Sightings of a world traveler: Onsen

Thursday, 26 July 2018

Matsuyama (松山市)

I hitchhiked from Takamatsu to Matsuyama (松山市). It was actually quite easy to get a ride this time because I was not attempting it during rush hour when roads are busy and cars can't stop. After about 10-20 minutes of waiting I first got a ride from Ritsurin Garden area to a spot closer to the highway going to Matsuyama. He wasn't going all the way but even this little step helped a lot and from there I got a ride within a minute by someone going all the way to Matsuyama. They dropped me off right at the castle in the middle of the city.

I was visiting Matsuyama to see a friend there on a biology conference so I stayed near the castle to be close to Ehime University where the conference was being held. Despite already visiting Matsuyama I still enjoyed sight seeing again. I just wandered around my first day and ended up at the Dogo Onsen Main Building (道後温泉本館).

Dogo Onsen Main Building (道後温泉本館)

The area around Dogo Onsen has many restaurants that serve local beer including one right beside the onsen so you can have a drink after your bath.

I found the free foot bath - Hojoen (放生園) just outside the shopping area close to Dogo Onsen. It was really hot water but it was still nice to soak in it for a while under an umbrella and relax.

Hojoen (放生園)

Dogo Park (道後公園) is a mix of historic site and city park. It is a lovely park with manicured gardens, but it is also the previous site of a very old castle and you can still see the remains of the moat and the mounds they created from digging it. There are signs in multiple languages that explain what you are looking at to make it more interesting and they talk about both what it was and about the excavation process and what they found.

Dogo Park (道後公園)

The park has a lookout tower at the highest point and it has a very nice view of the city. Again I wish I had thought to visit it at night since the city lights would have been quite a sight.

Dogo Park (道後公園)

Okaido (大街道) is a long shopping street with a covered area as well. When I visited here I was mostly just enjoying the shade and window shopping to see Japanese clothing styles. I still do not think they suit me very well but they really do look lovely on Japanese women. In Okaido there are also shops where you can buy or rent kimono or yukata (summer cotton kimono). I went into a lovely shop that sold kimono just to look around and possibly buy a kimono jacket since these silk jackets are very comfortable and you can probably still wear them on a regular basis even in another country without looking to odd. Real kimonos are incredibly beautiful and I did try a few on just because they were so gorgeous. If you can't imagine buying one I would at least try a place that rents one just to experience walking around for a bit in Japanese dress for one of the festivals.

Japanese Kimono with Japamese Camelia design dyed silk with embroided edges

Japanese Kimono Shop in Okaido, Matsuyama - ひとむかし

Japanese Kimono Shop in Okaido, Matsuyama -ひとむかし

Matsuyama Castle (松山城) sits atop a large hill in the center of the city and as well as being a nice castle with a museum the view of the surrounding city is very nice. I visited during the day to hike some of the dirt trails through the forest but there was some landslide damage blocking a few of the trails. I did get to see a Narcissus Flycatcher (Ficedula narcissina, which was a new species for me in Japan and quite pretty.

Matsuyama Castle (松山城)

Matsuyama Castle (松山城) is a nice place to view sunset but the cloudy weather meant it wasn't a great sunset. The crows were coming in to roost all over the castle and flocked in amazing numbers.

Matsuyama Castle (松山城)

Sunset from Matsuyama Castle (松山城)

Despite the disappointing sunset they were having a Summer Light Festival with statues created from light wires. Although they were incredibly random figures they were still quite interesting and seeing the castle lit up at night was beautiful.

Summer Light Festival at Matsuyama Castle (松山城)

There were dinosaurs, whales, air balloons, unicorns, dragons, oranges, arches and flowers as well as many of the tree trunks being covered in lights.

Summer Light Festival at Matsuyama Castle (松山城)

Even on a normal day the castle is lit up at night and looks very nice against a cloudy background at night.

Matsuyama Castle (松山城)

At night when it cools down the insects come out around the castle grounds and many of them specifically find old oak trees and eat the sap. The most noticable are the Rhinoceros Beetle. These large beetles are famous in Japan and are frequently kept as pets. The males have large horns for fighting and the females don't.

Male and FemaleRhinoceros Beetle

Rhinoceros Beetle

Stag Beetles also have large pinchers that the females lack but most of these that we found were a lot smaller in size than the Rhinoceros Beetles.

