Last Day

Our last day in Tokyo was warm and sunny so we visited the Rikugien garden. We then wandered around the Ameyoko street market near Uneo Station, buying very little.

After collecting our bags from the hotel we found the elevator entrance to the subway station. We had to change from one train to another which was waiting at the opposite platform. There was another change of trains but we either got on the wrong train or missed yet another change as we ended up in Yokohama. We realised we were going the wrong way so hopped off and caught the next train headed for the airport. Fortunately it took us directly to the international terminal. There were no English announcements or guides from the time of our third train and we relied on a mapping app to confirm we were finally on the correct train line.

Our Qantas flight was delayed 2 hours due to some "maintenance" requirement. We are now waiting at the domestic terminal for our flight to the Gold Coast.

Japan was a lovely country to visit. We were made to feel welcome and always felt safe. It has so much recorded history and so many beautiful places to enjoy. Hopefully we will catch up with many of you over the next few weeks now we are back home. Sayonara

Shibuya

The statue is of the famous Japanese dog Hachiko who waited 9 years for his owner to return on a train. The owner had died after catching his morning train, but the dog did not know this and went to the station every day to meet his master.

Hachiko died in 1935 when Shibuya Station would have been completely different to what it is today. In terms of daily passenger numbers Shibuya is the largest station in the world. Extensive renovations are being done which adds to the chaos in the area around the area.

We visited the Ota Memorial Museum of Art to see the historical collection of woodblock prints. The woodblocks are carved with tiny chisels and several blocks may be used to print the different colours.

Asakusa

We went in search of quality outdoor clothing but didn't buy anything as it was all for skiing or snowboarding, which we don't need.

Our hotel is opposite the Senso-ji Temple. The original temple was destroyed during WWII but the reconstruction attracts millions of visitors every year. There are hundreds of small shops and restaurants catering for visitors and locals.

There is a supermarket under our hotel and locals buy their groceries and take them home on their bicycles. From the 13th floor lobby of the hotel we see the Asahi beer company buildings. The 300 tonne gold statue is meant to represent the foam on top of a beer while the building the glass. Not surprisingly the statue it is known as the "golden turd".

Back in Tokyo

We left the Fujiya Hotel early and caught the bus to Odawara Station where we had breakfast. While we were waiting at the platform for our bullet train, two other bullet trains whizzed through the station at an amazing pace. 

As it was a lovely day we decided to head back to Ueno Park to see the Van Gogh and Gaugin exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. These valuable artworks were within touching distance of visitors. Security was minimal by western standards but the Japanese walked slowly and orderly past all of the works with the whole gallery in near silence. 

We are very happy with our final hotel - The Gate Hotel in Asakusa. The lobby is on floor 13 where there is a fabulous view towards the Tokyo Sky Tower. We are on the 10th floor with a view in the opposite direction. We ate at the hotel restaurant and the food was lovely.

Gotemba Premium Outlets

There were low clouds and the threat of rain so we decided to visit the Gotemba Premium Outlets. This involved 2 buses to get there but the trip was through interesting scenery. The picture was not taken today because of the weather, but we did see Mt Fuji before clouds blocked it from view.

Anita indulged in shoe shopping and we had yet another Italian meal. Our return trip was via the scenic bus route then the historic train. The bus driver spoke constantly through a microphone, presumably describing where we were or where we would be going. Bus and train drivers speak out loud confirming they have done things like check each of their mirrors before driving away from the stop. For train drivers this is accompanied by a strict regime of hand signals.

We made the mistake of dining at our hotel. It was expensive but not very nice. The dining room lacked atmosphere and there were as many wait staff as there were diners. We are looking forward to better food options in Tokyo tomorrow. 

Fujiya Hotel Garden

While the buildings of this hotel might be tired and in need of a serious makeover, the attractive garden is very well maintained. There are several greenhouses where the gardeners propagate plants for the garden and to sell to hotel visitors. Some of the greenhouses are heated by hot water from the thermal springs.

There was a reasonable collection of bonsai trees and many trees in glorious autumn colours. There is a shrine, an outdoor swimming pool and the inevitable pond full of orange and black koi fish.

If you walk through the back of the garden there is a path leading to a viewing point where Mt Fuji can be seen. It is a 40 minute uphill walk so I am not sure I will need to do that. 

