Here’s the second part of our itinerary:
Takamatsu: an intermediate stop on the road to Kochi. The center looks like many other Japanese cities, with a gallery full of shops. The reason you might want to stop here is the remarkable Ritsurin – Koen garden, one of the most beautiful in the country. It offers a classical view of Japanese gardens with tea houses, bridges and islands that make it a serene and peaceful oasis.
Kotohira: an interesting destination for those visiting the Kompira San sanctuary, with its 1368 steps leading to the top of the mountain where the temple is located. Although the route is a bit long and tiring, the hike is quite pleasant thanks to temples located along the path and the presence of tree-lined tracks.
Kochi: August 10th and 11th (please verify if these dates change from year to year) are unmissable dates to experience the traditional Yosakoi Matsuri festival, where more than 20 thousand performers parade through the city streets dancing on traditional Japanese music. In the evening the whole town celebrates: lots of stalls offer food to delight any palate, and long tables and wooden benches are set up so anyone can sit and eat. It felt like a typical Italian “sagra di paese”.
Furthermore, in Kochi, there are Whale Watching tours. In a half-day excursion where you have the chance to admire the giants of the sea. We saw them for the first time here, and it was simply beautiful.
Hiroshima: a modern, chaotic city, which is sadly remembered for the atomic bomb explosion on August 6, 1945. The only attractions are the Peace Memorial Park, which attracts visitors from all over the world, and the A-Bomb Dome, once home to the Industrial Promotion Hall, the only building left standing and symbol of the devastation that hit the city.
Miajima: easily reachable from Hiroshima (about 1 hour of train and ferry), the island is rich in sanctuaries and temples. Famous for the floating torii (the entrance to the Shinto shrine), it is classified as one of the three most fascinating landscapes in the country.
Beppu: in the Kyushu region, the area of Oita ken is famous for the numerous onsen. Beppu is a small town that does not offer much if not many spas where you can have a relaxing break at the end of the trip. Warning: you will not need a bathing suit, you need to enter naked, even in the common bathrooms open to both men and women (see Japanese people and the bath ritual).
About 40 km from Beppu (train and bus), you can make an excursion to the town of Usuky, which hosts a collection of Buddha statues. More than 60 of them can be seen inside a cave.