Stag Beetle

Male and Female Stag Beetle

We also found a young bat that had potentially fallen of it's mother or was learning to fly. It was on the road but we managed to get it safely to a tree.

Bat

Monday, 23 July 2018

Mount Rokkō (六甲山), Japan

Mount Rokkō (六甲山) is very easily accessible from Kobe/Osaka area. I started from Ashiya Station and walked up along the river to Koza Falls. The walk along the river is nice and then you go through a quiet subdivision up to the falls.

Ashiya River

Kōza Falls (高座の滝) is a small waterfall with a shrine in front of it and is at the base of the trail up Mount Rokko. The water is not deep and you definitely couldn't swim in it.

Kōza Falls (高座の滝)

The first part of the hike goes up a rock face. It is a lovely climb through the pine trees and over the rocks.

Mount Rokkō (六甲山)

So many skinks live on the rock face and are catching ants or other insects all over the trails. I believe all of them are Japanese Skink (Plestiodon japonicus).

Japanese Skink (Plestiodon japonicus)

Looking back out over the city you can see a great view of the city and if it wasn't hazy from the heat you might even be able to see all the way to Osaka. But usually the mountains are surrounded in a haze everywhere in Japan.

Mount Rokkō (六甲山)

At almost the midway point between the falls and the peak there is a hydro tower (the thirds along the way). I had heard that this is a frequent spot of lunch and the smell of food often attracts wild boars but I didn't see any of those today. But I do believe that the food smell also attracts cats. There were three of them either lounging around in the shade or begging for food. As much as I love cats I do think Japan might have a bit of an ecological problem with so many stray cats in their natural areas.

Cats on Mount Rokkō (六甲山)

From the midway point on up the path is shaded and made of dirt paths winding up the mountain. There is not much of a view but the shade is so appreciated at this time of day. There are a few off shoots to the trail but there are signs present for the most part at every branch and if you just recognize the kanji for Mount Rokko or wherever you want to go then you can easily find your way. I had written down the kanji for Mount Rokko and Arima Onsen to deal with this since it is a very common problem for me on Japanese trails.

Mount Rokkō (六甲山)

Eventually in steeper parts the trail turns to stairs. Birds are more abundant here and in the clearings you can find Japanese White-eye, Meadow Buntings and various species of Tits.

Mount Rokkō (六甲山)

The top of the mountain has a building on it and a cleared area with bare earth allows a bit of a view down to the Arima Onsen area. The views of Kobe city from the top aren't the greatest because of vegetation in the way but there might be better spots to see the view of the city if you go up the road towards Rokko Garden Terrace (六甲ガーデンテラス)

Mount Rokkō (六甲山)

Mount Rokkō (六甲山) facing Ashiya

Mount Rokkō (六甲山) facing Arima and surrounding mountains

Mount Rokkō (六甲山) facingArima

From the top I hiked down to Arima Onsen. There is a cable car is you walk up the road but I still wanted to hike more. The hike down was along a dirt trail quite similar to the forested sections on the hike up. There were no great views and in some places the trail was under repairs from landslide damage but in Japan they are very good at marking these areas or putting up signs that the trails are closed at certain points. Arima Onsen(有馬温泉) is your typical onsen inside a buidling, without a view, except that is has a natural (unfiltered) pool in it that is incredibly hot with orange water. After the long hike a soak in the onsen is quite relaxing for the tired muscles but it is very very hot and on a warm day it's not the most refreshing. I would have loved it if onsens also had a cold bath so you could go back and forth.

Arima Gold Onsen(有馬温泉)

Taikobashi (有馬川親水公園) is a small park between the gold onsen and the bus stop to get back into Ashiya. There is a 7-11 just beside the park for a nice snack and refreshing drink (or if you need wifi to check the bus schedule like I did).

Taikobashi (有馬川親水公園)

I was able to catch one of the last buses back to Ashiya and watch as the light faded over Kobe from one of the local man made beaches.

Light fading over Kobe

Sightings of a world traveler

Thursday, 26 July 2018

Matsuyama (松山市)

Japanese Kimono Shop in Okaido, Matsuyama - ひとむかし

Japanese Kimono Shop in Okaido, Matsuyama -ひとむかし

Monday, 23 July 2018

Mount Rokkō (六甲山), Japan

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