Shikoku Autumn 2014 四国秋季之旅 - Funaya ふなや

Stayed 20.11.2014 (Thu)
Booked thru' Rakuten.
- Annex Standard Garden View Semi Western Style Room = 55,080 yen (3 pax) + 450 yen (bathing tax, 150 yen/pax) = 55,530 yen

Top left: The beautifully decorated porcelain vase created by Yuki Hayama.

Chose to stay in Dogo Onsen for a night to experience the vibes in one of the oldest hot springs in Japan. However, its prominence and popularity have raised the prices of accommodation correspondingly as well. Finally landed on Funaya when I spotted a promotional price featured on one of the hotel reservation platforms. Funaya traces its origin all the way back to 1627 and has undergone several expansions/refurbishments to arrive at its current modern state. Location wise, it is also one of the hotels closest to the streetcar station (approx 3 minutes walk away) and about the same distance away from Dogo Onsen Honkan (道後温泉本館), the prominent landmark which most visitors would come here for. Overall, my stay in Funaya has been a pleasant one; meeting my expectation in most aspects.

Highlights:

An honour to stay in "blue" - an outcome of Hotel Horizontal Project.

I want this bathroom in my house!

Surrounded by art. Dogo Art Festival was first held in 2014 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Dogo Onsen Honkan. As part of this festival, both local and foreign renowned artists would come together, get the creative juices flowing and transform various parts of Dogo Onsen into contrasting pieces of art works. An art project titled "Hotel Horizontal" is extended to guest rooms in 9 hotels and Funaya is one of them. Yuki Hayama (有木葉山), a well known local porcelain designer, was tasked to transform a two room space in Funaya and the outcome was stunning. Titled "blue", beautiful traditional gyosomon (fish in seaweed) designs were imprinted on the washi on the sliding doors and ceramic tiles on wall. Was unaware that we have been assigned to this themed room, only upon arrival. When the staff was leading us to our room, she also directed our attention to this exquisite porcelain vase designed by Yuki Hayama and has similar gyosomon patterns on it, placed at the lift lobby. To us, it was an honour to be surrounded by the artistic flair of the creator. The guest room is semi-western style with a small living room, two single beds and a corner laid with tatami mats which can occupy up to two futons. The toilet was surprisingly modern looking and posh for a traditional Japanese inn; definitely one I would like to have in my house. Other facilities in the hotel include a shop selling local souvenirs and a tea lounge, all located in the main building.  

http://www.dogoonsenart.com/artist/hayama-yuki/

Video: Behind the scene to create "blue" in Funaya.

Japanese portion of dinner course.

Western portion of dinner course.

Meals. Both Japanese and western elements were incorporated into dinner. Started off with a glass of ume wine (which made me slightly groggy), followed by a small sashimi platter, a fish head stewed with vegetables in sweet soy sauce, a potage soup, western main course of duck, beef or pork to choose from, a variety of tempura (pumpkin and fish), flavourful rice cooked together with mushroom and lastly ended in western style again with four different desserts accompanied with coffee/tea. I personally felt that the meat dish was very well executed especially for a Japanese inn. Chose the beef as my main course. It was very tender and cooked to the right medium well texture I wanted. On the following morning, we could choose either Japanese or western style breakfast course. Had the western course which compromised of salad, freshly baked bread, delicious and runny omelette with ham, and fruit platter. Overall, meals were quite satisfying on both occasions. 

Breakfast - Japanese and western style to choose from. 

Less crowded hot springs. Was glad with the decision to stay one night in Dogo Onsen. When we arrived at Dogo Onsen Honkan in the evening, it was packed with people and subsequent entry of visitors had to be disallowed. Though we managed to squeeze into this building early next morning, the experience was not particularly memorable as it was hard to enjoy a leisure soak in a rather cramped pool. Funaya has it own communal bathhouses, named Granite or Mikageishi 御影石 and Hinoki 檜), which are separated by gender and utilised the same hot spring source. Most importantly, the less crowded bathhouse never felt so welcoming and stress-free especially after we visited the Dogo Onsen Honkan. A footbath is also hidden in the Japanese style garden located just behind the main building.

Spacious lobby.

A showroom replicating the western style room which Emperor Showa stayed in when he visited Dogo Onsen in 1950.

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Funaya ふなや
〒790-0842　愛媛県松山市道後湯之町1-33
http://www.dogo-funaya.co.jp/

How to get there? 
3 minutes walk from Dogo Onsen streetcar station.

