Japan - Day 10: Matsuyama to Murozumi (by bike)

Previous Up Next

Matsuyama to Suooshima (by ferry): Gina and i went out before breakfast to look at Dogo Onsen, and then the van took us all to the ferry terminal. After a 90-minute ferry crossing, we're ready to start our bike ride.


morning in Matsuyama

looks rainy out there

hotel umbrellas for our convenience

we took an umbrella and went out to look at the Dogo Onsen

roof detail at Dogo Onsen

it's still raining

exterior of Dogo Onsen, which was the inspiration for the onsen in Spirited Away

metal bird on the onsen roof

side of building (note lantern with bird)

wood railing detail

roof dragon

a bamboo grove, just hanging out in town

facade of Hotel Chaharu

Dogo Onsen

little metal roof with a little metal leaping lion-dog

we go to check out the outdoor foot bath

Gina, with an umbrella, near the foot bath

streets of Matsuyama past the onsen

roofs, a pedestrian arcade entrance with a decorated facade, and a number of solar panels not having their best day

decor in hotel: rocks in a cage

our hotel room in night mode, with futons

banner and bamboo in hotel lobby

decorative plates at hotel

after a quick breakfast, we drove through Matsuyama to the ferry

boats at a dock

next step: ferry to Suooshima

leaving Matsuyama

corner of Matsuyama from the water

channel marker in the mist

the center of the ferry was a giant tatami mat, for napping

nameplate of our boat

ramp in its upright position

mist over a mountain

ferry wake and islands

a complicated mountaintop situation, plus mist

there is definitely a mountain in the fog there; it's not Mount Fuji this time, though

fish over the tatami mat area

various islands in the water

a green island

passing a number of islands

approaching the channel into Suooshima

houses, mountains, and mist

coast, with mountain behind

houses in front of many trees

leaving the ferry on Suooshima

it's a certain amount of work to get the bikes off the van and tuned up

best blue roof photo of the trip

road into the trees

across Suooshima (by bike, 37km): a subset of us biked the length of Suooshima in the rain. It was very pretty, but also a bit of a race to get to lunch before the kitchen closed.


north coast of Suooshima

Sarah, Dana, Gina, and Paul are the riders; everyone else opted for a van ride given the rain

Sarah, riding along the coast

Birds of Japan: on a rock

roof of Chosenji Temple

roof detail

the inner building, which also has a good roof

marker in temple courtyard

orange flowers in temple courtyard

street in front of the temple

we have entered the Yamaguchi license plate domain

little islands north of Suooshima

a working boat

onward

a very geometric breakwater

a different shape of geometric breakwater

road, water, mountains, geometric breakwater

it's wisteria-o-clock

Sarah and Gina, regrouping as we cross to the south side of the island

yet another shape of geometric breakwater with beach and mountains

beach and mountains ahead

beach and mountains behind

Rei and Paul discuss: if we don't get to the restaurant by 2pm, we don't get pizza

i took this photo because i couldn't figure out what was going on in it, and i still can't

we were biking past a road race; the runners shouted encouragement at us (ganbatte!), even though they were working harder than we were

the runners also seemed very damp, but the scenery continued to be good

we made it!

seated at Salvus pizza restaurant at 13:59, lunch is saved

Birds of Japan: flying over the water in the fog

gorgonzola and mushroom pizza

the road race finishing tent was outside our restaurant

kitchen at Salvus

Suooshima to Yanai (by van): Dana and Sarah biked the end of the Suooshima route, while the rest of us opted for the van.


most of us opt for the van after lunch, given the ongoing rain

entering a tunnel

the fuzzy landscape at the end of the tunnel

leaving Suooshima

the Oshima bridge

Dana, after a ride in the rain

Sarah, after a ride in the rain

listening to a Japanese band called The Timers

on the Oshima bridge

around Yanai (on foot): it was raining fairly hard, but we wandered around a few blocks of Yanai, and spent time at an extremely cool soy sauce warehouse and factory


a cemetery in Yanai

a candle-holder

entrance to a shopping street in Yanai

walking down the street in the rain

entrance of the Kunimori House, a merchant house built in the 18th century

Tom picks up some car snacks at this pastry shop

it is having some sort of strawberry-related special event

our destination in Yanai, the Sagawa soy sauce maker

i am confident you would like to read an informational sign about this soy sauce warehouse

every soy sauce warehouse needs a fish tank

cartoon art of part of the soy sauce process

more soy sauce process cartoons

a storage container

the soy sauce process in diorama format

beginning of soy sauce diorama: grinding and roasting

soy sauce vats (apologies for bad lighting)

different colors of soy sauce

fish wall hanging

large fish art over many small fish arts

many varieties of soy sauce for sale

a branch with fish art

outside of soy sauce warehouse, trees and frogs

fish manhole cover

Yanai street manhole cover

Yanai to Murozumi (by van): the van took us the rest of the way to our hotel, where we found the onsen and otherwise relaxed until dinner, another multi-course set meal at the hotel.


more green landscape with houses

driving around the coast to Murozumi

coastline with rocks

our hotel is up a hill overlooking Murozumi Bay

garden view from the hotel window

hedges visible from the hotel window

mobile in the lobby at Kamenoi Hotel

our room was futon-style, but the futons were already set out when we arrived

Cape Zogohana lighthouse, across the bay

Murozumi Bay

Sarah and Gina examine their vegetarian banquet plates

beginning of my non-vegetarian banquet plate

banquet dinner menu, with wisteria

the black bowl was a gelatin cube with scallions, and the sashimi was really good

wagyu beef, a soup with a great broth, and shochu on the rocks

pufferfish tempura

layered rice cake with salmon roe; also let's admire that bowl lid

panna cotta!

Previous Up Next