Ushimado to Shikoku

A castle on the route south across Honshu

From Tottori we staged a lightning transit from the North to the South coast of Honshu, running down a major highway until we hit the industrial belt on the plain around Okayama, working by compass and misdirection around its edge to finally arrive in the dark at the extremity lands-end of the fishing port of Ushimado, turning aside from the road in the pitch dark to camp in a vacant lot beside the yachting harbour.

Ploughing through the hill country by main highway

Sunset at Ushimado

Our desolate little camping spot right on the water's edge

In the light of morning Ushimado proved to be a pleasing respite from the doldrum wastelands of Industrial Japan, a mix of old time fishing village and rich development, with a harbour on the inland sea, a beach and a bunch of temples and shrines amid some charming old houses.

The wild beach on the sea front

A little fishermen's shrine by the beach

Our van parked on the beach front for breakfast

The pagoda-like lighthouse

Narrow streets in central Ushimado

Map of the town and the Matsuri floats

A hilltop shrine with many sacred foxes

Ushimado shrine with multiple guard coyotes

Views of central Ushimado

Another hilltop shrine and pagoda at Ushimado

From Ushimado, we planned our attack on Shikoku, using the internet to pinpoint the entry points to the toll bridge systems that link Shikoku with the 'mainland' of Honshu, then navigating round Okayama and past Tamano to the last IC or tollway junction before the bridge at Kojima.

Main highway running along the coast towards the bridge to Shikoku

The approach to the Shikoku Bridge