Oden and Ramen at Chuukatenshin Saryou, Lion-Dori

Local nightlife is alive and well along Lion-Dori, one of Takamatsu's famous shotengai. 

When darkness falls and the small retail shops close, the izakaya and restaurants fling open 

their doors.   It's one long pub street where people stop at one bar for a drink and an

otsumami (beer food) before moving on the next destination -- usually just a few doors away.

We were in Lion-dori for a late dinner and since Jay does not drink, we were hoping to find a 

quiet place to eat.  And so we found Chuukatenshin Saryou. 

The door was closed but we could see lights and people inside.  The banners  hanging over the 

door clearly showed that this was a ramen place. 

Most of the tables were occupied and the owner/chef waved us over to the counter.

He handed us a plastic laminated menu that had definitely seen better days.  No english menu 

here in this very local place but the universal language of food photos was more than enough.  

Saryou had a few variants of ramen including the spicy tanmen but we opted for the safer 

chashu men, always a reliable bet.

From our end of the counter, we had ringside seats to the action that would soon be taking place in the kitchen.  The other customers were enjoying their drinks but we were here to eat. 

Well yes,  one of us was also here to drink.  The nama beer came in ice cold frosty mug -- 

kudos to Saryou for keeping their beer at below zero temperature. 

While waiting for the food, I peered around and saw a steaming steel pot at the other end of 

the room  -- oden!!!  

Different types floated around in the broth and the chef told me to just pick what I wanted.  

Oden is one of my favourite Japanese dishes.  It's  nothing more than many simple ingredients 

simmered together in a delicious broth.  Normally served during the colder months, I am 

always happy to have it at any time of the year. 

Oden goes perfectly well with beer so I chose carefully and well -- top to bottom, yuba or tofu 

skin, beef innards and my all time favourite, konnyaku, made from a type of yam.   

The pot had konnyaku cubes and konnyaku noodles.  I was in konnyaku kloud 9. 

I always enjoy sitting at the restaurant counter -- you get to see how the food is meticulously 

and expertly prepared by the chef.  It's cooking as an art form and a labour of love. 

While waiting for our ramen,  we ordered extra chashu  and got six thick slices of roast pork smothered under chopped green onions.  The pork was tender  -- meat, fat and skin all blended together  to create a velvety smooth mouthfeel.  You hardly needed to chew! 

Calories and cholesterol be damned -- we ate it all.  The green onions assuaged some of the 

guilt,  we pretended we were eating our RDA of vegetables. 

If you think we were all chashu-ed out after that opening number, well I guess you don't know 

us at all.  We certainly did justice to this deep bowl of chashu ramen.  

The broth was a deep dark  brown.  Its aroma and rich, pork-y taste reminded me a lot of 

Tokushima style ramen.  

More chopped green onions topped the noodles and surprisingly, there were fresh bean sprouts 

that added a bit of crunch.  An ajitama egg and a few thin slivers of menma or bamboo shoots completed the bowl.

Does this close up of this luxurious slab of chashu in my ramen make you hungry?  

The sides were caramelised and slightly seared adding an extra umami kick.  

While not lean,  there was just the right amount of fat spread throughout.  

There was no way to avoid eating that meltingly yummy fat.  I closed my eyes, apologised 

to  my arteries and slid the entire piece in my mouth. 

Saiko desu!

P.S.

Saryou also sells steamed pork dumplings and steamed buns -- a savoury and a sweet kind.  

They start selling in the mid afternoon, way before the ramen restaurant opens. A few of these 

make a satisfying snack!  But be prepared to wait, the lines can be long particularly after 5 p.m.

                                                                                                      

              

Egg-y tendon at Domburikappou Itajirou in Minamishinmachi

If you're walking down Minamishinmachi, Takamatsu's famous kilometric shotengai, you'll be spoiled for choices for a meal.  Lined with izakayas, coffee shops, specialty one-dish restaurants 

and shokudo, no  matter what you choose you'll invariably come out happy and full.

We were lucky to have stumbled into the small but very neat restaurant called Domburikappou Itajirou, which was near the entrance of the shotengai.  The minute we were seated,  we were 

given an appetiser of  tsukemono (pickles) and kinpira (stewed vegetables) plus a cold towel -- 

very refreshing for a steamy September evening.

