Shikoku Mura
I added this gallery, dull as it is with photos of crumbling houses, because I was genuinely impressed at the great lengths Shikoku is going towards saving its heritage. Walking around the old huts, tea rooms and store houses was quite an experience. Piece by piece the houses were taken apart in their original locations all over Shikoku and brought to the slopes of Mt. Yashima, where experts reconstructed them in -although not necessarily their natural- rural surroundings.Shikoku is aware that unlike most of Japan it remains less urban, and pockets of tradition and ancient culture linger. While the grey concrete tide slowly washes over the island, the government salvages what it can for posterity.
Shikoku Mura was nothing less than impressive. Far away from the the city below, the peace and tranquility is affecting. For me, it was easy to imagine how life must have been at home back then. It is a shame that whole villages are not preserved together, but I am grateful for seeing this much. The vine bridge from the Iya Valley was absolutely brilliant. Only a few feet above a pond, it was nonetheless terrifying in its swaying and the huge gaps between each step.
Have a peek at the pictures in the gallery.