Hakone Travel Pass

We purchased a Hakone travel pass that allowed us to use the local buses, trains, funicular railway, aerial gondolas and cruise boats. The train took us through scenic national park from Miyanshita Station (altitude 419 metres) to Gora (altitude 555 metres). There we changed to the funicular which took us to Sounzan (altitude 755 metres). 

We hadn't had breakfast expecting to find shops or cafes but the only place for a decent coffee was from a small converted Airstream caravan. Our next leg was by what the Japanese call a "ropeway", which is a scary term for the enclosed gondolas suspended on twin steel cables. There were seats for about 10 people in each gondola and it felt secure even though at times we were 200 metres above the ground.

At Owakudani (altitude 1044 metres) the area is an active volcanic zone with sulphurous fumes, hot springs and volcanic ash. The walking trails in the area have all been closed for months because of the fumes. From viewing points we could look down on the area where steam and fumes were rising. Trees have lost their leaves due to the heat from the steam and fumes. This is the closest we are likely to ever get to an active volcano and it was spectacular in itself, but in the other direction we had a clear view of Mount Fuji. 

From Owakudani we went down the other side of the volcano on the gondolas which took us to Togendai-ko (altitude 741 metres). We had to walk down several sets of steps to Lake Ashi to board the cruise boat which sailed the length of the lake. We completed our circuit by catching a bus back to our hotel.

Fujiya Hotel Disappointing

We picked this 4 star hotel in the Hakone area because it is rated number 2 for the area on TripAdviser and because of its history. Our assessment is that it is shabby and deserves a "terrible" rating on TripAdviser - our room is large enough but it smells musty, the bathroom has mould and missing grout, the door has a simple push button lock, and there is a doorway into an adjoining room, etc.

The foyer, dining rooms and other areas of the hotel certainly retain their grandeur from when it was built in 1878, but the corridors are very tired. Unfortunately the pictures on line do not show these failings. The outside of the hotel is very impressive, but the inside is disappointing especially in comparison to our last hotel. 

We traveled from Takayama to Nygoya Station where we changed to a bullet train, but there was an hour and a half wait. At Odawara Station we caught a local bus which should have taken 30 minutes, but took close to an hour because of heavy traffic. The area is a weekend getaway for Tokyo residents and the roads were all very busy. Tomorrow we will explore the area.

Hida Folk Village

Anita spent the afternoon at the resort while I headed for the Hida Folk Village. I walked there and on the way saw a hairdresser so stopped for a haircut which is quite good since my request was all in sign language. The hairdresser said "cutto" so I figured we were on the same page. I followed up with a soak in one of the foot baths that are located around the town. 

The Folk Village opened in 1971 after more than 30 traditional buildings were relocated there. The timber structures were originally built during the Edo Period (1603 - 1867) so have either shingled roofs or thatched roofs. Many are located around a pond which was constructed in 1931 to provide water for rice paddies. In the past people swam in the pond during summer and skated on it in winter. The ice was cut and stored in an ice house for later use. It was covered with sawdust, presumably to prevent the blocks of ice from sticking together.

The autumn colours were dazzling in the sunlight. At 1.30pm a siren sounded and an announcement was made that there was a fire drill. The Japanese take these drills very seriously as there was extensive artificial smoke pouring across the pond. I saw 3 fire trucks and one paramedic unit. The village staff and the fire fighters were running to perform their duties. Half a dozen hoses spouted water into the pond.

Around the largest building with a thatched roof a series of water spouts erupted from the ground. This is an ingenious system to get a lot of water onto a building in a short time. The fire drill was as interesting as the Folk Village itself.  

Takayama

It was foggy this morning so we could not see past the hotel car park. At 9am when we caught the shuttle bus into town it was still only 3 degrees. We walked to the river where there is a market selling fruit, vegetables and other produce. A couple of the merchants had kero heaters burning to keep them warm. 

We followed a walking trail through the older areas of Takayama. An excellent free map allowed us to understand what we were seeing along the way. It was Saturday morning and we saw a few dogs out with their owners. Most of the dogs we have seen are either being carried or pushed in a pram! 

At a coffee shop I ordered hot chocolate but did not expect this decadent concoction. It was delightful!

Hotel Associa Takayama Resort

After we arrived at Takayama Station we had to work out where to find the shuttle bus that would take us to our accommodation. We had no idea when it would arrive so we just had to sit and wait - for about half an hour. The bus filled with Japanese tourists, mostly women, who come to the resort for the hot springs.

The hotel is 4 star and in comparison to our city hotels in Japan it is palatial! Our suite is 4 times the size of our room at the ANA Crowne Plaza - and it does not smell of cigarette smoke! An unexpected bonus is the view from our room of the northern Japanese Alps. The photo was taken through our window.

The onsen is very large with several different pools and hot tubs. Some of the pools are outside where we soaked contemplating the wonderful view of the mountains. No photos of course because cameras are not permitted in the onsen. 

Toyama

It was another sunny day when we traveled our first leg of the day to Toyama about 40 minutes from Kanazawa. I had wanted to ride on the Torokko Electric Train through Kurobe Gorge but we didn't have enough time on our Toyama stopover. Instead we walked around Toyama, bought a very light weight backpack, and had lunch.

The scenery on the second leg of our travels today was wonderful. The trip from Toyama to Takayama was about one and a half hours and all the way we had delightful views of autumn colours on the hills with the river below. The scenic views were interrupted when our train passed through a couple of dozen tunnels. The train climbed over 500 metres and at the end of the trip we caught glimpses of the snow covered Japanese Alps. I was able to take photos through the train window.

Kaga Onsen

We caught a thunderbird train to Kaga Onsen to see the Kakusenkei Gorge. Kaga Onsen is a collection of four hot spring towns south of Kanazawa. An onsen is a hot spring that generally has bathing facilities. There are thousands of onsens all over Japan. They were traditionally used as public bathing places and today play a central role in Japanese tourism.

We caught a bus from the Kaga Onsen station to Yamanaka Onsen which is where the Kakusenkei Gorge runs parallel to the town's main street. We initially walked in the wrong direction and walked up a very large set of steps that led to a shrine. It would not be visited by too many tourists on foot!

Several bridges cross the gorge and there are old wooden buildings along the pathway. It had been raining and the rough path was slippery so we did not venture far. The autumn colours were attractive in many places along the river.

There was one downpour of rain but we were able to spend time inside a shop selling local laquerware. 

Buddhist Statue Kanga Onsen

From the Kaga Onsen station we could see this huge statue. It doesn't feature in tourist brochures but is apparently 73 meters high and is a depiction of the Buddhist deity Kannon with a child in her arms representing a compassionate mother. It stands in stark contrast to the fairly dull buildings that dominate the district. 

Even when I tried to find more information about this statue using google, there wasn't much detail. According to one website the statue was built in the 1990s when Japan was flush with money. It can be seen from many places along the train line so it is surprising there is not more information about it in tourist literature. 

Kanazawa Castle

Across the road from the Kenroku-en Park is the Kanazawa Castle. Most of the castle was destroyed by a fire in 1881 but a section was rebuilt. We did not go inside but wandered around the castle gardens.

Kenroku-en Garden

We packed our bags this morning because the hotel was moving us to a non smoking room - thank goodness! 

There are two bus loops taking visitors to the city's key locations - one bus route goes clockwise and the other goes anticlockwise. We bought a day pass and headed for the Kenroku-en Garden which is in the top 3 of Japan's gardens. 

It was a delightful sunny day and the gardeners were taking advantage of the weather preparing trees for the snow season. They secure about 800 ropes from the top of a pole to branches to prevent the trees from being damaged by the weight of snow. Throughout December and January Kanazawa is covered in snow. 

There were lovely autumn colours throughout the garden but this roping activity attracted the attention of most visitors, including ourselves.

Travel to Kanazawa

We had a day with things not going to plan. We were up earlier than necessary and decided to wait in our hotel room using the internet, but there was no internet connection. Our train was delayed by 15 minutes which is unusual in Japan. The conductor used an ipad to show us an English explanation for the delay as "accident/injury".

The worst thing has been allocation of a smoking room at the ANA Crowne Plaza Kanazawa. We are certain we requested non smoking rooms at all hotels, but our booking suggests otherwise. Until today we have been impressed with the limitations placed on smoking in Japan. Almost all trains, buses and public places are smoke-free. There are designated smoking rooms or bays, and in Kyoto there was a fine of 1,000JPY for smoking on the street.

It is much cooler here and will be 5 degrees overnight and drizzly. Tomorrow should be sunny but the maximum will only be 15 degrees. Kanazawa is on the northern coast of the main island of Honshu, bordered by the Sea of Japan and the Japanese Alps. 

