|
| |
|
ASHIZURI MISAKI |
| |
|
|
| |
The tourist trail has beat a steady path to the small, scenic
village of ASHIZURI MISAKI , standing on the most southerly point of
Shikoku, but don't let this put you off checking it out. Pilgrims have
long been coming here to pay their respects at Kongofuku-ji , the 38th
temple on the sacred circuit . This picturesque temple, dedicated to the
Buddhist deity Kannon, who symbolizes infinite compassion, has a two-storey
pagoda and nestles amid a palm grove in the centre of the village.
Ashizuri's white-painted lighthouse stands atop the eighty-metre-high
cliffs, while at shore level there's a natural rock arch, crowned by a
small shrine. All these sights are within easy walking distance of each
other, along cliff-top pathways that each February burst forth with
crimson camellia blossoms.
On the way to the lighthouse you'll pass the statue of Nakahama Manjiro,
better known as John Mung , the local lad who travelled the world and
pioneered relations between Japan and the USA in the early years of the
Meiji Restoration. Opposite Kongofuku-ji is a small museum, John Mung
House (daily 8am-5pm; ¥200), dedicated to the man, which includes some
of Mung's personal items and miniature tableaux describing his life and
the whaling industry he was once part of.
Reaching the cape by public transport can be costly (around ¥4000) and
time-consuming. There are direct buses from Kochi to Ashizuri Misaki (around
4hr 40min). Trains only go as far as Nakamura, where you'll have to
catch one of the local buses from directly outside the station. The bus
journey takes around an hour and becomes progressively more spectacular
the closer to the cape you get, the driver skilfully whipping the bus
around the narrow, cliff-hugging road. In your own car, you can opt for
the less hair-raising, but equally scenic, Skyline road down the middle
of the peninsula to the cape. The bus stop is next to Kongofuku-ji.
Buses run regularly to the nearby town of Tosa Shimizu (¥820), where
you'll usually have to change to continue north up the coast. There are
two youth hostels at Ashizuri Misaki: Kongofuku-ji (tel 08808/8-0038,
fax 8-0688; under ¥3000), next to the temple, is the slightly more
attractive, though it's often busy with groups of pilgrims; and Ashizuri
(tel 08808/8-0324; under ¥3000), which is next to the small shrine, and
offers accommodation in tatami rooms. Both hostels serve breakfast and
evening meals. There are several ryokan in town, including Hotel
Kaijokan (tel 08808/8-0503, fax 8-0211; ¥15,000-20,000), where the rates
cover breakfast only, and Ashizurien (tel 08808/8-0206, fax 8-0033;
¥30,000-40,000), which includes dinner in its rate.
|
| |
|