The restaurant was long and narrow.  There were no tables and the counter had seats for about a dozen people.  The restaurant's name is descriptive -- domburi refers to the rice bowl, which is the only food served, albeit with different toppings.  

Loosely defined, kappou is a type of restaurant where diners are seated in front of a counter and 

can watch the chef cook the meal (and sometimes even chat with them, as I usually like doing).

Kappou restaurants can range from modest and budget friendly to fine dining, sky's-the-limit places. 

No nama or draft beer at this restaurant, only 500 ml bottles of Sapporo.  That meant several 

pourings into the teeny glass. 

Jay doesn't imbibe but thankfully, there was unlimited iced oolong tea on the counter.

Right in front of us were bowls of danmuji or pickled yellow radish, cucumber tsukemono and more of the kinpira of lotus roots, carrots and burdock root.  Take as much as you want, it's part of the meal. 

Finally the ichiban donburi, according to the waitress this is their bestseller.  It's a bowl of assorted vegetable tempura with two large prawns plus the coup de grace -- a poached egg yolk fried up 

with tempura batter.  

I saved it for last -- the soft yolk broke and out oozed the golden goodness of a perfectly poached egg. You can bet that I ate each and every grain of rice left in the bowl!  

Spellbound at Takamatsu's Shotengai

If I had known that Takamatsu has Japan's longest shotengai, over 2.7 kilometres long, I would
have stayed an extra day, just to wander around my favourite type of shopping venue.
Shotengai are old time alleys full of  shops and eating places.  Quirky and unpretentious,
a shotengai is  fun --  the original "we've got it all for you" shopping experience.  It beats any
uber modern mall, hands down.
We were in Takamatsu as part of our Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage so we were out of the city
most of the days, exploring temples in the other parts of the island.
The few hours that we were in the city  (usually early morning or dinnertime), were the few hours
I was able to spend exploring the shotengai.

Marugamemachi

We were lucky that the Daiwa Roynet Hotel we stayed in was right here in Marugamemachi.
The shotengai has been given a  facelift with big name brands anchoring the entrance to the shopping arcade.

There are  stylish shops and premium labels and small patisseries and cafes. 

Marugamemachi heads north,  all the way to the Takamatsu Castle grounds.  You cross a few streets but other than those areas, this is a covered shopping arcade which makes it a good way to spend time on a rainy day.  Don't be intimidated by the high end shops, walk further down and you'll find a wider selection of regular stores and small restaurants frequented by the locals. 

Minamishinmachi

Across the entrance to Marugamemachi is the south end of the shopping arcade, Minamishinmachi.

After 6 pm is rush hour at the shotengai with lots of locals passing through.  Look out for the bikes!

Minamishinmachi has a more laid back and folksy feel.   There are shops catering to what local residents need and chain restaurants for easy on the pocket meals.  There is also an events place called Olive Hall where you can watch local and foreign concerts. 

My heart skipped a beat when I saw my favourite Matsumoto Drugstore -- source of  interesting and unique skin and personal care products, all proudly made in Japan.  

Tamachi

The south end of Minamishinmachi is Tamachi.  If you've made it all this way, you are just a few hundred meters to the famous Ritsurin-koen, considered by many as one of Japan's best gardens.

A walk through the shotengai is a pleasant and convenient way to reach the park.

 

Lion-dori

This covered shopping arcade runs parallel to Marugamemachi.  Lion Dori or Lion Street 

has many small local shops plus izakayas and specialty restaurants.  Most are open only for dinnertime.

One of the places we found along Lion-Dori was a chinese dimsum place selling steamed buns (siopao) and dumplings (siomai).  The appetising aroma wafted all over the alley.

At night when the shops have closed, regulars flock to Lion Dori's many izakayas for an evening 

of  beer-y conviviality. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have one for the road.  Cheers to the varied charms and attractions of Takamatsu's shotengai. 

Kanpai!

A Henro Postcript

Strung out over 1,400 kilometres around the island of Shikoku, the 88 Temple Pilgrimage winds through towns and cities, rural roads and sometimes,  very difficult and lonely terrain.  

The henro moves forward, from temple 1 all the way to temple 88.  And then, when he comes 

to the 88th temple,  he  realises he needs to go back to temple 1 to complete the circle.  

The Hachijuhakkasho-meguri, the Japanese term for the pilgrimage, follows in Kobo Daishi's footsteps as he walked around Shikoku starting in Tokushima and tracing the coastline through 

Kochi, Ehime and finally Kagawa.  This circular route has been likened to a mandala  with each prefecture symbolising a  stage not just in the pilgrimage, but in one's growth and journey 

through life.  

Walking the Camino de Santiago and the Kumano Kodo, I learned soon enough that the pilgrimage was not about finding Santiago or the kami for that matter.   

Here in Shikoku, the henro traces the Daishi's footsteps.  Was I looking for Kobo Daishi?

Was that the reason for walking this route?  Should I be looking for enlightenment, as the mandala showed. If I reached Kagawa, would it mean that I achieved nirvana?

It was too much for me -- I put all such thoughts out of my mind.  Instead I simply walked. 

I strolled, I sauntered.  I put one foot in front of the other,  following the path and being acutely 

aware of my surroundings in each specific instance in time.

I wondered ... is enlightenment the goal of a pilgrim? Is it a stage that one achieves, as part of a process?  

But Kobo Daishi had said that enlightenment was never far off.  "It is present within the 

mind  since birth".  Do not look for something that is already within you.  

But rather, bring it up to the fore. 

Shingon Buddhism, the sect that Kobo Daishi founded,  teaches that one can 

attain Buddha-hood during one's lifetime.  "There is a Buddha in all of us" a monk 

in Koyasan told me.  How to nurture the Buddha within is what we need to learn.  

What an inspiring and uplifting thought.   Perhaps I could nurture  the Buddha by walking 

and just letting go.   And so I did -- I let go of all worries, frustrations and doubts.  

Of negative emotions,  what-ifs and what-could-have-beens.  As I walked, as I slowly freed 

myself from my encumbrances.   I realised then,  that I had found myself. 

I also did not need to find Kobo Daishi.  My friend, the monk asked me why I had to look

for the Daishi.  "He is here" he said, touching his heart.  "When you need him, he is 

always here".  

Dogyo Ninin

P.S

I saw this bench with a cut-out of Shikoku island in Ishite-ji, temple 51.

I think it is a beautiful way to remember Shikoku -- the wide open vistas, the quiet but 

breathtaking countryside and the amazing people who welcomed us so sincerely.

Thank you for the warm smiles, the o-settai that were freely and heartwarmingly given
and  most specially, thank you for the kindnesses extended to us by everyone we met.  

Domo arigato gozaimashita!

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 15 - Getting to and around Shikoku

Typhoon Jebi almost ruined my carefully planned Shikoku trip.  It ripped into Kansai, forcing 

the closure of the airport and the cancellation of our PAL flight, just two days before we were
to leave. 

But thanks to my patient (and long suffering) travel agent, we were able to book seats on
Japan Airline on very short notice.  

Taking JAL proved to be a blessing as they have flights to Tokushima, our first stop in Shikoku.

However, because  JAL  lands in Narita you need to transfer by yourself to Haneda Domestic Terminal,  a 70 minute bus ride away. 

Here's my MVP - most valuable pointer for travelling within Japan.
Send your big suitcases ahead to wherever you are going via Takkyubin (TA-Q-BIN).
This very efficient service from the Yamato Transport Company will send packages, suitcases,
etc from point to point, anywhere in Japan.

JAL could not check our bags through to Tokushima from Manila  so after picking them up from
the arrival area, we headed to the Yamato Counter and sent them off straight to Tokushima.  

Throughout this trip, we used Takkyubin to send our bags from hotel to hotel and back to Narita airport at the end of our journey. Takkyubin made for easy and luggage-free train and bus travel around Shikoku.

Just a reminder -- if you send your bags via Takkyubin, delivery is the next day or at least
two days  if you're sending your bags to the airport.  Your hotel concierge or even the ubiquitous conbini store can arrange for Takkyubin service. 

We had a comfortable four hour transit time between our arrival in Narita and our flight for Tokushima in Haneda.  The lines at the luggage drop off at Haneda Domestic Terminal were so
long, we were really glad we did not have our suitcases with us.  Checking in was a breeze.

Tokushima Airport is about 30 minutes from the city.  A very convenient way to get to and
from the airport is the Airport Shuttle Bus which runs every hour from 6 a.m. till 9 p.m.

My pocket wi-fi was waiting at the hotel when we checked in.  While you can now rent a
device at the airport, I've noticed that the lines are always so long since every tourist who
gets off the plane seems to want one.
I have always pre-ordered from https://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/. 

The device is delivered to your hotel and you send it back in its own self-addressed envelope
when you leave Japan.  You can ask your hotel to mail it for you or you can drop it off at the
mailbox at the airport.
I cannot stress how useful the pocket wi-fi is, specially when you are trying to find your way
between temples and there are no directional signs in sight. 

Friends always ask me about the JR Pass and should they get one before they fly to Japan.  

The pass does not come cheap, a 7 day pass costs 29,000 yen.  But it allows for unlimited train
travel all around the country.  

However, if you're staying in one area like Shikoku, there are local JR Passes that would suit
you better.   We bought the All Shikoku 7 day pass for 12,500 yen and used it to travel to Kochi, Matsuyama, Takamatsu and all around Tokushima.  

The round trip from Takamatsu to Matsuyama  alone cost 11,980 yen so the 12,500 yen pass
was terrific value for money.  

In addition to  JR lines, the Shikoku pass can also be used in all local trams and private railways around Shikoku.  While there are no shinkansen,  there are several train lines that crisscross the island.  This made it easy for us to visit all four prefectures of Shikoku within the week that we
were there. 

Most of the temples we visited in Tokushima were not accessible by train so we took the city and municipal buses.  These run infrequently, just one or two every hour.  Buses were a slow but fun 

way to see more of the countryside.
Our hotel was right across the main bus terminal and the staff at the ticket office were always ready
to help henro by  giving directions and even providing bus timetables.

While Shikoku is a bit off the usual tourist track, it is easily accessible from major destinations
like Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo and you don't have to spend huge amounts on the shinkansen.
A cost effective and convenient option are the buses which go to these big cities.
For 1/3 of the cost of a ticket on the bullet train,  we took the JR Bus from Kyoto Station to Tokushima and the trip took less than three hours.  The ride was smooth, comfortable and
there are many schedules to choose from all throughout the day.

P.S

Our main reason for visiting Shikoku was to do a small portion of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
If you want to experience being a henro, if only for a day or two, I would suggest Tokushima City
in Tokushima Prefecture as a good base.  Out of the 88 temples, 23 can be found in the prefecture
and temple 1, where you start the pilgrimage, is just  a 30 minute train ride from Tokushima Station.  

Temples 1 to 7 are within 20 kilometres of each other and make for an easy, two day walk.

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 14 - Okubo-ji, Temple 88

At the start of the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage,  the henro does kechigan, a promise to 

fullfil a vow.   In this case, the vow is to finish the entire pilgrimage, whether it is by walking,  

or by using any kind of transportation. 

Jay and I were not able to visit all 88 temples as we just had a week in Shikoku.  But we
wanted to and did visit temple 88, Okubo-ji.
We had been told by monks and people we met along the way that there was no rule on
how many temples a henro should visit.  There was no rule on which temple the henro should
visit first or last.  The only rule was to view and treat the pilgrimage with respect.  

Okubo-ji located in Sanuki, is 40 kilometres away from Takamatsu where we were staying.  

There are a few options on how to get there,  one is via the JR Kotoku line.  Get off at 

Shido station, just thirty minutes away.

The temple is situated in the mountains and if you're not walking, driving a car or taking a tour 

bus, the only way to get there is via the Sanuki Community Bus which runs just 4 times a day 

from Shido station : 8:05, 10:56, 12:49 and 17:10.  

We were so worried about missing the bus that we arrived more than an hour before the scheduled time and had to wait.   Patience is a henro virtue. 

The Sanuki Community Bus was empty that Sunday morning.  It made several stops along the 

way and picked up a few passengers, mostly elderly local residents for whom this bus is a means 

of getting around.  

The bus ride from Shido station to Okubo-ji took an hour and ten minutes.  Along the way we 

passed rice fields,  rural communities and the odd commercial centre.  Shikoku's omnipresent mountains lent a truly bucolic feel. 

The bus let us off right across the steps to the temple.  To go back to Shido station, there are 

only three schedules:  9:58, 13:28 and 15:49.   If you miss the last bus, you'll have to sleep on 

the mountain.

This is not the main gate of the temple.  As this gate is right across the bus stop, I decided 

to call  it the "commuter's gate".

Instead of Nio, there is a giant straw sandal on each side of the gate.   This is called owaraji  
and are the traditional sandals that were worn in the early days, by henro and non-henro alike. 