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Commemorative stamp: 

Shikoku Autumn 2014 四国秋季之旅 - Matsuyama JR Station 松山駅, Iyotetsu Streetcar 伊予鉄道電車, Botchan Train 坊ちゃん列車

Matsuyama JR Station (Y55, U00) is located on the Yosan line.

Matsuyama is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture. Don't be surprise to see a lackluster mood after stepping out from the train station. Matsuyama JR Station is actually not located in the busiest district of the city and one would have to take the Iyo Railway streetcar to Matsuyama city station to experience the vitality of the crowd.

Bottom left: Limited Express Shiokaze; Right: Meet Bari san, the lovable mascot of Imabari city.

Home to mascot celebrities! Ehime Prefecture has two famous mascots (or yurukyara) which have appeared at the top of the list in Yurukyara Grand Prix held annually in Japan.

- Bari san (バリィさん), a plump looking chicken wearing a crown depicting Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge (a bridge which links Hiroshima in Honshu island to Imabari city in Ehime Prefecture) and holding on to a ship. This mascot represents Imabari city, where ship building businesses flourishes and is famous for yakitori. Bari san won the Yurukyara Grand Prix title in 2012 and his popularity has created a wide range of merchandises which can be found in shops located in most tourist attractions in Ehime Prefecture.

- Mikyan (みきゃん), a orange coloured dog which has ears of Mikan leaves and a tail of Mikan flower. This mascot was created in 2011 and is inspired by Mikan or mandarin orange, a citrus fruit which Ehime Prefecture is well known for. Mikyan has participated in Yurukyara Grand Prix and is slowly catching up in terms of ranking - came in 3rd and 2nd in 2014 and 2015 edition, respectively.

Meet Mikyan, an orange coloured dog with mikan leaves ears and heart shaped nose!

Some limited express and special themed trains that serve Ehime JR Station:

(1) Limited Express Uwakai, which commutes between Matsuyama and Uwajima.

(2) Limited Express Ishizushi, which commutes between Takamatsu and Matsuyama, Uwajima.

(3) Limited Express Shiokaze, which commutes between Okayama, Matsuyama and Uwajima

(4) Iyonoda Monogatari (伊予灘ものがたり), a special themed train newly introduced in 2014, which commutes between Matsuyama to Iyo Ozu and Yawatahama via the sea route of Yosan line. 

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What's nearby?

A regular streetcar.

(1) Iyotetsu/Iyo Railway Streetcar 伊予鉄道電車

Streetcar is an important form of public transportation for both locals and tourists in Matsuyama city. The incentive of holding on to All Shikoku Rail Pass is that no additional train fares is charged while on board the streetcar.

There are a total of five routes serving Matsuyama city:

- Route 1: clockwise loop from Matsuyama city station to Okaido, Matsuyama JR Station and back to its starting point.

- Route 2: anti clockwise loop from Matsuyama city station, to Matusyama JR Station, Okaido and back to it starting point.

- Route 3: between Matsuyma city station and Dogo Onsen.

- Route 5: between Matsuyama JR Station and Dogo Onsen.

- Route 6: between Honmachi-6-chrome and Dogo Onsen.

Time seemed to have stopped at Dogo Onsen station.

Navigation: 

- For Matsuyama Castle 松山城: from Matsuyama JR Station, take Route 5 heading for Dogo Onsen, alight at Okaido 大街道 and walk to the ropeway/chairlift station.

- For Dogo Onsen 道後温泉: from Matsuyama JR Station, take Route 5 heading for Dogo Onsen and alight at the terminus station.

- For Matsuyama City Iyotetsu Station 松山市駅: from Matsuyama JR Station, take Route 1 and alight at the terminus station. Iyotetsu Takashimaya (いよてつ高島屋), a large scale departmental mall which contains Kinokuniya and Tokyu Hands, is connected to the train station.

Website: http://www.iyotetsu.co.jp/bus/global/en/

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Botchan Train 坊ちゃん列車

Nostalgia. This is a diesel powered replica of a steam locomotive train which once travelled along the streets of Matsuyama city over a century ago. The name "Botchan" came from title of this popular novel written by famous author, Natsume Soseki, back in 1906. As this steam locomotive train was mentioned in this novel, locals started to call this train by the name of "Botchan" affectionately. The train pulls along one to two wooden carriages and releases the whistling sound as it chugs along the common streetcar railroad, just like how the conventional train does! There are two sets of Botchan Train (No. 1 and 14) that take turns to transport passengers down the memory lane. For those who are unable to make it in time to board the train, one set is usually put up for display at the terminus station in Dogo Onsen. Many would also make it a point to visit Matsuyama city station to witness how the head of Botchan Train is reversed physically by operators after the train pulled into this terminus station.

