This trip began in Kobe where I stayed a few days at Miyuki and M.Fuji House. I met their son Daisuke a few weeks later in Tokyo. I already spent some time in Kobe a few years ago, so this time Miyuki kindly invited me to visit Shikoku Island. Ririko, my Japanese brother Nobu’s girlfriend came with us for the expedition. In a future trip, I’d like to walk the famous 
pilgrimage of the 88 temples of this small island. We made a quick visit to the Ryozenji temple, which is the first temple of the pilgrimage. This great temple confirmed my intentions of walking the pilgramage: this could be a very great experience. We then headed North East to see a natural phenomenon in the water where two collapsing arms of the ocean create an impressive whirlpool near the shore. We finished the day with some of Shikoku’s best fish.
Among other things I did in Masuda (besides eating sushi) probably one of the most interesting was the Kagura. Before the show, I had no idea what a Kagura was. I was
about to step into the very rich world of Japanese mythology. Kagura are dances, based on the Shinto religion, gods, local legends and heroes’ stories. Dancers dressed up with colourful costumes and wear impressive masks to represent, heroes, gods and demons. A long time ago, these events were a way to thank the gods for the good harvest or beg for their kindness. A little group of musicians gave the rhythm: a big drum, a few cymbals and a flute completed the orchestra. The show lasted for about 5 hours, it was long, especially when you are a poor foreigner and sitting on the ground is not really in your nature. The wait was worth it, when the last show was the famous tale of Orochi and the 8 headed dragon who fought against the half god Susano.
Over a strange course of events, I was invited to visit the famous city of Izumo, known across all of Japan for its temple, Izumo Taisha. Every year during the month of October, all the gods of Japan enter the city of Izumo by the river and reach the temple, where they stay for a little longer then a month to discuss subjects that matter to gods. There was an impressive complex of temples just at the foot of a huge mountain. The scenery left me speechless. The atmosphere was somehow different; the idea of being surrounded by gods surely had something to do with this. We then headed for the Adachi Museum near Matsue, where I saw one of the most acclaimed Japanese gardens of Japan. It was impressive. The mountains around the garden are part of the scene and were bought to ensure that they would remain untouched.
I would also like to mention a few other short but interesting things I did in Masuda. I was lucky enough to visit a ramen maker, a knife maker and visit a traditional puppet show where I spent some time backstage to give it a try. All this was thanks to my Japanese brother Yuji. Take a look at the pictures.
My time in Masuda was over; I was heading for the biggest city in the world, Tokyo. But before leaving I would like to thanks everyone in Masuda, Japanese hospitality and kindness couldn’t be better. I must mention my Japanese mother Ruriko Ohata and my good friend M.Ekida who helped me so much. Thanks a lot.
End of the story in the next update.
