Bond English student Miku recently took a fun trip to Shikoku and Okayama, let’s hear about it from Miku, as she wrote this story, with a few edits by Justin. Take it away Miku!
I went on a trip to Tokushima and Kurashiki. I took a bus, which was free, because I got 1 free bus ticket at the Tokushima Pavilion at the Osaka Expo in 2025!
Day1:
I visited the Otsuka Museum of Art.
It is a ceramic art museum with one of the largest permanent exhibition spaces in Japan, with a total floor area of 29,412 square meters.
The museum features reproductions of classic Western art by Michelangelo and Da Vinci, just to name a few.
Here is a reproduction of the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo:
This blue room tells the story of Jesus Christ by using pictures. Therefore, even people who cannot read, can understand the story. The original work was by Giotto in 1305, at the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy.
This painting was voted the #1 best-looking, most handsome guy (イケメン), by museum visitors:
The above painting is called “The Garden of Eden” by Hugh Goldwin Riviere, created in 1901.
I also saw a reproduction of “Mona Lisa” by Da Vinci:
“Sunflowers” by Van Gogh:
And “Starry Night Over the Rhone” by Van Gogh, 1888:
Ceramic art is artwork painted on pottery (陶器). It lasts much longer than works on paper or canvas. There was a guided tour, and I listened to explanations from a curator (キュレーター). It was very interesting.
After that, I went to the Naruto Whirlpools to see the whirlpools. I couldn’t see them swirling clearly, but I could see powerful waves, and they were impressive.
Day2:
On the second day, I went to a roadside station, or farmer’s market (道の駅) called Kurukuru Naruto. It is famous for ‘oimo anpan’, which in English means ‘sweet potato bun’. I ate one, and it was sweet and delicious.
There was a very large sweet potato sculpture (彫刻)!
After that, I went to Tokushima Station by train and had udon for lunch. I was surprised that JR Shikoku trains cannot use IC cards.
After that, I joined an aizome (indigo dyeing) experience. I had never done it before. It smelled bad, and it was very cold. I couldn’t do it very well, but I had fun.
There was a very large sculpture made of indigo-dyed fabric:
After that, I went to the Tokushima Prefectural Office. They were exhibiting Expo-related displays. It was really good. Especially, the indigo-dyed objects were great. They were made of strings and silk. The strings were dyed at the Tokushima Pavilion at the Osaka Expo. In other words, they are a legacy of the Osaka Expo:
Day3:
I went to Kurashiki. I have been there twice before, but those times it was crowded. However, this time it wasn’t crowded.
First, I went to a bakery and bought some bread. After that, I went to a restaurant, but it was closed. I was shocked, but I found another restaurant. I ate a morning plate at an Italian restaurant that had a stone oven. I ate bread that was baked in a stone oven, and it was delicious.
After that, I walked around Kurashiki. I visited a shop that had masking tape gachas. I tried one and got a Momonga Encyclopedia masking tape and a camellia-pattern masking tape. They were really cute, and they made me happy.
Then I went to a restaurant for lunch. I ate a chicken nanban set meal. It was carefully prepared and very delicious. I had a good time.
Fun trip Miku, and good job writing!
