and bought an ice cream made with Muroto's deepest seawater.

From there I walked on the sea wall all the way to the walking tracks on Cape Muroto passing a huge paved area where people were repairing their fishing nets, a big white statue of Kukai (later known as Kobo Daishi) on a hillside. The tracks went past a couple of large rocks, little pools, masses of volcanic rocks everywhere and shingle beaches beneath a 200 m forested peak. There was a low viewing tower over the tip of the cape with lots of small pointed rocks out to sea.

On the western side of the cape the water was much calmer, still plenty of rocks. Cape Gyodo in the distance. I was keen to get to Muroto town - to buy food for tonight and also to get the bus back to the cape so I could climb up to the temple on the peak before dark - so I raced along past a fishing harbour and old houses and couldn't see how a town of this size had no food shops. Finally I saw a shop selling booze and it had a few packets of snacks, but a woman there who spoke English directed me to a konbini; they didn't have much fresh food left but it was ok. 

I caught the bus (it's kind of them to run this service just for me) and walked up the mountain in deciduous forest on a cobbled path, lots of steps. At the top were a line of temple buildings constituting Hotsumisakiji (Temple 24) with the main hall full of gold artefacts and a two storey pagoda. A bit further on was the Murotozaki lighthouse on the cliffside. I came down just at sunset passing a couple of caves and stopping to look at the large collection of jiso in their red hats near the base. 28 kms

10 December Other passengers on the bus! I walked to Temple 25, Shinshoji, with a lot of steps to climb to its red entrance arch but then not much in the way of buildings.

Nice view of the coast. I went on through the town, past fields, citrus trees, palms and uphill in forest above Cape Gyodo to Temple 26, Kongochoji, which was atmospheric with many old buildings dotted about in the forest.

I descended steeply to a terrace above the bay and down to the road. At Hoji fishing port I tried to walk on the sea wall but couldn't for long. I came into Kiragawa, famous for its traditional old buildings and searched around for these, impressive roof tiling and some niwaki trees.

At the far end of the town I had a break sitting on the sea wall and when I stood up I was surprised to see the bus, my bus, had stopped there for me; I hadn't realised I was at a bus stop.

After that I managed to walk on the sea wall and even walked on the beach, sand and shingle with the volcanic rocks. I saw a Japanese pilgrim then I met another when I stopped at the post office to ask where I could buy food. Nowhere, it seemed. I went through a smaller village, with a shop that had biscuits, and climbed in forest to get over a promontory: great views as far back as Cape Muroto and there were tiny graveyards on the way down.

Finally a long stretch beside the coast road next to the water until I reached the outskirts of Nahari and a large timber yard. A car stopped and a man got out to give me a packet of Hokkaido chips. I saw a wonderful red sky at sunset over the sea. 26 kms

11 December I ate my Japanese breakfast then headed to Lawson for coffee. I went through the town (really hemmed in by mountains) and onto the sea wall then along the coast road. At Yasuda village (some niwaki but generally run down)

I turned inland and went into the countryside: small rice paddies, citrus trees, persimmons, greenhouses. Back to the coast, rocks offshore, cormorants, herons, pebble beaches, very faint views right across to Cape Ashizuri, where I'm headed, and the town of Aki just across the bay. Hot again. 

There was a little road by the water avoiding a tunnel and I saw a cafe overlooking the water, sort of built into the rocks; such an unusual sight for me on this trip that I went straight in for coffee. The coast there was all huge volcanic rocks, but coming towards Aki my choice of views was between heavy industry and tetrapods in the sea. I chose the sea wall and arrived in Aki with two wide rivers to cross, lots of cranes and herons. The town centre was nice with quiet streets and several places to sit and I got a bun at a bakery. 

Leaving the town I went past the fishing port and had to walk on a road behind the sea wall until I reached a bike path; this was better but I couldn't often see over the sea wall. Suddenly at Akano there was a rest area and a view of the longest sweep of beach I have ever seen in Japan, grey but sandy.

