四国の辺境を列車で12時間かけて旅する

四国の辺境を列車で12時間かけて旅する

Good morning from Kochi, Japan. I’m still Jeremy and it is 5:30 in the morning. I’m here at Kochi Station. I’m going to continue my circumnavigation of Shikoku Island using local trains only and maybe a bus today. Today is part two of my trip around Shikoku using slow local trains only. The route goes from the city of Kochi, winds deep into the southwestern corner of the large island, and follows a dramatic west coast up to Matsuyama. And I should have time to explore the areas where transfers are. But I can’t miss any connections. How do I get over there? After yesterday’s day off in Coochi, which you can watch on Patreon, my trip budget goal is already too close for comfort. That bonus ferry ride at the end is in serious doubt. All right, here we are. First train of the day, 539 local train bound for Kubokawa, track two. One car. One car and presumably one person driving it. We left Kochi right on time and the fertile if ramshackle countryside southwest of the city opened up. And so did I. as best I could without coffee. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] The early morning train from Kochi was mesmerizing, but after nearly 2 and 1/2 hours on it, I was glad when we pulled into the first station of the day where I had a connection and I could get out and stretch my legs. Okay, so this is Kubokawa. I have about 28 minutes here. So this is the JR train station, but over here at the same station or the same platform area, there’s another station. This is a different railway. This is the Tosa Kurroio Railway, and that’s what I’m doing. First, let me go and make sure I got the time right. See when the next train leaves over here on the Kurrosio line 8:27 for Nakamura local. Okay, so that’s about 22 minutes from now. I’m going to walk around this town a little bit. I would hope to get a hot coffee also as I’m walking around this town. The machines unfortunately have all switched over to cold drinks for the summer, I guess. The station is called Kubokawa. The town is actually called Shimanto and it means 40,010. So kind of cool to have a town named after such a specific number. I don’t know why that is. I guess it’s the part of it’s the early morning that everything’s closed and it’s cold and chilly and kind of overcast. But these old buildings, these old worn buildings with the old worn signs are especially atmospheric and evocative today. I mean, every single store, every single building, it’s like it’s from decades ago. Look what I found. An actual hot coffee machine. I got four minutes. Hurry up. I got to go buy a ticket, too. Never thought I would see that this morning here in Kubokawa. That’s my train. Wait, wait, wait for me. No vending machine. Do I just pay on board? That would be great. [Music] Can I just board with a coffee with no lid? I guess so. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] The train to Nakamura takes an hour and after that coffee it really flew by which was a shame. This was an especially gorgeous train ride. [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] Eventually, we rolled into Nakamura station. Time to step off the train and explore another piece of Shikoku. All right, we made it to Nakamura as far as this local train goes. So, I’m going to go change to another train that’s continuing down the track. The next local train will continue all the way to Sukumo. Let’s go check on that. All right, it’s 9:26 now. Looks like the next one for Sukumo is 10:07. So, almost 40 minutes. little monument to fishing. That’s really cool. So, the two fishermen in the boat are casting their net to catch all these fish. What would be the opposite of an abandoned bicycle? I think it might be something like an exalted bicycle up on a fence with its own owl. Wait, it gets stranger. There’s more. Let’s see. Let’s do a little bit of jaywalking and get down into some smaller neighborhoods here. Life is on the back streets. Unlike most of the parks that have uh sand all in them, actual grass here. Well, I would say that uh from what I can see right around the station area here, Nakamura is about half uh new buildings, newer buildings, and half old buildings. So, quite different than Kubo, which seem to only be old buildings, but a nice kind of pleasant friendly vibe here. And I think I’m going to go back to the station and check out the little cafe and uh something that’s inside the station. I think it’s time for a midm morning [Music] snack. If you’re worried about Nakamura not having a a mascot, don’t worry. It does. I’ve only got 12 minutes until my train leaves. That’s probably it right there. Maybe. Um, so let’s see what’s happening here. Okay, 670 in. Got my uh pound cake. Got my coffee. It’s like 6 minutes till my train comes. 5 minutes now. Okay, track three. That’s my train over there. And I got 3 minutes. So, this should be okay. to Sukumo. Here’s a JR Express just arriving. Although these are not JR lines, JR does send some express trains down here a few times a day. Anyway, lucky timing on my part. Bunch of people got off that JR express and moved over to this train to continue further. And uh they would have taken the good seats, but I got mine. [Music] [Applause] [Applause] Okay, here’s a bit of an update of what’s going on. So, this train ride is only a half an hour. And when we get to Sukumo, there’s no train line. There’s no connection on trains from there. So, I’m taking a bus up to Uajima. But the bus transfer between when we arrive and when the bus leaves is only 10 minutes. and I never do well with buses. This is the only real transfer of the day that makes me genuinely nervous. And by the way, I just noticed that the driver of this train is the same guy that drove me from Kubokawa to Nakamura. So anyway, the last train and this train literally the same train and the same driver. [Music] Sukumo is the tightest connection of the day and it’s that vague bus transfer. I leapt out of the train and strove briskly through the station. [Music] Okay, that went well. Okay, so what I believe is true is that bus stop number two over there is my bus. I’ll buy one of these wheat TE’s, I think. Is this machine working? I don’t think this machine is working. All right. How about this one? 150. Is this machine working? Oh, that sounds good. 150. Okay, looks good. Still got 6 minutes till the bus. Might as well go look at this overgrown plaza. Don’t tell me I never took you anywhere nice. So, here’s an overgrown plaza, which is still being used by people who like to walk across plazas. Here is a gravel lot, which is not being used for anything, but there’s a sign in the middle that says something probably. Very, very interesting. There’s a big pachinko parlor over there. Looks like a coffee shop over there, an udon restaurant, and apparently a supermarket. And that’s about all I got. I was relieved when bus J20 pulled up at the expected time. It looks like I’ll avoid unwanted bus drama this [Music] time. Okay, we got it. Um, a little over an hour and a half on this bus to Uajima. [Music] Daddy. [Music] So on this trip I’ve been seeing these people with kind of white clothes and the conicle hats and those are pilgrims which are called henro. You go around you visit 88 temples. They use buses and trains to get to each temple sometimes. Sometimes they walk, I guess. [Music] Okay, the bus has just dropped me off here at Uajima, the JR train station. We’re back on the trains, back on JR. So, I’ve got kind of a long layover here. I’m going to go check the schedule, but I think I’m going to have time to uh have lunch and maybe walk around a little bit. Cool. All right. Well, here’s my train. It’s 1411, so that’s in over an hour. It is a local, as you see, because it’s got the black writing, and it’s going to Matsuyama. And there is something kind of special about this train, this particular train at this particular time that I’m quite excited about. I’ll explain that when I am uh when my stomach is more full. Okay, I’m not even where pedestrians are supposed to be. But if this is the wrong place, I don’t want to be right. Look at this. A very, very old [Music] train and an even older mode of transportation. It says Uajima on the saddle. I see kind of a a big covered shopping area. Will somebody have some food? Well, I had such hope and everything’s closed. None of these are restaurants anyway. Coin shop. Being an optimist get you in more trouble. I knew this would happen. Get it? Pessimism, optimism. I mean, look at this gigantic covered shopping street. No restaurants, no cafes, no nothing. Well, if you’re playing along by yourself, there is a beer vending machine and a hair salon, but nothing to eat. All right, I’m going to go in this uh big mall here. They have to have something, don’t they? More optimism. Sticking its ugly head in my plans. Now, I talk a big game, but um I actually don’t have much time. So, I’m going to go back there, mosey on back there. But I will walk around some of these back streets here cuz we know what this is. or was I don’t know, but I’m in love with this building already. Um, where am I? Where is this station at? There it is. See the actual station. Boy, not doing the checklist today. [Applause] Very tempting. Look at all that. Anyway, this station. I wonder if that’s my train. How do I get over there? Awesome. The reliable infrastructure you can find in Japan. Wonder what the tic tac is or was. Okay. So, what’s special about this train that I’m going to get on is it gets we get on at Uajima, the red station there. It goes on this yellow line, the Osan line. The yellow line that goes straight there, that’s the quickest way. That’s the newer way to get to Matsuyama. But this one I’m going on branches off in that little purple line where there are more stations and it takes a lot longer. But it includes one of the most famous train stations in all of Japan. gonna cost 2,10 yen. Yeah. Yeah. [Music] Yeah. And the train I took this morning that was 2 hours long. That was a long time for a local train. This is almost 4 hours. Probably the longest one I’ve ever heard of. Oh no. It’s all It’s all bench seats. 4 hours on this and we don’t even leave for another 13 minutes. So, got quite a long time on this train. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Somehow, this plucky little train on the JR Yosan line was, at least at first, even less busy than that remote bus had been. [Music] This Okay, we’re at a station called Yawat Hama. And the two people, the two other passengers who are on the train, they got off. I stayed. Even the driver got off. Got a driver changed. I’m the only person doing this the whole way. The only human being riding this train the whole way. Um, and we have about another 20 minutes here to wait. So, I got off. The driver suggested I go to the bathroom in the station, and that’s a good idea. So, I’m going to go do that. Okay, now I got a little time to wander and check out the station. Maybe can’t really go in, but there it is. All right, I got to get back on this thing. You know, before I step back on, I think a little exercise is in order. Little walking up and down the platform. Don’t look at that. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Okay, we are at Eio Oou station. This is where the trains or the lines branch off. Our train is going off to the coast. A lot of people are getting off. A lot of people are getting on here. So, I went ahead and moved over here to the sunny seaside. Windows a little dirty and so there’s going to be some weird reflections, but what can you do? [Music] The big moment is pulling into tiny Shimonata Station, once the closest in Japan to the ocean before a highway was built on reclaimed land. It’s still a famous photo spot. That lone shelter with the sea behind it shows up often in ads and travel brochures and I’m told social media. Officially, a mere 78 passengers use Shimonatada station daily. So, the crowd of non-riters filming our arrival was genuinely surprising. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Okay, we are here in Matsuyama right on time. Might have been a minute early. I’m not sure. That’s the train. The train I rode from Uima. So, it’s been a little bit over 12 hours today and a great way to see all of that part of Shikoku and I’ve still got energy. I want to ride some more. That wasn’t enough. I think I’m going to go back to Kochi and then come back. Oh no, I’ve got hotel reservations here. Okay, well, forget it. I’ll just go get my hotel. So, thanks for coming along with me. And next is the big long ride around the north. And I don’t know which route I’m going to take yet. I got to figure that out in the hotel. And going to go back to Naruto and complete the whole circle. Part three is next. So, thanks for watching and I’ll see you next time. Watch today’s full video, plus more exclusive travel logs, video diaries, and other stuff as a paid or free supporter at patreon.com/t1dwer. Thank you to everyone helping me keep this channel alive, and special thanks this week in random order to Samantha, David Richley, Matt Kane, Lever Wong, Will Phillips, Ray Nichols, Russell Davis, Calvin Ferrer, Darcio Toronto, and Michael Fedor. