Shikoku

The closest neighbouring prefecture to our city is Ehime. Ehime isn’t on our island of Kyushu, it’s actually on another island, Shikoku. The only reason we haven’t travelled there was because the quickest way to get there would be by driving onto a ferry that would take us across. Usually that wouldn’t be an issue, however the websites and ticket reservation processes were all in Japanese. We would also have to travel to the outskirts of the city to board this ferry, so this meant that you had to know your way around. Having leveled up in our Japanese speaking (i.e. we can ask for directions), we were confident that going on this trip would be fine.

_{Ferry route from Saganoseki, Oita to Misaki, Ehime. Photo courtesy of GoogleMaps}

We also had to plan the itinerary. Again, usually this would not be a problem but Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan, at just slightly more than 18000km². It doesn’t have the world renowned sites of Kyoto and Nara, or the natural beauty of Hokkaido. Despite this, there were recommended places to visit so we tried our best to fit as many into our tight schedule as possible, even though many were far away from the main cities and the island is pretty mountainous for its small size.

We arrived at Misaki Port in Ehime on a scorching hot afternoon in the middle of Japan’s summertime. It was around a 2 hour drive to Matsuyama, Ehime’s capital city and our first stop. Even in the car with the air-conditioning on, we still could feel the sun through the windows and when we got out, we immediately start sweating profusely. Those whose Olympic sport is an outdoor one must feel like they are on fire right now. Don’t need to warm up guys, you’d be ready to go as soon as you exit a shaded area.

In Matsuyama, we visited 2 attractions, Matsuyama Castle was the first. Matsuyama’s castle is one of the main attractions in the city and certainly a decent place to visit. However, it was really hot that morning(33° C) and I think the heat made the experience a little less ideal. Inside were exhibits and details about the history of the castle and at the top level, visitors got to see a 360° view of the city.

The second place we went to visit was Dōgo (道後). It was an area of Matsuyama which had a few notable landmarks such as the Dōgo onsen, which is the oldest onsen in Japan, dating back over 3,000 years! The façade of the buildings were undergoing renovation when we visited, but the hot spring was still in operation. The temperature outside was sweltering so we were never going to pay to dip in hot water (we went for ice cream instead). The other attraction in this place was the old Dōgo train station. It had an industrial age feel and had a parked train which I initially thought was a replica model. However, upon some research I realised this train actually still runs!

Subsequently, we drove another 1.5 hours to the next prefecture – Kagawa. We had already made a stop in this prefecture when we visited Naoshima but this was the first time on the mainland. I didn’t know this before, but when we searched for famous food in Kagawa, udon appeared. Kagawa is the largest producer of udon in Japan and the people here adore it. Hence we had fair amounts of udon on this leg of the trip.

In between udon meals, we went to check out some of the places Kagawa had to offer. The first stop we made was Kotohiki Park to see a giant coin made of sand called Zenigata Sunae. Okay, this is probably one of the few times I would recommend against visiting a place. Even if a place was overhyped or warned of a potential bad experience, there usually would be some other things to make it an attraction. This place, in my opinion, was a waste of time. Why, you ask? Firstly, you would not be able to see the entire giant formation if you didn’t have a drone because there was no vantage point. Second, there was nothing else in the park except for bug catchers, which were all kids running around with big nets. Lastly, it was difficult to find and difficult to get to. Oh and did I mention? It was HOT. TLDR: don’t stop here unless you want to see nothing.

_{Left: what we were promised. Right: what we saw}

We also went to a place touted for having the most beautiful sunsets in Japan, Chichibugahama. It means “Father and Mother’s beach” (not sure why).

Lastly, we went to Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu, the capital city of Kagawa. On their website, it states that Ritsurin is “is the largest Cultural Property Garden in all of Japan” and the Michelin Guide rates this garden as 3 stars (I thought they only ranked food…?). It was a pleasant morning stroll but we left as soon as it became really hot.

Then, we headed for prefecture no.3 – Tokushima. This was the only prefecture that we didn’t stay a night in. We visited two sites during the day on our way to Kochi prefecture. They were the most unique places on our trip and certainly the most prominent in the prefecture. The first was Udatsu which was a street of Edo period houses and shops.