The bike path was still behind the sea wall until my final kilometre when it was beside the beach. I felt rain was coming and I just made it to Wajiki station before it poured. I got the cute one carriage train to Kochi. Great gyoza. 28 kms

12 December I went back to the long beach and walked the last kilometres on the sand. Some road walking and then I found a minor road along the coast with a surprise - I came above a few tiny beaches to a parking area where there was a lighthouse and a path down a promontory between beaches to a pair of rocks linked by rope. According to the sign they were unusually similar in size.

At the end of the road in Tei port I had a brief wait because the road bridge was raised.

I soon came to a beach park at Yasu and walked along the beach then several kilometres on the sea wall. I came off it to go through a town and when I saw a shop that sold stuffed waffles shaped like fish I couldn't resist.

For the rest of the day I found the cold wind unpleasant. I had to go along a busy road through the suburbs to Temple 28, up old stone steps but the main artefacts were not on show. I was transfixed by what appeared to be a European medieval castle on a nearby mountaintop, built in 1970 as part of a failed theme park. 

Then out in the countryside on small roads passing greenhouses, fields and clusters of houses, mountains on the horizon. I crossed a wide river and followed small streams through villages, stopped by a shrine with a huge ginkgo tree, yellow leaves all over the ground.

Train back to Kochi from Gomen with all the schoolkids. 

I had difficulty finding a restaurant that wasn't full and ended up eating very good yakitori, but my sake came in a glass with soda (why?) and I got a bowl of ice cream when I ordered rice! 26 kms

13 December From Gomen the walking wasn't too interesting, through suburbs and villages, past fields, alongside concreted rivers. Then I came to an extremely long stone staircase in a tunnel of bamboo and trees leading to Chikurinji, Temple 31, on Mount Godia. This was a good temple in a lovely garden setting, fantastic autumn foliage, several halls, chanting in the main hall, two places with dozens of jiso, a five storey red pagoda and a museum with buddha statues (mostly very old).

Near the temple was an observation deck with a view over Kochi and Urado Bay. 

I stayed on the pilgrim route through countryside and I was close to my next temple when I walked right by a restaurant that only served eel dishes. So I had to stop for a lunch of eel and rice.

Zenjibuji, Temple 32, was next: a steep zigzag climb through dense bamboo and dark leafed trees, the buildings were huddled together on the hill top with some unusual upright rocks and a great view of the sea.

Unfortunately I could also see the rather dull area I had to walk through, run down houses in long straight rows. I came to a few shops further along.

I had to get a ferry across the bay; when I reached the end of the road all I could see was a huge metal gate and high sea wall so I had a stressful wait wondering what was going to happen until the ferry arrived and the gate opened. I walked to the nearest bus stop in Nagahama for Kochi, I was surprised at the amount of derelict buildings along the road from the ferry wharf, then suddenly it became suburban. Seared bonito for dinner. 24 kms

14 December I went back to Nagahama and walked around the bay coastline, nice when I could walk through the port but often there was a high sea wall. I reached Katsurahama beach area and there was a surprisingly pretty sandy beach with lots of people. I walked up to the lighthouse and out to a lookout on a point for a view of more sandy beaches down the coast. I also walked around the ruins of a castle (nothing there at all apart from an outline on the ground and some dry moats) and found a footpath down to the coast road. There I walked above the long sandy beach, broken up by groynes but no tetrapods. A man was selling ice cream from his car and he looked lonely so I bought one.

I turned off and found a nice temple, Wachamiya Hachimangu, at the end of an avenue of trees, with a pretty double roofline.

Temple 33, Sekkeiji, had several nice statues of buddhas and pilgrims, a real Japanese pilgrim and a plain hall.

Behind it was a lovely Shinto shrine surrounded by trees, Hadajinja. 

