Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [404]
Antler-cutting ceremony On the first and second Sunday in October; this tradition is meant to help stop the deer from injuring each other during mating season.
Sleeping & Eating
Most visitors to Kinkasan are day trippers, which means the island is delightfully deserted in the early morning, late afternoon and evening. Note that phoning ahead and making a reservation is a good idea as there are only a few places to stay and no places to eat on the island. If you don’t speak Japanese, the staff at the tourist information office in Ishinomaki can help you.
Koganeyama-jinja (; 45-2301; dm per person ¥5000) There is basic lodging in shared tatami rooms at the temple, and simple vegetarian meals are available (from ¥500). If you’re awake before 6am, you can attend morning prayers.
Minshuku Shiokaze (; 45-2666; fax 45-2244; r per person with 2 meals ¥6300) This minshuku, located 500m south along the headland from the pier, is a more comfortable – but less atmospheric – option than the temple. Simple but airy rooms overlook the sea, while the friendly owners can fill you up with hearty local cuisine before giving you tips on the island’s best hiking routes.
If you get stuck in Ayukawa, Minami-sō (;45-2501; r per person with/without 2 meals from ¥6300/4200), behind the Ayukawa bus station, is a basic minshuku where you can get some rest and catch either the bus or the ferry in the morning.
Getting There & Away
There are seven daily buses between JR Ishinomaki station and Ayukawa port (¥1460, 1½ hours). During the summer months, Dream (44-1055) operates ferries between Ayukawa and Kinkasan (one way ¥900, 25 minutes). Ferries run almost hourly between 8.30am and 3.45pm; the last return ferry is at 4pm. Service is greatly reduced the rest of the year.
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NARUKO ONSEN
0229 / pop 8570
Come to Naruko Onsen (Map) to hear the clip-clop of geta (Japanese clogs) as yukata (Japanese robe)–clad bathers trot between spring-fed baths. Breathe in and smell the sulphurous steam as it rises from street culverts. Stop and soak tired feet in the (free!) ashiyu (foot baths), or go for the full wash in sulphurous onsen said to possess distinct healing qualities. Simply put, Naruko’s charms are quiet, simple and rejuvenating.
The helpful tourist information office (83-3441; 8.30am-6pm), inside JR Naruko Onsen station, has useful English-language maps and brochures, and can also help book your accommodation.
Taki-no-yu (; admission ¥150; 7.30am-10pm) is a sheer delight – a fabulously atmospheric wooden bathhouse that’s hardly changed in 150 years. Water gushes in from hinoki (Japanese cypress) channels, carrying with it various elements and minerals including sulphur, sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride. This particular onsen is famous for its therapeutic relief of high blood pressure and hardened arteries.
Naruko-kyō (), a scenic, 100m-deep gorge, can be reached in 20 minutes (Bashō time, that is) on foot from Naruko Onsen station. Alternatively, buses (¥200, five minutes) run from 8.50am to 4pm. From the gorge entrance, a pleasant 4km trail leads along the river valley to Nakayama-daira. If you turn right just after the bridge, but before reaching the gorge, you’ll find the historical Shitomae checkpoint, the start of a quiet 5km country path along the route Bashō once walked. The last bus back to the station leaves at around 4.30pm.
The Japan Kokeshi Museum (; 83-3600; admission ¥320; 8.30am-5pm Apr-Nov, 9am-4pm Dec) features around 5000 kokeshi dolls (which look like typical Japanese dolls – simply adorned with soft lines and traditional fabrics – but they’re distinguished by the symbology surrounding them) from around the country. During the Meiji era, Tōhoku was almost totally neglected, with the result that a flood of men and women moved south to find work. Some say that kokeshi dolls were symbolic representations of those lost girls, who were often snatched away at a young age.
While there is no shortage of hot springs