As we had some days left before our planned trip to the island Naoshima we tried to explore Shikoku (or at least the North eastern part of it) a bit more…

This led to the experience (once more…) that Japan can be quite strange for us. They worship or praise places which seem rather simple to us like this one here where there are some 4,000 pines on sand. Well… Pines, sand – welcome to the Baltic States Would you like some 40 million pines?

But you have to admit they are very proper people – harking sand everywhere on the territory…

Even providing this for the innocent wanderer – we had to play anarchy. Sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves…

And yes, they are precise – I just wandered why they didn’t put the centimetres on?

Regardless – the temple at the end was nice and the pig-dog (no it’s supposed to be a fox I guess…) as well

It’s blooming season

Japanese school excursion

Another evening we went to a small finger on the island which had no big roads (hard to find) and the pilgrim path as well.

There we discovered another side of Japan we hardly ever had seen before and were absolutely stunned and amazed by. Peace, tranquillity and just silence…

The small shrine was so nice

Just old (sometimes abandoned) houses

With the old structure clearly visible

And well manicured pines

And suddenly – nothing… Just a simple path through the woods. For Japan this is the big “terra incognita” or even better “hic draconis”

Those flowers we have never seen before

Reaching temples is always an arduous task…

 

Wonderful old head stones (well, woods actually )

The view from the top was very nice

And on the way back the sunset kicked in

turning everything into a wonderful pastel coloured image

The other side of Japanese life and culture…

micro hothouses

volcanic landscapes

just over the breakwater

The next day we took a trip to the dolphinarium where we once more were mesmerized by the uncanny ability of Japanese to translate directly to English…

The good old “Bundt cake” (Gugelhupf in German)

Just kidding and joking…

This was the reason were here for:

She allowed a stroke as well

Nice Japanese motive

Being on the 88 temples island we had to visit one more… This time the last one (the 88th – where 8 is a lucky number in Asia this is double luck)

nice claws dude…

Pilgrims in complete outfit

and the whole arrangement

It was flowering season

Huge ones…

And the Japanese go crazy once more

Well, we too…

Checking the view

Cherry blossom – the other big folly of Japan

A real late one

Gorgeous bud

And a rather creepy one, too. As Japan has loads of butterflies, there are loads of caterpillars as well… (there have to be ). What makes them a bit annoying is that they hang on small silk threads from the trees and wherever you walk you are covered by them pretty soon. And some of them even bite – nasty greedy beasts.

Like this one here…

 

As we had some time left before our ferry we went to the open-air museum to experience one of these rope bridges. Nothing for the faint-hearted I have to assure you.

Looks nice, is tricky…

Another interesting fact, when wandering through the museum and seeing the old houses, came up. Most Japanese admire and adore the “old times”. But they always forget that in the “old times” their lives pretty abysmal – no rights, no food (starvation was the norm), tough work, tough nature… Well so much for “the good old times” – easily forgotten

So perhaps this is a reason why everybody clings together even if there is enough space around. Everything very well organized and social control in place…

Another example of Japan for you:

Dust off after leaving the park

Having a bit of time left we visited the other attraction of Takamatsu – it’s park. Technically the biggest in Japan, but that usually is just a classification without meaning. We simply admired the trees

Tenderly cared for

And as usual the wonderful bridges

With the ponds and the unavoidable Japanese tourist group being taken around in boat… (the lake has perhaps 10,000 m² )

Another example of artful trimming

A picture in itself

And at least one person who did the right thing – relax!