I then walked a bit towards the city and got the bus back. It turned out to be the wrong bus but the upshot was that I got a look at Kochi castle when I got off the bus. I went into the tourist office to get some help with my hotel bookings and I should have done this all along. 13 kms

15 December I took the train about 100 kilometres west to Saga, small village and port, and headed along the coast. Very soon I turned onto a lovely cobbled path built on the rocks (it was roped off but I slipped under the rope) going around a rocky point and across some pebble beaches. It was a beautiful coastline of misty headlands and lots of rocks in the water, a couple of tree topped islands. The water was so clear. Then I was on the main road but there was a separate walkway and rocks all along in the water, sometimes rock platforms with dense ridges etched on the rock. I left the main road to walk around a promontory by the water, at the point there was a rock pair joined by rope.

I walked through a couple of villages and after a tedious stretch on the main road I found myself by a beautiful long wide sandy beach, no concrete in sight, just sand and a bit of scrubby dune. The sea was deep blue and it was a perfect sunny day. I walked on the sand to Kuroshio where there was a michi no eki and had lunch. I went back to the sand to walk along Irino beach, backed by a line of pine trees, then turned off to follow the Shimanto River. I went through a village and a bit further on I got the train to Shimanto City. 24 kms

16 December I took the bus to the coast, travelling beside the extremely wide and scenic Shimanto River. I walked into a small port where I found access to a section of the Shikoku Nature Trail. It went along a minor road and first came to a fabulous sandy beach in a little bay, Nashishi.

After that I was inland for many kilometres with only snatches of sea view then after going through a village the road was in rainforest, a stream alongside and a sign reminding people how good it is to walk in nature! (I had been wondering if the nature trail was meant for drivers, being on a road with cars.) I came down to another lovely beach, Tateishi, flanked by cliffs with a view across the bay to Cape Ashizuri.

I crossed another promontory and arrived at a village, Nunoura, with a shingle beach. 

From there I walked along a busier road which was right by the water and it was a very pretty stretch, rocks offshore, views of headlands, and steep forested cliffs on the inland side. In the next village there was a strong smell of fish - I think from a recent market. The village had two ports, one on each side of a headland, seaside and riverside, and the riverside port was in a great setting with mountains all around as if on a fjord. Up the road I got the bus to Shimanto City. 20 kms

17 December There was an Australian pilgrim couple (5th time around) at the bus stop! We got off the bus just before Oki where there was a spectacular curve of sandy beach with mountains behind.

I walked along the beach in the sunshine and then on a minor road, a bit on the main road to Iburi port and village and then, amazingly, some forest trails. I met a German pilgrim. Then I walked on the main road to a not so interesting port and found a strange zigzag path behind a shrine that took me past citrus trees to bypass some main road. I heard midday music for the first time in ages. Finally I had to walk by the main road, inland, but no traffic.

I was glad to reach the day's highlights and get onto (paved) forest paths through a weird stunted forest. Possibly camellias. First a lookout towards a high cliff. Next a lookout towards Cape Ashizuri, little lighthouse on top of the cliff and southernmost point of Shikoku.

It had come up crazy windy. Across the road to Temple 38, Kongofukuji, which had a lot going on: many halls with gold artefacts inside, a large central pond, a two storey pagoda and lots of concrete pagodas, several areas with masses of seated buddha statues, arranged rocks.

I went down to a pebble beach on a long staircase, with a big heart shaped archway in the cliff and the water coming through, Hakusan cave.

Then to my ryokan with sea view from my room. The outside onsen had an amazing view of the coastline and the sky was really interesting with a storm brewing. 20 kms

18 December After my large Japanese breakfast I walked through the village and along the coast road, turned onto the Ashizuri Sunny Road and ducked into the forest to visit the Unomisaki lookout: a fantastic view of rocky spines eastwards

and the bulk of Cape Usubae to the west. A man was fishing from a rock at sea and I watched a fishing boat deliver something to him. The road narrowed and went into forest, no traffic apart from one (courteous) bus.

I turned off for a paved track down to sea level and over rocks to red Ryugu shrine with red torii gate in the most spectacular setting among the giant boulders and rocky spurs. Just rock, masses of it, and people fishing from rocks at sea.

Usubae lighthouse which I could see on the next headland was my next stop,

with a view of the tiny shrine and the less indented coastline ahead; I wondered if it was Kyushu that I could dimly see beyond the Shikoku coast.

