Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [514]
Information
There are coin lockers at the station and international ATMs at the post office that’s next to the tourist information office.
Tourist information office (22-3934; 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat & Sun) Across the road from JR Uwajima station, and offers free internet access.
Sights & Activities
TAGA-JINJA & SEX MUSEUM
Once upon a time, many Shintō shrines had a connection to fertility rites. Of those that remain, Taga-jinja is one of the best known. The grounds of the shrine are strewn with tree-trunk phalluses and numerous statues and stone carvings, but the star attraction is the three-storey sex museum (22-3444; www3.ocn.ne.jp/~dekoboko, in Japanese; admission ¥800; 8am-5pm).
Inside, the museum is packed floor to ceiling with everything from explicit Peruvian pottery to Greek vases; from the illustrated Kamasutra to Tibetan Tantric sculptures; from South Pacific fertility gods to a showcase full of leather S&M gear; and from early Japanese shunga (explicit erotic prints) to their European Victorian equivalents, not to mention a collection of modern porn magazines.
The shrine is just across the bridge over the Suka-gawa.
UWAJIMA-JŌ
Dating from 1601, Uwajima-jō (22-2832; admission ¥200; 9am-4pm) is a small three-storey castle on an 80m-high hill in the centre of town. The present structure was rebuilt in 1666 by the daimyō Date Munetoshi. The castle once stood by the sea, and still provides good views over the town. The donjon (main keep) is one of only 12 originals left in Japan; there is nothing much to see inside. The surrounding park, Shiroyama Kōen (), is open from sunrise to sunset, and is a pleasant place for a stroll.
DATE MUSEUM
The well-presented exhibits at the excellent Date Museum (22-776; 9-14 Goten-machi; admission ¥500; 9am-5pm, closed Mon) are dedicated to the Date family, who ruled Uwajima from the castle for 250 years during the Tokugawa period. The explanations are mostly in Japanese, but most of the stuff on display – swords, armour, palanquins and lacquerware – is pretty self-explanatory.
BULLFIGHTS
Tōgyū is a sort of bovine sumō. Victory is achieved when one animal forces the other to its knees, or when one turns tail and flees from the ring. Fights are held at Uwajima’s municipal bullfighting ring (admission ¥3000) on 2 January, the first Sunday of April, 24 July, 14 August and the fourth Sunday of October. Directions to the ring are available at the tourist information office.
TEMPLES 41–42
A great way to get a taste of the 88 Temple pilgrimage without having to slog it out along busy main roads is to take a bus from Uwajima station direct to Temple 42, Butsumoku-ji (; ¥510, 40 minutes). After admiring the thatched bell-house and the statues of the seven gods of good fortune, follow the clearly marked henro trail back through picturesque farming villages and rice paddies to Temple 41, Ryūkō-ji (). Here, a steep stone staircase leads up to a pleasant temple and shrine overlooking the fields. It’s a little over 5km in all. From outside Ryūkō-ji there are signs to Muden station (), a 15-minute (800m) walk away. From here, you can catch a train or bus back to Uwajima.
Sleeping & Eating
Uwajima Youth Hostel (; 22-7177; fax 22-7176; www2.odn.ne.jp/~cfm91130; dm foreign traveller special rate ¥2100; ) Although it’s a 2km hike from the station, this friendly spot has clean four-bed dorms, some nice hilltop views and a tranquil location near a clutch of temples. To reach the hostel, follow any of the town’s main throughways southeast until you reach Uwatsuhiko-jinja (English sign). From here, a small path leads up the hill to the hostel. There is free internet access and free bike rental.
Hotel Clement Uwajima (23-6111; fax 23-6666; www.shikoku.ne.jp/clement-uwajima/index.shtml, in Japanese; s/d ¥6930/8662; ) Located within the station complex, this