Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [367]
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IKUCHI-JIMA
0845 / pop 10,900
Ikuchi-jima is known for its citrus groves and beaches, including Sunset Beach on the west coast. It is also home to Kōsan-ji, a colourful display of Buddhist kitsch put up by a businessman-turned-priest in memory of his mother. Bike hire and tourist information are available in front of Bel Canto Hall (27-0051; 9am-5pm) – to get here, head right out of the ferry terminal, turn left down the main shopping street and then left again at the intersection in front of Kōsan-ji.
Sights
The main attraction in sleepy Setoda, the island’s main town, is the remarkable temple complex of Kōsan-ji (; 27-0800; 553-2 Setoda; admission ¥1200; 9am-5pm). Shortly after the death of his beloved mother in 1934, local steel-tube magnate and arms manufacturer Kanemoto Kōzō decided to become a Buddhist priest. He grew his hair long, bought himself the rights to a priesthood and the name of a temple in Niigata, and spent much of the next 30 years sinking his fortune into a series of garishly coloured temple buildings, among them several colourful replicas of Japan’s most important ancient temples. The complex is a chaos of over-the-top Buddhist kitsch, consisting of some 2000 exhibits.
Admission to Kōsan-ji includes entrance to the Art Museum, 1000 Buddhas Cave, Treasure House and Choseikaku Villa, where Kōzō’s mother lived in an elegant mixture of Japanese and European-inspired splendour. The extraordinary 1000 Buddhas Cave includes a series of graphically illustrated hells. Across the road, the Treasure House has a collection of Buddhist images from the Heian and Kamakura periods.
To get to the temple, turn right as you leave the boat landing, then turn left up the shop-lined main street. Halfway up the same street is a sign in Japanese pointing you left towards the hillside Chōon-zan Kōen () and its several temples and shrines. Further up the hill is the early-15th-century Kōjō-ji (), with a three-storey pagoda designated as a national treasure, and some fine views over the island. Just past Kōsan-ji is the Hirayama Ikuo Museum (; 27-3800; admission ¥700; 9am-5pm), dedicated to the life and work of the famous artist, who grew up in Setoda.
Sleeping & Eating
Setoda Shimanami Guest House (; 27-3137; www.d1.dion.ne.jp/~sunami/youth/, in Japanese; 58-1 Tarumi Setoda-chō; per person ¥3000; ) Right on Sunset Beach, this friendly hostel is popular with cyclists. Accommodation is in individual tatami rooms. The hostel has its own onsen, and meals are available.
Ryokan Tsutsui (; 27-2221; fax 27-2137; www.tsutsui.yad.jp, in Japanese; 216 Setoda Setoda-chō; per person with 2 meals from ¥10,500; ) This recently renovated ryokan-style hotel, right in front of the ferry terminal, is the grandest of the relatively limited options in Setoda itself. The Japanese-style rooms are spacious, and the gorgeous new wooden baths offer great views.
Keima (; 27-1989; Setoda 251; sushi from ¥1260; lunch & dinner, closed Thu) This simple sushi place in the main shopping street serves filling meals in a friendly atmosphere. It’s close to the ferry terminal, and is one of the first buildings on the left as you walk down the main shopping street away from the sea. Set meals include sashimi teishoku for ¥1890 and tai-kamameshi (sea bream on rice) for ¥1680.
Getting There & Away
Ferries to Setoda run from Onomichi (¥800, 40 minutes, nine daily) and Mihara (¥800, 20 minutes, 18 daily) in Hiroshima-ken.
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ŌMI-SHIMA
0897 / pop 7500
Across the border in Ehime-ken, this mountainous island is home to one of the oldest Shintō shrines in western Japan, Ōyamazumi-jinja (; 82-0032; 3327 Miyaura; admission Treasure Hall & Kaiji Museum ¥1000; 8.30am-5pm). The deity enshrined here is