Experience. Had the opportunity to board Botchan Train from Dogo Onsen (twice in fact) and the ride was amazing! Botchan Train felt so much smaller in size as compared to other steam locomotive trains which I have ridden before. Train conductors were smartly dressed in black coloured overalls, carrying a sling purse containing tickets and money, just like how they do in the older days. Throughout the entire journey, friendly conductor will pop in to introduce/explain the various features of the train (such as the wooden window blinds and overhead lamps which were kerosene operated in the past) and nearby surroundings, and even lend their hats to passengers for photo taking purposes. A ride on Botchan Train is definitely a must-do activity to be arranged in any first time visit to Matsuyama city.

Note: No additional train fare is charged with All Shikoku Rail Pass. Bocchan Train operates on both weekdays and weekends, but with different schedules. Therefore, do check out the schedule published on Iyotetsu website.

Website: http://www.iyotetsu.co.jp/botchan/

Video: 
Botchan Train was featured in Taiwan's travel program 玩乐志.

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Commemorative stamp:

Shikoku Autumn 2014 四国秋季之旅 - Hozumitei ほずみ亭

Visited 20.11.2014 (Thu)

Taste of traditional cuisine. After alighting from Tetsudo Hobby Train, we had slightly over an hour to spend in Uwajima before we hopped onto the next train heading for Matsuyama. Decided to settle our lunch here and began the search for a restaurant that serves traditional cuisine unique to Ehime Prefecture. Followed the travel guide book studiously and came to Hozumitei, a well known local restaurant which utilises the freshest catch from nearby Uwa Sea to whip up numerous traditional dishes that have passed through generations. Apart from the warm hospitality that the staff showered us with upon stepping into the restaurant, what amazed me was one of the lady staff, in her forties, was able to speak very fluent English (way much better than me). This was what I least expected from a quaint little town like Uwajima. Food ordering was a breeze, without the language barrier and because we heeded her advice to order the signature dishes offered by Hozumitei. Ordered Taimeshi (鯛めし) [980 yen], Satsuma meshi (さつまめし) [980 yen] and Tachiuo Chirimen don (太刀魚ちりめん丼) [980 yen] to fully experience the local fishermen's style of cuisine in the early days.

Counter seats.

Taimeshi - Simplicity at its best!

Soul food. After the Taimeshi was delivered to our table, I diligently followed the instructions given by the staff to enjoy it in the best way, the same way as what the locals do. First, mixed a raw egg, sweet soy sauce and kombu flakes together with thinly sliced raw seabream (otherwise known as "tai"). Next, scooped some cooked rice into a separate small bowl. Poured the mixture onto the rice and tucked in! The combination was amazingly appetising and makes one yearns for more. Within minutes, I gobbled up the first bowl of glittering rice and moved on the second and third serving, until my hunger was fully satisfied. Taimeshi is yet another local soul food; truly a true showcase of simplicity at its best. Had to add this to my list of food to recommend to others visiting Ehime Prefecture. 
 

Hard to resist Tachiuo chirimen don.

Newfound flavours. Our palate were also exposed to new flavours during this meal. Satsuma meshi (さつまめし) is another recipe created by fishermen who used to prepare this dish on board for a quick meal. The shredded meat of grilled fish is mixed with barley miso and broth, cooked using fish bones, to create this white coloured paste. Similar to Taimeshi, Satsuma meshi is eaten by dashing the paste onto a small portion of barley rice. The harvesting season for Tachiuo (or largehead hairtail fish) in Uwa Sea is from summer to late autumn, and it is also during this season, the meat is higher in fat and tastier. Tachiuo chirimen (太刀魚ちりめん) is made by rolling the meat over a bamboo stick. A flavourful dark sauce is swiped evenly over the meat and the meat is grilled carefully over charcoal fire till it becomes crispy and golden brown. 