If you have been to Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo you might remember seeing owaraji at the 

temple's gate, though much bigger than this. 

From this entrance, the henro catches his first glimpse of the Hondo or main hall.  There is a 

pagoda behind it and the craggy face of Mt Nyotai stands imposingly behind -- immutable 

guardian of the temple.  

Okubo-ji dates back to the early 700s and was established by the monk Gyoki.  Much later on, 

Kobo Daishi visited the temple and rebuilt some of the structures. 

A pair of Japanese komainu or lion dogs flank the path to the Hondo.  If you're wondering about 

the steel bleachers in the background,  these are used by the tour bus henro for group pictures, to commemorate the culmination of their pilgrimage.  

The temple's  temizuya is a large urn in the shape of a lotus flower.  The water flows into the urn
from the dragon's mouth.

Of all the 12 temples we had visited, we saw the most number of people at Okubo-ji.  

Some were in henro attire but most seemed to be visiting the temple just for the day.  

Still there were those who were there for a specific reason.  One man that we would meet later 

on, was having his hakui (henro vest) inscribed with the temple seal at the nokyocho office.   

This privilege is available only to those who have completed the entire pilgrimage.  

The man had done it three times and even brought his completed nokyocho as proof.

A cardboard cut-out of a cheerful henro stood by the steps of the  Hondo.  He seemed  extremely pleased to have reached the 88th temple. 

I spy my friend Fudo Myoo  and pause to remind him to clear all evil from the path to heaven for me. 

There is something about mountain temples that is strongly appealing.  They are austere and

feel like truly sacred spaces.  Okubo-ji was exactly how I had pictured it to be --  a restful and tranquil spot where the henro, upon finishing his pilgrimage, is met with quiet grace.  

After saying the sutras at the Hondo and having our nokyocho stamped we headed to the Daishido,   trailing after these monks on this inclined path.

Beside the Daishido is a giant bronze shakujou or monk's staff.  It stands over the Hojo-do, 

a  hall that contains perhaps thousands of kongozue or the wooden staff that henro carry. 

If you wish, you can leave your kongozue at the temple as a symbol that you have completed
your pilgrimage. 

Since I believe that a pilgrimage is never really "completed" I decided to keep my kongozue and
take it back home with me. 

The flame that burns in the foreground has a sign  "Fire of the Atomic Bomb".

It is an appropriate reminder, particularly for these times that we live in.

There were people praying at the Daishido including one white haired henro who later told me 

he  came by car.   Do you see the white cloth hanging on top of their heads?   One end is tied 

to the deity enshrined inside that is hidden from view.  As I was watching, one of the  temple
staff came forward and motioned me to put my hand on the cloth. 

It is a blessing he said,  to touch the cloth is like touching the deity himself. 

This large gate is the main entrance of Okubo-ji.  The bell tower is on one side.   

If you enter through this way, you will see the Daishido first before you reach the Hondo. 

Some of the trees around the temple have started to change colour -- Okubo-ji, with mountainous forests surrounding it, is a famous koyo (autumn leaves) viewing spot.   

We take our time at Okubo-ji and still have some minutes to spare before the bus arrives to take us back to Shido station.  Just a few minutes though, Jay reminds me.  Not enough time to browse around the souvenir shops and restaurants that are now full of people.

At the bus stop, we met the incredible 86 year old Eizi Umemoto san and his wife, Kizuko san.  

They were directly in front of me at the line at the nokyocho office where he was having his 

hakui (henro vest) inscribed with the temple seal.  The two of them have completed the pilgrimage 

three times!  

Umemoto san spoke excellent english which he said he learned from American soldiers when 

he was a young boy in Kochi City.  A Shikoku native, he now lives with his wife in Kobe.
We continued to talk even while on the bus.  At one point,  he apologised very sincerely for the war and "the bad things the Japanese did to your people".   I was truly moved by that and felt genuine sadness when it came time to say good-bye. 

When you travel, you receive these unexpected gifts  -- most of them are incidences of kindness, transformative moments that make indelible marks on your soul. 

Thank you Kobo Daishi for this touching encounter.

P.S.

I will not say "owarimashita" (I am finished) since I believe that when you come to the end 

of a pilgrimage (or anything in life for that matter)  you will find that it is just another beginning.   

Here is Okubo-ji's seal in my nokyocho along with my photo of the Hondo.