Japan Shikoku 2023 - Part 1 

Part I: Tokushima to  Ashizuri Cape, along the South Coast

Our journey started on Vancouver Island and a bunch of things had to happen to get our bikes and us to Japan, including a much appreciated ride to the airport with Ed. There was slippage with the long-haul flight that required us to hustle through Incheon Airport to catch our last flight of the day. When we made our way down the escalator at at KIX (Osaka airport) to the baggage claim, we could see our bike boxes waiting for us. Then a kind customs officer escorted us to the front of the customs queue with our unwieldy baggage.  We rolled our gear on KIX trolleys to a 7-Bank ATM and then over to the swanky airport hotel; we crashed out at 11:00pm.

Transfer from the airport hotel to our safe house in Tokushima. 6km (cycling distance).

We woke early (5:00am) and went about unpacking the bikes, putting them in "rinko" bags (for transport on Japanese trains), cut up the cardboard boxes, picked up breakfast at "Lawson" (convenience store) and pushed the trolleys to the train station. We took the train from KIX to Wakayama port with a transfer at Izu station. The train/ferry connection time seemed a little tight  but the train arrived at the specified time. We carried the bikes and bags 600m, aided with a moving sidewalk onto the smallish ferry bound for Tokushima, departing at 10:15 am. There was no  luggage check-in, so we left the fully covered bikes strapped to a railing on the aft deck and settled down on tatami mats for the  2 1/2 hour ferry to Tokushima on Shikoku (¥2200, USD15 for the combined fare).

We reassembled our bikes at the Tokushima ferry terminal and rode  6 km to a rental house ("Yue") that we had booked for three nights. The cherry blossoms were near their peak in Tokushima Central Park. Our host, Yoriko, at the Edo style house was amazing. She had stocked the fridge with some items and we added to them at the local supermarket. We self-catered with a few ready-made items and stayed awake till 9:00pm.

Tokushima day ride to Temple #1 (Ryozen-Ji) and #2 (Gokuraka-ji) of the Shikoku 88 temples. 36 km.

We were up early (4:00am) and organized coffee and omlette for breakfast. We had to re-learn how to use Japanese toilets. The bike ride was mostly in mixed housing and agricultural land, including many carrot farms . The riding wasn't particularly inspiring but it was good to work off some of the jet lag with a ride on flat land. We visited the #1 & #2 temples of the Shikoku temple circuit. On the south coast of Shikoku, we would intersect the pilgrim's path and we were also more likely to see Western walkers at the Shikoku 88 Temples.

Ramen for lunch was the first of our trip, ordered on a tablet provided by the restaurant. Ramen houses seemed more common in cities and less so in towns and smaller centres. Ramen houses, more often than not, seem to use machines or in this case a tablet to place your order. The staff were energetic and like most restaurant staff we encountered, worked with a sense of urgency. 

We stopped in at the Fuji mall, had a look around Daiso (100 Yen store, though most items are now ¥110 plus tax)) and bought a few food items at the supermarket.  The process at the check-outs is different than in most countries as the cashier scans the items, but payment is made at a separate machine. On many occasions during our trip, the cashier would offer assistance to complete the transaction. 

We were back at base by 2:00pm and I  later went over to a Takoyaki stand and brought a small tray back to try. Takoyaki are dough balls with minced octopus but they didn't make much of an impression on us. We had dinner at home; I used Google Lens/Translate to decipher some of the bottles in the fridge and I made chicken teriyaki for dinner. I was quick to discover that bean sprouts and bags of fresh noodles cost almost nothing and they became integral to many of the self-catered meals on the trip.

Riding up Mt Bizan, Tokushima (25km with 300m ascent).  