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Hozumitei ほずみ亭
〒798-0035 愛媛県宇和島市新町2-3-8
Opening hrs: 1100 - 1330 hrs, 1700 - 2230 hrs (last order at 2130 hrs), closed on Sundays.
Approx 5 mins walk from Uwajima Station.
https://s401200.gorp.jp/

Shikoku Autumn 2014 四国秋季之旅 - Tetsudo Hobby Train 鉄道ホビートレイン

Travelled on 20.11.2014 (Thu)

Yodo Line Brothers. Yodo line connects Kubokawa in Kochi Prefecture to Uwajima in Ehime Prefecture, and a section of the railway line runs alongside the beautiful Shimanto River, which is referred to as Japan's last clear river as it has no dams. There are no express train service along Yodo line and the duration to commute from Kubokawa to Uwajima by local train takes more than 2 hours. Despite the long journey, many people (especially city dwellers) are still willing to embark on this slower mode of transportation to soak into the beautiful scenery of the rural areas of Shikoku. To introduce more visitors to the areas around the Yodo Line, JR Shikoku has also introduced three unique sightseeing trains from 2013 onward and gave them a rather amusing name of "3 brothers of Yodo Line" (予土線３兄弟)! For my trip, I boarded Tetsudo Hobby Train (鉄道ホビートレイン), of the 3 brothers, from Kubokawa Station at 1004 hrs and alighted at Uwajima Station at 1217 hrs.

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Highlights:

The front of the train for the trip from Kubokawa to Uwajima. 

A shorter version of Shinkansen? Tetsudo Hobby Train comprises of a single carriage with no reserved seats. The exterior is designed to look like the zero series Shinkansen, the very first high speed train commissioned way back in 1964, travelling along Tokaido line (between Tokyo and Shin Osaka). Similar white and blue coloured body and a structure is attached to one side of the train to model the streamlined head of a Shinkansen. On the trip from Kubokawa to Uwajima, the head becomes the back of the train giving the impression that the train is moving "backwards". This is because the train does not perform a U-turn as it reaches the terminus station since there are driver seats on either end of the train carriage.  

Bottom left: Exhibition of Shinkansen train models; Top right: Commemorative board; Bottom right: Train fare electronic board featuring train stations along Tokaido line.

Shinkansen Museum. The designer was able to make use of the limited space available in a single cabin to showcase Shinkansen, the fastest land transportation in Japan. There were display windows showcasing different generations of Shinkansen in miniature model forms. Four replicas of the seats used in the zero series Shinkansen were assembled here too. A commemorative board held above the seats facilitates photo-taking by passengers on board this unique themed train. Blue coloured curtains and seat covers were imprinted with pictures of trains and Shikoku island. Even the train fare electronic board has the names of all the train stations located along the Tokaido line (such as Tokyo, Odawara, Atami, Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin Osaka). Kept myself occupied throughout the journey, scrutinising the details of the train, looking at the exhibits on display, peering out of the window to enjoy the outside scenery and counting down to the number of train stations till we reached our final destination. When the train made a brief stop at Yoshinobu Station (吉野生駅) for the opposite train to arrive, passengers used the time as a toilet break because there are no toilets available in the train.   

Tetsudo Hobby Train: http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/yodo3bros/tetudohobby/index.htm
Yodo Line Brothers website: http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/yodo3bros/

The other 2 brothers... 

- Kaiyodo Hobby Train (海洋堂ホビートレイン), a single carriage train with no reserved seats. Kaiyodo is a well known Japanese company that manufactures figurines and garage kits. Beautifully wrapped with pictures of some of the character figurines that the company produces, there are also display windows inside the train that showcased Kaiyodo's huge range of products. The main reason why Kaiyodo Hobby Train operates along Yodo line is that there is a Kaiyodo Hobby Museum (海洋堂ホビートレ館) located in Shimanto. The nearest train station, Utsuigawa Station (打井川駅), is about 6 km away from the museum and a bus operates between this train station and museum on Sundays and public holidays.
Kaiyodo Hobby Train: http://www.jr-eki.com/hobbytrain/
Kaiyodo Hobby Museum: http://ksmv.jp/hobbykan/

- Shiman Torocco (しまんトロッコ), a yellow coloured train train which requires seat reservation and only operates on weekends and public holidays. "Torocco" (or Torokko) is a Japanese word for truck and Shiman Torocco was actually converted from a truck train. The torocco section is towed by a conventional diesel car and the beauty of such torocco train is its open concept which allows passengers to enjoy the breeze and scenery of Shimanto River at the same time.

