There was a bit of confusion on which tram to take to the Matsuyama station, and we did end up taking the wrong one. We ended up a bit further away from the station than anticipated, but close enough for us to walk the last half. With the cloudy conditions, it was not a sweaty walk to the station. Once we arrived, we waited at the platform that would take us all the way to the east side of Shikoku. The train rails were right against the coast, but everything did appear to be gloomy outside.
Upon arrival Takamatsu Smile station (famous for having a emoji like smile at the front... or was it called Shikoku Smile Station... can't recall), we ventured to a restaurant inside the station for lunch. Kagawa prefecture is known for sanuki udon, so we both ended up getting an udon dish. I wanted some additional protein, so I ordered a set that had tuna sashimi on the side. I didn’t anticipate it would be a sashimi rice bowl, thus eating more than I normally would eat in one meal. Fuelled by carbs, I was ready to head off to our first destination: Ritsurin garden.
I’ve been to the gardens 10 years ago, yet I was eagerly anticipating seeing it again. To date, it is my favorite garden in Japan. The sun was starting to creep out a bit, so we ensured that we were adequately covered in sunscreen after we reached the right station. The walk to the garden was reminiscent; so was the price of entrance into the museum! I couldn't recall the walk through the garden 10 years ago, so everything did feel relatively new. There was a large museum that I didn't get a chance to explore (or I don't think I did) 10 years back. Going through the museum, it explained what Ritsurin garden was all about. Right after leaving the museum, we continued along the recommended path till we reached the scenic spot known as Hirai-ho. After snapping a few pictures, it was back to the train station to head off to the next location.
We took a train that led us near Mount Yashima. For the next 10-15 minutes or so, we made our way towards Shikoku Mura - an open air museum dedicated to various buildings throughout Shikoku. If I recall correctly, the creator (and others) wanted to preserve traditional homes/buildings/small factories throughout Shikoku and relocate them onto a large plot of land. We initially thought that the 1600 yen entrance fee was steep for a Japanese museum, but we soon realized why it was so expensive. This entire area was massive! Unfortunately, we only had about two hours to venture throughout the entire 50,000 square meters meaning that we sped through the various exhibits. There were various houses, a soy sauce brewing factory (where you can actually still faintly smell the soy sauce embedded into the wooden barrels), light house, and a modern mini museum housing art. I highly doubt I'll be back in Shikoku in the near future, but I wouldn't mind spending a whole day to explore the various exhibits if I ever get the opportunity to do so.
With Shikoku Mura complete, we headed back to Takamatsu Station so we can head to our final destination for the day: a shopping arcade. Apparently, it's the largest in all of Japan. We probably walked a good km or so, before deciding to head back near the entrance (closest to the station) to stop for dinner. Another specialty, besides sanuki udon, is their Awaodori chicken. How I think of it, whether I'm accurate or not, is their version of Kobe beef (or high end wagyu). We found a restaurant that served just Awaodori chicken, but it had a relatively long line. Not wanting to miss the last train back to Matsuyama, we ventured across the street to an udon restaurant that also served Awaodori. After sitting down and placing our orders, we eagerly awaited our food. When the chicken came out with the udon, it smelled quite good - a nice mixture of seasoning plus the chicken grease pooling at the bottom of the drumstick. The Awaodori chicken was quite tender, though I'm not sure if I can classify it as being better than a regular well done chicken. Either way, it was delicious, and something that I would get again if I'm ever in Takamatsu.
With our stomachs full, we headed back to Takamatsu station to catch the train back to Matsuyama. After arriving back in Matsuyama, we grabbed a late ice cream snack before heading back to the hotel. I have yet to find the mint chocolate ice cream that I usually get in the convenience stores, but I managed to find a popsicle styled mint chocolate ice cream. It was pretty good, though I'm not sure if it is as good as the one I usually get. With that said, I'm more than halfway through my trip to Japan this summer. (Or so I thought... but that's for another post!)
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