Sheila opted to use a house e-bike for the day.  It was a chilly morning as we wound our way to the base of Mt Bizan and then up a steep, very quiet road up the  mountain through cherry blossoms and then finally up to a viewpoint overlooking  the sprawl of Tokushima. We rode down the other side past a couple of love hotels into town. We stopped at a 7-11 convenience store and we tried a delicious ready-made banana lassis. We thought we were onto something, but never saw the product again on our trip. Downtown riding  in Japan is somewhat counter-intuitive, in that bike riding on the large, busy boulevards was straightforward because most Japanese cities seemed to have wide sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists. 

We were betrayed by our previous experiences with Kaisenzuchi (conveyor belt sushi restaurants), where we took what we liked off the conveyor belt. At Sushi Hero, everything is ordered from an app on the tablet at your table, so we inadvertently took other people's orders. The attendant was quick to catch us and we were quite embarrassed (and likely black-listed at Sushi Hero) .  We did manage the payment machines at the Kyoezi Supermarket without assistance and we don't think we made any significant cultural errors on our afternoon Onsen visit.   Our house host had provided free entry vouchers for the snazzy Aratae Onsen  that was surprisingly  busy inside for a week-day afternoon. We made a note, that some modern, upscale Onsens have good looking restaurants. Once again, we self-catered dinner.

70 km (400m of ascent) ride to Hiwasa. 

We had another early wake-up at 5:00am and left our lovely house by 8:00am. It was slow-going in the morning, with many twists and turns, waiting for traffic lights, navigating our predetermined route out of greater Tokushima. By 11:00am, we were already feeling a little tired, so we had an early lunch at an Indian restaurant. It wasn't great food and it made us less interested in seeking out Indian food for the balance of the trip.

The second half of the day was much more interesting than the ride out of greater Tokushima. We left the plains and rode through green spaces. We hardly saw any traffic through the Fukui Dam area, and then on the slow road into the small fishing port of Kiki and no traffic at all on the single-lane road from Kiki to the edge of Hiwasa.  We rode into Hiwasa and made a quick look around before checking in at our accommodation. The Sakura-an Guesthouse  was an old wood building with paper thin walls (literally) between the rooms (our neighbour was as quiet as a church mouse). We didn't have the energy to visit the town onsen but took showers at the guesthouse instead. The guesthouse was the simplest of all our accommodations on the trip and it was a good experience.

We often used Google Maps to find restaurants and in Hiwasa, it brought us to what looked like a house on the edge of rice paddy. We had fabulous seafood bowls for dinner. Later, I took a wander through the Yakuoji Temple complex that was nicely lit up in the evening. The Yakuoji Temple is # 23 on the Shikoku circuit, so it seems that we had missed a few since #1 and #2. 

55 km ride (500m ascent) from Hiwasa to Shishikuiura. 

The guesthouse was geared up for the Henro (pilgrims on the Shikoku 88 Temples) so we had breakfast at 6:30am and we were rolling just after 7:00am. Our ¥300 breakfast was pretty good, but it did not include coffee, so we cycled over to a Family Mart and ordered two medium coffees before starting up #147.  The quiet coastal section was well constructed and offered observation areas with superb views along the coast. There were a couple of cars and a few touring motorbikes that passed by. We reached Murgi, stopped at a Lawson convenience store for cold coffees (we were still working through jet lag). We then followed the  #55 that had some traffic, so we used the sidewalk/pathway before reaching small roads, through parkland and then the seafront  to Kafu. We rejoined the #55 and stuck to the pathway through a few old sections but around the tunnels. 

When we reached Shishikuiura , we were drawn to a seaside restaurant and ordered up cheeseburgers. We had a chat with four western walkers who were on their 9th day of the 88 temples walk. We stopped in at a 7-11 for ice creams (and stashed a couple of beers into my pannier) and then through the sleepy Shishikuiura town, out along the coast past our accommodation (it was too early for check-in) out to a small cove. We returned to Shishikui  Pension and checked in with Aki (the resort was family owned and operated). It was a beautiful spot. After our beers, we rode the 2km back into town for tempura-udon at a restaurant, and a salad purchased at 7-11. Back at the Pension, we had a soak in the family onsen. There were a few Japanese visitors at the resort.  Everything seem to have worked out and the trip was going well.

62 km ride (400m of ascent) from our waterfront accommodation in Shishikuiura to Muroto.

 The pension was not geared up for pilgrims, so the first breakfast sitting was at 8:00am (the latest on our entire trip). We had a couple of origami coffees in the room beforehand and packed up. We left the splendid resort and rode through town along the Shishikui River with the rice farmers busy at work tilling and transplanting. We followed #301 and then a steep unnumbered road. After a steep climb, we reached a small tunnel that opened up to the None River valley. A sublime forest and river ride on the #101  followed. This was a beautiful, classic Japanese "rindo" (forest road) ride complete with moss in the middle of the road.  We saw our first vehicles parked at a campground when the road flattened out and then we passed through blossoms to reach the #55.  Traffic on the #55 was light and we had a big tailwind. We rode at close to 30kph, mostly with the ocean in sight. 

We stopped at the Meotoiwa Restaurant for lunch and ordered the sashimi set meal (¥1,000). That was followed by more ocean riding and then we cut off the #55 (we would return the next day) up a sharp hill and rode through a tunnel dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists. The 88 Temple route had its benefits (there was noticeably better infrastructure for the pilgrims). We killed a little time before check-in with a visit to the Shinsho Temple (#25 of 88 in your program!) and a Daiso to buy a few things, followed by a supermarket stop. We stayed at the motel style Family Lodge Hatagoya and took advantage of the coin laundry machines (¥200 for a load of laundry). We began to realize that we had probably brought too many clothes as laundry facilities were available at most lodgings in Japan, often for a couple of 100¥ coins. We locked the bikes outside and walked to dinner that evening (at a Chinese restaurant). We were definitely getting the hang of things.

Murato Town to Nahari, 60km with 500m of ascent.

 The Family Lodge chain offered simple breakfasts but excellent coffee for breakfast atarting at 7:00am. We chatted a bit with the receptionist who seemed to do all the jobs around the motel, including the cleaning. We returned through the pedestrian tunnel and rode around Murato Cape, stopping at a few awe spots and made short walks. The east side of Murato Cape has a deep drop off so cold water rich in nutrients is used for dry land aquaculture and makes for good off-shore fishing.  Further along, when Sheila saw the steep climb to Temple 24 (Hotsumisakiji Temple), she said that she would wait down below. I ran into a trio of bike tourers outside the quiet temple. We then rode back through Murato Town and  then up another steep climb to Temple #26 (Kongocoji Temple). The upper roads were without obvious traffic and our hands tired from braking on the steep descent down to Kiragawa. 

We stopped at Kitchen Cafe Kaido in Kiragawa and we both had the superb seared bonito & tempura set for lunch (¥1580 each). Further along,#55 got busier, though drivers were very courteous, we often rode the pathway/sidewalk into Nahari. We first visited a large supermarket and then checked into the Nahari Hotel. It was a little older but fine and it featured a  nice outside onsen. When we asked reception about where to park the bikes, he recommended keeping them in our room, which we did. Our room was roomy, but it did seem a bit silly and the next day, we left  them parked (locked) outside. On our first night, the hotel was busy with a group and we opted to eat some yummy ready-made supermarket food in our comfortable room (restaurants were a little ways into town).

Day ride up the Nahari River, 47km with 500m ascent. 

The day started with a couple of coffees in our room and then a full Japanese breakfast at 7:00am. Breakfast was served on 12 dishes and cups. I had scaled back the planned day ride because it was too ambitious (up the Yasuda River and back via Nahari River) and we needed some time for the Monet Gardens. It turns out that a loop up and down the Nahari River was a good choice. Going up the Nahari River, we stayed to the east side. Just past the Nakaoka Shintaro Museum, we followed a rindo ( forest road )that was closed to traffic, it went up steeply and the road surface was covered in cedar tree detritus.. Alas, a stick went into one of Sheila's wheels and took her down. Later, the road mellowed and passed past logging clear-cuts and then through small farms and it led us to a walking trail to the Fudo waterfalls. We took the quiet main road (#493)  back with cherry blossoms on the hillsides and stopped at a popular, friendly ramen restaurant (Igosso Ramen) for lunch. 

