There are three annual holiday periods in Japan; at New Year, ‘Golden Week’ at the end of April & start of May and ‘Obon’ in the middle of August. This year’s Golden Week break came at just the right moment after struggling through April with various illnesses Syd picked up from when he started going to daycare.
We were actually quite fortunate to get the boys into the same daycare centre at such short notice. Yoko received a call from the employment agency she had used in the past, asking her if she could start work immediately at Taiho pharmaceutical company. She’d worked there prior to the boys being born. Obviously she left a good impression; to be asked back after an absence of nearly five years!
So Syd picked up a cold soon after starting daycare. Through April he had a continually runny nose and a fever on and off. It lingered and then mutated (I guess), developing into tonsilitis. If that wasn’t enough, he also picked a nasty stomach virus called Rota, which Reni and I succumbed to also.
So by the time Golden Week came around we were more than ready for a break. Yoko’s parents had arranged to holiday with us. After hearing of our sickness woes they kindly drove from Kyoto a little earlier than originally planned to assist us. I was particularly grateful to have them around when I was suffering chronic diarrhea and in need of a doctor!
I was fortunate my Golden Week holiday began a day earlier than Yoko’s. After dropping the boys off at daycare then her at work I couldn’t resist checking the surf . Although I’d been sick the two previous days I felt ok and the swell was up. I sneaked my surfing gear out to the car without Yoko’s parents seeing then headed down the coast with Chris. When we reached our destination we were a little hesitant at first as there were many more cars than usual. The vibe in the water was mellow however and we were even fortunate enough to have a peak to ourselves for most of the session. With the sun shining and the water considerably warmer than in the city, it was a great day.
The fantastic weather continued the next day too for our trip down south to Umaji, deep in the mountains of Cape Muroto in Kochi. After a fairly early start (by our standards) we stopped down the coast at Minami (Hiwasa) for an all you can eat buffet lunch for a very reasonable 1050 yen. From there we continued south as far as Takegashima on the Tokushima-Kochi border. The swell was still up so I went for another surf while the rest of the family played and enjoyed the sunshine. Although there were quite a few surfers in the line-up I was stoked to get a couple of great rides in the short time I was in the water.
Having fed my surfing addiction it was time to head into the mountains. After briefly following a river inland the road climbed, winding its way round a steep slope. Every now and then we could catch glimpses of spectacular views of the verdant surrounding mountains. Once we’d ascended the first big mountain the terrain leveled out for a while. It was very pleasant driving with the windows down, soaking up the crisp, clean country air. The road ran alongside a crystal clear river surrounded by lush green vegetation intermittently speckled violet with blooming wisteria.
As we neared our final destination the road climbed again to offer an extensive view of a sizeable dam below. Following a brief stop to enjoy the view and stretch the legs, we descended the last short distance to the small mountain village of Umaji. Despite its relative isolation this village is relatively well-known as a growing area for yuzu citrus fruits that are used in the production of ponsu sauce. We hadn’t originally planned to venture so far inland however with the peak holiday season we had been unable to find any accommodation more conveniently located.
After checking into the ryokan guesthouse we set off on foot for the nearby local onsen hot spring baths. It felt so good to sit and soak in the hot water after a long day behind the wheel. Clean and refreshed, we headed back to the guesthouse for a delicious dinner of fresh local sashimi and sushi, deep fried tempura vegetables, rice and miso soup, washed down with icy cold beer - the perfect way to end a perfect day!
Syd woke me early the following morning. The view from the guesthouse of its perfectly manicured garden with a bright red suspension bridge spanning the dam in the background beckoned invitingly. Unable to get back to sleep I went for a walk into the nearby forest, following an unpaved road above the dam until it came to a dead end at an attractive little waterfall.
After a ‘traditional’ Japanese breakfast of fish & rice with miso soup, (something I’m not a particularly big fan of), we set off for a day of sightseeing. Our first stop was a museum and the house of Shintaro Nakaoka, a local figure instrumental in the opening of Japan to the west in the 19th century. While Shintaro’s companion Ryoma Sakamoto is enormously popular, Shintaro it seems is a forgotten man. The museum and house were virtually deserted except for a large black snake busy devouring a mouse in the garden of the house.
If Shintaro were alive today he would probably be quite surprised how much Japan has embraced foreign influences. Just a few kilometres down the road from his home there is now a ‘Monet’ water-lilly garden attraction. It also has other extensive gardens, a restaurant, wine cellar, art gallery and shops. The ‘Monet Gardens’ was bustling with sightseers from all over Shikoku and western Japan who had come to enjoy the multitude of various flowers in bloom.
Following a fairly mediocre lunch (from a very limited and distinctly Japanese menu), we walked around the gardens and Reni played in the playgound. From there we headed south to the coast and slowly began working our way back towards Tokushima. Along the way we passed a town of well-preserved old buildings, the tiles on them specifically designed to allow maximium run-off during heavy typoon rainfall. We also passed orchards full of trees with little white bags hanging from them. Inside the bags are delicious, succulent biwa loquats, a stone-fruit similar in colour but smaller in size than an apricot.
After rounding the cape I was surprised to see there was some still surf lingering. I dropped everyone off at a popular bakery cafe and headed to the nearby river mouth in the hope of another surf. The tide was too high for the waves to be breaking though so I soon rejoined the family and enjoyed a coffee and sandwich with them. With our ‘engines’ refuelled we set off again for the final leg of what was an excellent journey.