The Kanazawa Station is another impressive transport structure. There is a huge Tsuzumi Gate made from redwood. A tsuzumi is a Japanese hand drum of Chinese or Indian origin. The timbers in the gate resemble the strings of the drum. In the station there is a model of the gate and the picture shows the curved top. The forecourt is covered with a massive glass dome.

Nishiki Market

Today was our last full day in Kyoto. We ventured onto a different bus line and visited the Nishiki Market in downtown Kyoto. This market has been here for centuries. It started as a fish wholesale district but now sells all kinds of foodstuffs, some of which I would not be game to try. For example, one trader had skewers with a sign saying "eel inside", which from their appearance I assumed means the guts of eels. 

In the main shopping area a department store window had these pictures of cat and dog characters. I could not figure what they were meant to convey but I liked them anyway. 

Kyoto Outing

After our first day experience travelling to Gion on a hot overcrowded #100 bus, we decided to catch the #206 which also goes to Gion - trouble was the #100 only took 10 minutes to get to Gion while our #206 bus took one hour and 20 minutes to get to the same place! At least we had seats and got to see areas of Kyoto that tourists would not normally visit.

At the entrance to the Yasaka Shrine we were approached by a group of young male and female scouts who asked us to write down our nationality and where we live. They were all very happy we were willing to help them with their "research" and took a group photo with us in it. They gave each of us a little present of a few sweets in a small box which they had made out of paper. 

Being Sunday there were many more Japanese visitors at the Shrine than on other days. We walked through the historic area of Higashiyama up to the Kiyomizudera Temple together with thousands of other people. There is a three tiered pagoda painted bright orange but the star attraction is the 

Kiyomizudera (literally "Pure Water Temple") which is one of the most celebrated temples of Japan. It was founded in 780 on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the wooded hills to the east of Kyoto.

Kiyomizudera is famous for its wooden stage that juts out from the main hall 13 metres above the hillside. When standing on the stage I didn't really appreciate how high I was from the ground, but after going down the hill I could see the timber framework supporting the stage. Both the main hall and the stage were built without the use of nails. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the Gion shopping area. I was sustained by a fabulous salted caramel crepe, while Anita settled for caffeine. After we recouped at our hotel we went to a local Vietnamese restaurant, but won't bother going back as it was not very good.  

Nara

As we were on the Nara JR train line we decided to continue to Nara which was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784 when the framework of national government was consolidated. At the station we bought an all travel day pass for only 500 JPY (about $7) to use the terrific system of buses which efficiently takes thousands of visitors around the various sites. There are numerous historic monuments including Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and the excavated remains of the Imperial Palace. 

Our first stop was the Kohfukuji Buddhist Temple in Nara Park. We immediately saw the deer that roam the park in their hundreds. They are tame and are fed "deer biscuits" by visitors (at a cost of 150 JPY) but apparently they can be aggressive, which probably explains why their horns had been removed. Some deer have learned to bow to visitors to ask to be fed. One unsuccessfully tried to have a taste of Anita's coffee. They have been in the park for centuries and are protected as they are considered in Shinto to be messengers of the gods. 

There is a five story wooden pagoda that is 50 metres tall. It was first built in 730, and was rebuilt in 1426. The timbers are fastened together with hardly any nails by inserting carved thinner and narrower ends of beams into slots. There are about a thousand large mortise joints in a five-story pagoda - that's a lot of carpentry!

The most outstanding place we saw today was the Buddhist Todaiji Temple. The Great Buddha Hall houses the world's largest gilded bronze statue of the Buddha at an impressive height of 15 metres. The temple is also the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism.

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine

We caught a local train to Inari to see the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine which was just across the road from the station. This Shinto shrine is unique in having thousands of torii or gateways which are usually made of wood and painted black and orange (or vermillion). There are literally thousands of torii at the Fushimi Inari Shrine, most of which are over the paths up to a shrine at the top of Mount Inari. Each is donated by a Japanese business or individual at great expense.

We did not walk all the way up to the top as that would have taken about 2 hours. Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. There are many pairs of statues of foxes who are thought to be Inari's messengers so many have things like a scroll in their mouths.

There were thousands of other tourists at the shrine, mostly Japanese. I finally managed to take one picture without there being dozens of other people in the frame.