Shiman Torocco: http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/01_trainbus/event_train/simantorokko.html

Tip: If you plan to take all three trains within a day, do check the dates of operation of all three trains and refer to this useful guide provided by JR Shikoku.
Recommended course: http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/yodo3bros/pdf/modelcourse.pdf

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Commemorative stamp: 

Shikoku Autumn 2014 四国秋季之旅 - Sada Chinkabashi 佐田沈下橋

Visited 20.11.2014

Communication breakdown. My main objective in Shimanto was for Shimantogawa (Shimanto River). This 196 m long river stretches from the mountainous area to Pacific Ocean and is widely known as the last clear river in Japan because there are no dams constructed throughout its entire length. There are numerous ways to explore this river - through outdoor sports activities (such as kayaking), tour boats, cycling or driving alongside the river. Reached Shimanto on Day 7 and hired a sightseeing taxi to ferry us to the southernmost point of Shikoku - Ashizuri. Tried my best to communicate to my driver (in mixture of English, Japanese and hand gestures) to bring us to at least one "chinkabashi" (otherwise known as sinking bridge) along Shimanto River after visiting Cape Ashizuri. He did not understand my intent and brought us back to the hotel instead. By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was already close to sunset and I made a decision to hire the same taxi driver to fetch us from the hotel early next morning to visit Sada Chinkabashi before heading for Nakamura Station.

Short encounter. There are about 47 chinkabashi crossings scattered throughout Shimanto River. My first impression of these narrow features was that they looked unsafe without any parapets (low walls/railings at both sides of the road). In fact, they are designed not to have parapets to prevent them from being washed away when these bridges look like they have sunken during periods of high tide. Our taxi driver brought us to Sada, the chinkabashi nearest from the hotel (Nakamura Prince Hotel) and Nakamura Station and also the longest crossing (291.6 m) along Shimanto River. Spent a while to walk on the bridge, carefully sitting on the edge to observe the clear waters streaming past below the bridge, soaking myself entirely into the laidback, natural surroundings. Though it was a short encounter, the alluring and scenic landscape made me want to visit this place again. Most importantly, to allocate more time to uncover more chinkabashi by other means such as boat ride or cycling on my next visit to Shimanto River.

Other Chinkabashi:

- Iwama Chinkabashi (岩間沈下橋). About 1 hour drive away/3 hours by cycling from Nakamura Station, this 120 m long bridge is frequently spotted in posters featuring Shimanto River.

- Katsuma Chinkabashi (勝間沈下橋). About 45 mins drive away/2 hours by cycling from Nakamura Station.

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Sada Chinkabashi 佐田沈下橋
20 mins drive away/50 mins by cycling from Nakamura Station.
Shimanto City Tourist Association Website: http://www.shimanto-kankou.com/
- Bicycles can be rented from Shimanto City Tourist Association Information Center.
- Boat rides, canoeing or kayaking: http://www.shimanto-kankou.com/doc/fune/fune.html
- Sightseeing bus (四万十川バス) operates between Nakamura Station and Ekawasaki Station on certain dates (typically on Fridays, weekends and public holidays). Refer to Shimanto City Tourist Association Website for more information. 

Shimanto City Tourist Association Information Center:

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Video: Scroll to 20:08 for feature of Shimanto River in 玩乐志.

Shikoku Autumn 2014 四国秋季之旅 - Day 8 Shimanto River 四万十川, Dogo Onsen 道後温泉

Day 8: 20.11.2014
* Day 5 of 5 days All Shikoku Rail Pass

Dogo Onsen Main Building

Breakfast: Nakamura Prince Hotel 中村プリンスホテル

Visited Sada Chinkabashi 佐田沈下橋.

Nakamura Station 中村駅 (0924 hrs) > Kubokawa JR 窪川駅 (1002 hrs)
by Ltd Express Nanpu 12.

Kubokawa JR 窪川駅 (1004 hrs) > Uwajima JR 宇和島駅 (1217 hrs)
by Tetsudo Hobby Train 鉄道ホビートレイン.

Lunch: Hozumitei ほずみ亭

Uwajima JR Station 宇和島駅 (1359 hrs) > Matsuyama JR Station 松山駅 (1520 hrs)
by Ltd Express Uwakai 16.

Matsuyama ekimae 松山駅前 > Dogo Onsen 道後温泉駅
by Iyotetsu streetcar.

Check in: Funaya ふなや

http://www.dogo-funaya.co.jp/

Visited Dogo Shopping Street, Hojo Park and Dogo Onsen Honkan 道後温泉本館.

Dinner: Funaya ふなや

- End of Day 8 -