That was followed by a steep, warm ride to the wonderful Monet Gardens, well worth the ¥1,000 admission fee.  We hadn't seen other tourists for a while and we were joined by a smattering of mostly domestic tourists. We repeated the take-away dinner experience from the Marunka supermarket (pasta salad, soba, sushi and garden salad). That was followed by an evening soak in the Nahari Hotel onsen. The hotel was quiet that evening,and we had learned that onsens are typically quiet at dinner time. We kept up with our laundry needs, using the machines in the onsen resting area. We were in the groove.

Nahari to Kochi, 70km (300m ascent). 

We opted for a more modest breakfast the second time around and with rain in the forecast, we were rolling by 7:20am. There was more traffic on the #55 for the first 15km, so we rode off and on the pathway, with a tailwind. In Aki, we stopped briefly at the Ioki cave (apparently a pyroclastic deposit with lava flow above it). After riding the interesting backstreets of Aki, we found our way to the dedicated bicycle path for the next 14km. The pathway appeared to be a rail line in a former life. We reached the outskirts of Kochi by 10:00am.  We were hit hard by a squall and we took cover. The rain held off for the rest of our ride.

We passed the Kochi airport and stayed close to the ocean and riding a sea wall and below it, for many kilometres and then turned inland  past the Kochi drydocks. We were running low on energy and had a cheap (¥750) lunch at an udon restaurant. I didn't have the Google lens set for Japanese to English and couldn't read the menu, so the woman offered us the simple but filling curry set. It must have showered while we were inside. We passed by more shipyards and then made the steep climb to the Chikurinji temple (#31 of the 88). The temple grounds had a number of tourists and even a few obvious overseas visitors. Across a bridge, we stopped at a supermarket and then checked into the Dormy Hotel It started to rain hard and it took us a while to figure out the public bike parking (free & under cover). The Dormy offered an onsen, free frozen treats and free washing machines (we could monitor the progress on our TV screen). 

The rain continued but the Dormy was conveniently located next to the covered Obiyamachi Street that made dry travel possible. We walked to the end of the covered street and wandered the Hirome Market, that is mostly a large atmospheric food court. We joined a queue for seared  bonito (at Myojin Maru)  and found somewhere to sit. The fish was amazing.

Kochi City, 0km, rest day. 

The light rain continued through the day. This was a serendipitous rain day because it lined up with our hotel bookings (2 nights in Kochi). We opted for a self-catered breakfast (cereal and Family Mart pancakes).  We were big fans of the Family Mart pancakes (4 in a package with butter and a "maple syrup" for ¥120, best after heating in a microwave).

We made the short walk to the Kochi castle (renovated in 1750) in the drizzle. After the visit, we got soaked good and headed back to the Dormy Hotel to dry out. We went to a Thai restaurant (Asian Dining Chang) for lunch, then for a wander to the train station area and the Ace One supermarket. That was followed by an afternoon onsen visit in our hotel. The seared bonito was so good the previous evening, that we had the same dinner and it didn’t disappoint.

Kochi to Dragon Beach, 33km. 

Morning rain delayed our departure from Kochi. We checked out at 11:00 and returned to our favourite Thai restaurant  (Asian Dining Chang) in Kochi for more Pad Thai. It was still raining when we went for our bikes in the city bike lot, but finally it eased and we started riding around 12:45pm.

The ride out of Kochi was not particularly inspiring. We rode along some waterfront, through a green space to reach Sekkeji Temple. We rode south to the coast on route #34 then #14 that were somewhat busy, so we kept to pathways and sea walls. The wind was blowing hard,  mostly as a cross wind. We stopped at a Lawson convenience store in Usacho. We left most traffic behind when we took the Usao Bridge and shortly thereafter reached Sanyo-so Hot Springs and Hotel. 