Kyoto

The trip from our hotel to Kyoto was fairly straight forward as by now we are familiar with that section of the Osaka transport system. We changed our reserved seats for an earlier bullet train and 15 minutes later we were in Kyoto. Getting out of Kyoto Station was another matter – some of the stations in Japan are incredibly big, with all sorts of shops and restaurants, including high end dining.

Our hotel is only a 2 minute walk from the station so we parked our bags there and ventured on a very crowded bus to Gion which is one of the historic areas of Kyoto. The Yasaka Shrine was immediately opposite the bus stop so that was the first place we visited. Several of Kyoto's historic shrines and temples have been granted World Heritage status. We won't be here long enough to see all of them but some are very special. Initial construction of the Yasaka Shrine started in 656.

We had tempura for lunch and suffered another very crowded bus ride back to our hotel. Our room is small in comparison to hotels in Australia and other western countries, but it is serviceable. One of the hotel attractions is the hot spring communal bath, which fortunately is divided into male only and female only. 

Shrines and Shops (2)

Shinsaibashi Suji is a covered shopping arcade in Namba that has hundreds of shops. We managed not to part with any of our money but loved looking at the food hall in Diamaru. The sweets look spectacular.

Osaka has a particular pork bun called Butaman which derives from the Chinese version. We watched them being made in Diamaru and saw the wooden boxes used to steam them. The steam room has a glass front so that customers can see the process. 

Shrines and Shops (1)

This morning I dragged Anita around shrines and in the afternoon I suffered shops. We discovered Osaka is not as easy to get around as Tokyo because there is so little English used on the transport systems. At many stations the names of the train lines and the stations were only in Japanese. On top of that there are multiple transport systems in Osaka - the JR network, more than a dozen private rail networks, a municipal subway and a tram system.

Our first trek was to the Ikutama Shinto Shrine then we happened to pass a Buddhist Shrine nearby. One of the most significant Shinto shrines in Osaka is the Sumiyoshi Taisha where there were several young children dressed in traditional clothing having their photos taken with their parents and grandparents. The Taiko Bashi bridge is at the entrance to the shrine.

Osaka

After catching the mariner line from Takamatsu back to Okayama, we caught a bullet train to Osaka. The train station here is huge and we had to find our way to a subway to get to the Monterey Gracemere Hotel in Namba. The hotel reception is on the 22nd floor where there is an art museum focused on European furniture and art. Our room is on the 28th floor and we can see the red Minato bridge which apparently is the third longest cantilevered bride in the world.

We walked to an area called Dotombori along a canal which is the centre for local night life with dozens of neon billboards and thousands of young people. Dinner was again Italian, this time the restaurant had an Italian proprietor. 

Ritsurin Garden Takamatsu

We wheeled our cases down the hill from the Hotel Bokaiso to catch the small bus back to the local station. I visited the Yashima temple which is near the bus stop. There are 88 temples on the island of Shikoko and many Japanese embark on temple pilgrimages. Yashima is a small "mountain" which was the site of a famous battle centuries ago.

To catch the train to Takamatsu we had to carry our bags up and over the foot bridge to the opposite platform. Again we were glad we are travelling with small suitcases.

After parking our bags in a coin locker we worked out how to catch a local bus to the Ritsurin Garden which is a famous historical garden with initial works starting during the seventeenth century. We saw a worker hand "pruning" one of the ancient pine trees by simply pulling pine needles off the branches. The garden was very attractive but not stunning. The lakes and streams are full of enormous koi fish in many colours, some over 2 feet long. We also saw a turtle in the water. We have seen very few birds during our travels, only a few crows and pigeons. This could be explained by the many cats wandering around.

The cutest sight was these kindergarten kids being wheeled around in carts by their carers. Kids are often out and about in large groups and generally wear distinctive caps or hats presumably so their teachers can spot them more easily in crowds. 

Japanese Technology

Our hotel rooms have kettles which do not have escaping steam. The reason for these clever kettles is the smoke alarms are sensitive to steam. They would also be safer and less likely to cause steam burns.

We have seen a wide array of electronically controlled toilets. Some play a recording of running water, apparently because the Japanese are averse to the sounds that might otherwise come from toilets. The seats are generally heated and some cause water to run when you sit on the seat, but that really is a waste of water. There are many buttons and controls on some of the toilets but rarely any English explanation. The flush button or sensor is generally obvious but yesterday I was distracted at a public toilet and accidentally pushed the panic button instead of the flush button. An attendant came running (literally) so I was profuse in my apologies!

The hotel bathrooms have heated mirrors so they do not steam over. Controls for room lights can be complicated and take some experimenting to figure out which button turns off which light.

Many of the trains have USB connections or power points for charging phones and laptops. So far the wi-fi connections in our hotels have been much faster than anything at home.

Japanese Meals

On our last night in Okayama we went to Teppan Ku-Ya on the basis of it having the #1 rating for Okayama restaurants on TripAdviser. It was also only a few minutes walk from our hotel and easy to find. The #1 rating is very well deserved. We were the first customers to arrive when it opened at 6 pm. The chef and his 4 female assistants were casually chatting, but as other customers arrived the kitchen picked up to a frenetic pace to keep up with orders. At times the women were literally running around the restaurant.

On the basis of the TripAdiviser reviews we chose the set menu which consisted of 6 different courses. The first was a selection of tiny appetisers. This was followed by a delicious salad, grilled seafood with vegetables, pork cutlet with a special garlic sauce, and small round dumplings containing a piece of squid and other delights. We had watched these dumplings being made in special cast iron moulds on top of the stove. Dessert was a choice of cheesecake, custard or sorbet.

The servings were appropriately small and every one was beautifully presented and tasted delicious. We watched the chef and his assistants work quickly in the long narrow kitchen preparing the food and drinks for up to 20 people at a time. As we were leaving we were given a thank you card containing 2 tiny origami birds. The total food cost was 5000JPY which is about $80 so it was also very good value.

Tonight we ate at the Hotel Bokaiso as there was no other option! Dinner was shabu-shabu which involves a hotpot of boiling stock into which each diner places tofu, vegetables and thinly sliced meat which was wagyu beef. There was an assortment of sauces and little dishes. We were not keen on many of these, but the main meal was fine if somewhat overpriced at 8,640JPY. Dessert was either a serving of sorbet or ice cream. The sorbet was made from yuzu which is a Japanese citrus fruit similar to a grapefruit. The ice cream was flavoured with gin. Both of these were tasty.

In many restaurants we can simply point to photos of prepared meals on the menus. The food is plentiful, tasty and reasonably priced. Many supermarkets sell small prepared meals which can be reheated at home. Bakeries and patisseries sell individual slices of bread which is a great idea for people who live alone or have limited storage space. 

Takamatsu

When we planned our trip to Japan we had the benefit of our friends' itinerary from when they came here last year. Like them we wanted to go to Naoshima which is an island in the Seto Inland Sea that is famous for its modern art and sculptures. Unfortunately we were unable to secure accommodation on the island so booked at Hotel Bokaiso in Takamatsu which is a short ferry ride away.

When we made the booking google showed this hotel as being located on the main street of Takamatsu, but we later discovered it is located in a national park up a significant hill. The instructions indicate a shuttle bus is available from a local railway station, but when we arrived the bus turns out to be a local service not a hotel shuttle bus as we understand that concept. The bus dropped us at service area 500 metres from the hotel. There were no signs to indicate where to find the hotel, but we were given a map and directions by a helpful employee in a convenience store. The views on the walk up were fantastic, but with each uphill step Anita's enthusiasm for this particular hotel decreased proportionately.

We decided it is too impractical to stay here with an irregular bus service to get us to the local railway station, then having to catch the train to Takamatsu before we could catch the ferry across to Naoshima! In the end we decided to stay only the one night. The views are spectacular and dinner was special, but we have opted to relocate. No other hotels available for miles around because we are in the middle of the autumn session of an arts festival that is only held every 3 years. We have decided to head for Osaka for a couple of nights instead.

This morning we left our luggage at Takamatsu station because we could not check into the Hotel Bokasio until 3 pm. We wandered around the old castle grounds where there was a garden display of gigantic dahlias and bonsai plants. I think the plant in the photo is a chrysanthemum but there were no signs in English to explain what was what. The last remaining moat around the old castle grounds is now tidal and was full of black bream which are fed by the boat operators tossing out food to entertain their tourists. 

The shopping/restaurant area of Takamatsu has been modernised by removing cars from the narrow streets, constructing clear roofs over those streets, and repaving the area. The result is strip shops under cover - much nicer than any shopping mall.