I stayed on the Sunny road above the water, it was a nice tree lined road. Then I was back to the land of concrete, a high sea wall leading into Ohama. I walked through the village and saw a man and woman selling fruit including mandarins so I went over and asked for two; I used hutatsu (for small things) which confused the woman until she worked out I wanted niko(general things). A customer who had just bought a big bag of mandarins gave me two of hers. I felt bad until the man said to her that as she had given me osettai he would replace her mandarins.

The pilgrim route went onto a stony and leafy forest path, very peaceful and green, until I reached the water at Tosashimizu. An uneventful town with a fishing port and a wooded island in the port, and my hotel was either being built or repainted. At least there was a Lawson and a supermarket. 17 kms

19 December Tosashimizu looked ok from a distance under the mountains. I went around the bay and walked out to Cape Motsuzaki, with curiosity from some locals; I soon found out the cape was inhabited and had no viewing point, and anyway the view of the mass of offshore rocks was better from further along the main road. On the road I walked above strange rock platforms covered with thin ridges,

with a view of a double peaked island and across to the Togisaki peninsula. The road crossed an inland pass in the low mountains and I was happy to reach Misaki michi no eki for coffee and a piece of Basque cheesecake. (I had been thinking about Spain and how there is a bar in almost every village when there is no such thing here.)

A bit further on I left the village to do an out and back on the peninsula, first on a road then on a trail in the forest. Near the tip of the peninsula I went down to the Minakoshi shore

and spent the next hour among amazing rock formations: slabs of rock at weird angles, strange shapes, platforms, boulders but the really unusual feature was the pockmarking and gouging on the rock, weathered hollows or outright holes of all sizes.

And an observation tower with a view down the indented coastline, lots of sandy beaches. 

I returned to the village and went on to Tatsukushi where there was a cluster of tourist attractions. I went in the shell museum, a heritage building and a vast collection of sea shells, mostly collected by one man, some huge, many spiky. I walked along sandy Sakihama beach with more of the pockmarked rock and went around more rocks to Ashizuri Kateikan, a rather ugly 1970s cylindrical tower that went nine metres down to the sea floor and had portholes for spying on the fish living among the pinkish coral down there. The fish were great, colourful and fluorescent, big and small, bulging eyes, pointed noses, and just going about their day. Then across the road to my ryokan. 21 kms

20 December I had difficulty eating the breakfast but they produced coffee. I walked beside the road for another beautiful stretch with rocks, small islands. After the next village I went onto what must have been the old road but was now just for walking. It was lovely, alongside the water and immediately passing a rock arch

and then another, with lots of big rocks, but some of it was in terrible condition: single track that was completely overgrown and some unprotected steep edges, and a bit before Kainokawa

a landslide meant I had to scramble down to the beach and use a handy rope to pull myself back up.

There was a shop in the village so I had a replacement breakfast and set off again towards the old coast road. A man pulled up and said it wasn't possible to walk where I was headed and he sent me the other way; I didn't understand if he meant the whole way wasn't walkable. I found a track going up to a shrine and it continued over the hill to another part of the village, and from there I rejoined the old road. It was fine apart from the safety barrier being rusted away and some rockfalls had broken through the safety netting. There were some amazing looking blades of rock sticking straight out of the water and vegetated rocks and then a view of the next lighthouse.

I had to cross a river on a high bridge then I had a longer section on the old road where it was in better condition. Soon I turned off for the Kanaezaki lighthouse; I got right down to the point beyond the lighthouse where there was a huge offshore rock forming a tiny channel and I climbed to a shrine for another view. The water was really clear and there were people fishing from the rocks. The road had some vestiges of autumn colour and I saw tiny luminous blue butterflies, trees were growing at right angles out of the roadside rock. Around a bend I could see more promontories and a large island in front of Kyushu.

I reached Kosaitsuno village and saw that the extremely infrequent bus to Sukumo was due in three minutes so I decided to call this my finishing point. 15 kms

Total 285 kms; 3759 m elevation gain; 13 days