After checking in, we walked over to Temple #36, Shiryuji. It had an interesting atmosphere and we returned to the hotel for dinner at 17:40. It was included in our hotel package and it turned out to be 10 courses ("kaiseki" or mulit-course). It was very good. We soaked in the Onsen later on.

Dragon Beach to Kubokawa, 62km (11km by train). 

We started the day with an opulent Japanese breakfast, rinsed the road grit (previous day’s wet roads) off our bikes  with a hose outside of the hotel and climbed the #47. The coastal road had just a few vehicles and a number of steep undulations. We dropped down to the #23 and some traffic into the industrial port town of Susaki.

We rolled through and onto the #56 and a series of tunnels that took us to the fantastic #320. The coastal road hugged an impressive coastline and featured over-the-top infrastructure with almost no vehicular traffic (we saw a couple of cars along the way). That brought us into Tosa-Kura and its thriving little market. We stopped in at an Udon restaurant (Handmade Udon Sanuki) and shared a table with a couple from Tokyo.

Rather than ride up a steep section of highway, we elected to take the train for one stop (11km, ¥260). It took about 15 minutes to organize the “rinko” bike bags at both ends, but the train ride was fun. Roughly 80% of the train ride was through tunnels. We emerged at Kagano and we took mostly small roads and stopped at a road station and a Lawson convenience store before checking in at a Family lodge Hagoya. We walked across the street to another road station (Yuing Shimanto) for dinner.

Kubakawa to Ekawasaki , 77km (350m ascent). Amazing, mind-boggling ride on old roads along the Shimanto River, the longest uncontrolled river in Japan.

We had a 7:00am breakfast at the Family Lodge (excellent coffee again), rode a few kilometres to the Iwamto Temple (#37), then followed small roads out along the Shimanto River. We dipped our toes on the #381; although traffic was light to moderate, the smaller old roads called to us. A few times we took the #381 but rode around the tunnels on old roads through beautiful landscapes and tiny hamlets.

Although we rode into a slight headwind, travel was easy without hill climbs, going down river. We reached the Shimanto-Towa Michinoeki (road station) at noon after 50+km and put our names on the wait list for lunch on a busy Sunday. We ate delicious food with a river view. We had another 20km to our hotel. It was more magnificent riding with a steep climb thrown in for good measure. We reached our hotel before 3:00pm, so we opted to cross the river to buy a few items at a small supermarket. The ready-made food looked good, so we opted for a hotel room dinner. We received a warm hotel reception and parked our bikes at a bike rack in the hotel lobby. The onsen was splendid and our room was spacious.

Ekawasaki to Tosa-Shimizu, 87km (600m ascent). 

Sheila went for an early soak in the onsen. This was a full day so we finished a full Japanese breakfast quickly and were on the road by 7:30. We followed the lower Shimanto River off and on the main road. The riding was quite good but not as good as the previous day's. We stayed on the west bank as we passed by Shimanto City, skipping the city centre because we had some riding ahead.

The roads around Shimanto City seemed a little busy, and we kept our heads down till we reached the #343. The coastal rode undulated steeply through forest, with few ocean views, but traffic was negligible. 

We pressed on and had a make-shift lunch at a Lawson convenience store when we reached the main road. We had fun with a group of Henro (Shikoku 88 temples) pilgrims. We considered a meal out of a convenience store as "failure" (a missed opportunity to eat in a restaurant) but in that case there were few other options.  #321 was busier than expected but there was a pathway to ride on most of the time. We rode to the centre of Tosa-Shimizu and bought groceries at the Sunny Mart supermarket then rode the last 2km to our rental house ("Ouchi", booked on AirBnb). The door was unlocked and we piled in. We ate plenty of veggies for dinner, something that doesn’t feature strongly in Japanese restaurant meals.