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.
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