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HIWASA |
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Heading south by rail or road from Tokushima you'll be following the
rugged coastline, passing by a string of small fishing villages - the
best one to stop at is picturesque HIWASA , 55km from the city, for its
intriguing temple, quaint harbour and beach. Yakuo-ji , the 23rd temple
on the Shikoku pilgrimage, is on the hillside as you pull into the train
station; the temple's base is surrounded by hotels and giftshops
catering to the hordes of pilgrims who regularly pass through. Climb the
steps to the main temple area, where the buildings date from 815, and
you'll notice a striking statue of a goddess carrying a basket of fish
and flanked by lotus blooms. Off to the right is a more recently built
single-storey pagoda. There's a good view of Hiwasa's harbour from the
platform, but the highlight here is to descend into the pagoda's
darkened basement, where for ¥100 you can fumble your way around a pitch-black
circular corridor to a central gallery containing Brueghel-like painted
depictions of all the tortures of hell. In a second gallery is long
scroll showing the steady decay of a beautiful, but dead, young woman.
About 1km south of the harbour, the reconstructed castle Hiwasa-jo (daily
9am-5pm; free) is only worth visiting for its impressive view of the
town. The better option is to head directly to Ohama beach, north of the
harbour, where turtles lay their eggs between May and August. During
this time, the beach is roped off and spectators must watch the action
from a distance. For a closer look at the turtles, make your way to
Hiwasa Chelonian Museum (daily 8.30am-5pm; ¥600), beside the beach. The
displays are mainly in Japanese, but are very visual, with step-by-step
photos of turtles laying eggs and you'll see the turtles themselves
swimming in indoor and outdoor pools.
Hiwasa is 55 minutes from Tokushima by limited express train , or one
hour and 45 minutes by the more frequent local trains, and makes a good
day-trip or a stop en route to or from Muroto Misaki . There's a very
run-down youth hostel on the road to the beach (tel 08847/7-0755; under
¥3000), but you're better off staying at one of the hotels near the
beach - try the White Lighthouse (tel 08847/7-1170; ¥20,000-30,000),
where the rates include two meals in a restaurant with a good view of
the beach.
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