The second was a set of vine bridges in the Iya Valley… wait what? Ok, some context is needed. The Iya Valley is a large area at the heart of Shikoku’s mountain range. When we were there, we could tell that the main activities here were camping, hiking and river rafting as plenty of locals were engaged in those. The valley is flanked by steep slopes and the Iya river runs right through it. Before the advent of modern bridges, the inhabitants of the valley crossed this river via vine bridges. They are constantly maintained to ensure safety, but crossing them still seems rather precarious!

We also encountered a surprise while traversing the winding mountain roads. The village famous for its doll inhabitants is located in this valley. Dubbed ‘The scarecrow village’, Nagoro Village is a tiny settlement where life-sized dolls have outnumbered the human inhabitants. A bit bizarre and definitely creepy at night, we merely drove past and took a few photos. Read more here.

Rounding off the four prefectures was Kochi. We visited the castle, which was again a recommended spot. However, the streets surrounding the castle were bustling as well, which was a little different compared to other castles we visited in Japan. There is a market that runs only on Sunday which we didn’t manage to see, but there was a food market. The place reminded us of food centres in Singapore and Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. The specialty food for Kochi – seared Bonito sashimi.

Shikoku is not a place on everyone’s bucket list but it certainly has its own charm. A car is required if you want to visit but driving from city to city is very short compared to the other prefectures on bigger islands. Overall, I’m glad we made this trip despite the heat as there were places that existed only on the small island. When we took the ferry back across to Kyushu, we drove back home in no time at all. Going to Shikoku could even be a day trip if you started early enough. Maybe if there is a reason to, we would go again.

Fukuro wa irimasen

I came to Japan having never ever taken any formal classes in Japanese. All I had was about half a year’s effort in reading my wife’s Japanese textbook and watching One Punch man with subs. I was quite confident, to be honest. I can read Hiragana and Katakana characters and I could make out some Kanji characters with my Chinese. I was pretty much mistaken immediately when I arrived in Tokyo. I couldn’t understand what the lady in the ramen shop said when I ordered.

Throughout my 3 weeks here in Oita, it has been a struggle to fill up forms, transfer money and ask for things like the bill. My wife also sent me to find Ibuprofen and print some things today. That was a challenge. Oh and I mentioned I knew Kanji right, well let’s just say reading it and listening to it in speech is very different. And in Japanese, the same Kanji can have more than 3 very different ways to say it, unlike in Chinese. So painful…..

After countless trips to Don Quijote (sometimes more than twice a day), I finally manage to say “I don’t need a bag” to the counter staff. Small victory. Also, it seems that the Japanese people are really patient when you try to speak to them, especially the service staff. I’m more used to impatient looks and people telling me to hurry up. Feels less stressful for a change. Now on to the next thing… getting a haircut.

Moonstarers

Malo’ Kin.

It means ‘good sun’ in the Mayan language and is a greeting equivalent to ‘good day’ in English. The sun, along with the moon and stars were of utmost importance to this ancient race. Their knowledge of heavenly bodies was so precise and comprehensive scientist were awestruck by the discoveries made. One example of this the Mayan calendar, more specifically the long count calendar (they had 3 calendars in total). It is able to measure with greater accuracy the number of days in a year than the Gregorian calendar we use today, even with the leap year correction.

Another illustration of their expertise is their construction of monuments. The temple of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza, one of my favourite of the 7 wonders, exemplifies this best. Located in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsular, Mexico, Chichen Itza is perhaps the Mayan’s greatest legacy. I travelled to Chichen Itza from Cancun on a 2 hour bus ride. The queue was short as the park had just opened so getting in took little waiting. A short stroll past local vendors busy setting up stalls and there stood the pyramid of Chichen Itza basking in the morning sun.

The temple of Kukulkan, or El Castillo, was built almost to embody significant numbers to the Mayan calendar – 91 small steps on each side + the peak = 365 for days of the year, 9 larger terraces X 2 on each side = 18 for months of the Mayan solar calendar, 52 panels for number of years in the Mayan calendar round. Another astonishing design of the pyramid is its acoustics. Stand a distance away from the foot of the north or the west steps and clap. The temple will greet all who come from far away lands with squawks of a quetzal – a native bird.

But by far the most spectacular marvel happens twice a year. During the spring and autumn equinox, Kukulkan the serpent deity of the Maya will descend and bless the lands of its people. Kukulkan arrives from the heavens starting at the top steps of the pyramid and slowly makes its way to the bottom. It takes about 45 mins for Kukulkan to be fully illuminated and its head glowing with the halo of sunlight before receding back upwards and finally disappearing.

Kukulkan’s descent at equinox. http://www.world-mysteries.com/chichen_kukulcan.htm

Although El Castillo takes the limelight, the entire archeological site encloses a traditional Mayan ball court, the platform of Venus and two other temples namely the Temple of Warriors and the Temple of the Jaguars and Eagles. All important relics of the once great city of Chichen Itza.

Mayans were quintessential Moonstarers… … Astronomers. It is apparent in the cities they constructed. In Tulum, another Mayan village along the coast, a temple was built with a small window where the light of sunrise would shine through it only during the summer solstice. Apart from this idiosyncratic show of astronomy, Tulum is a beautiful site. Ruins of old, dilapidated houses, temples and palaces lay a stone’s throw from a picturesque beach with low cliffs flanking either side.

 

There are several other sites of abandoned Mayan cities that have similar ruins and structures, unfortunately more time is need to visit them. Their civilization stretched form modern day Honduras, through Guatemala, to Mexico.

With such knowledge of astronomy, it is surprising and lamentable that the civilization declined, conquered by the Spanish and many of its scriptures destroyed. If little amazes you these days, a visit to Chichen Itza would excite the wanderer in you and spark your imagination.

 

Websites:

http://people.howstuffworks.com/mayan-calendar4.htm

http://mathsforeurope.digibel.be/Calendar.htm

http://www.trussty.com/2012/11/the-mayan-civilization.html?m=0#axzz3x1nG4B9F

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/chichen-itza/

http://www.world-mysteries.com/chichen_kukulcan.htm

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/12/1206_021206_TVMayanTemple.html

Enter the Baha’i Faith

It is apt that the first entry of this site speaks about religion. After all, most religions claim their narrative is the first entry to all of existence. The Baha’i faith continues this tradition. It believes all of the world religions and prophets originate from the same divine deity. From Christianity to Hinduism, Zoroaster to Buddha, every religion speaks of the same god. They differ in beliefs to suit the culture, politics and environment of the eras they were founded.

“These holy Manifestations have been as the coming of springtime in the world…For each spring is the time of a new creation…”     — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 

The Bahá’í faith was founded by Bahá’u’lláh in 19th-century Persia. The word ‘Baha’ is arabic for ‘glory’ and Baha’i means ‘follower of glory’. Today, Baha’ism is one of the youngest religions in the world. It currently boasts a following of roughly 5 million (Christianity has the most with 2.2 billion) and has only 7 temples to its name. One of these is in Wilmette, Illinois, 45mins from the centre of Chicago by train.

My trip to visit the temple was not a pilgrimage. I knew nothing about the faith nor its teachings. It was simply one of the recommended sites to see in Chicago. At first glance, the temple appears like an earlier, unused design of the Taj Mahal. But a closer look beyond the marble-coloured exterior, domed roof and symmetrically layered structure would reveal a series of intricate and ornate patterns on the walls and panels. The temple’s designer, French architect Louis Bourgeois, also incorporated the Baha’i religion’s tenants into the facade of the temple. The number 9 is a characteristic of the Baha’i faith for various reasons, thus the temple is an enneagon, with the second layer perfectly staggered from the first. All of the nine pillars have the symbols of Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam embedded on them. Nine gardens surround each side where meditation is done. Unfortunately it was winter and most of the flowers were not in bloom, nor the fountains sprouting.

Before entering the main conclave, visitors first a small room filled with brochures about service timings and information guides. The main conclave of the temple mimics the layout of a Christian church – long rows of benches with an aisle down the centre and even extra chairs placed behind the main seating area, plus a pulpit elevated slightly at the front. Looking directly upwards, the curved beams of the domed roof converges in the centre to another nine-sided star with the symbol of the Baha’i religion meaning ‘O glory of the all glorious’.

A short trip to the visitor’s centre beside the temple where videos and informative posters are available, people can learn more about the Baha’i faith. There are rooms and spaces where followers share and meditate.

Looking back as I cross the bridge heading away from the grounds, the Baha’i temple radiates a religious glow, yet with a touch of modernity that gives it a distinct aura unlike other temples.

Religion – its innate intrigue in immortals, insatiable indulgence in idols and inescapable individual inquisition, interminably invasive.

 

Websites:

http://www.bahai.org/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/bahai/

http://news.bahai.org/media-information/statistics

http://bahai-library.com/leiker_bahai_architecture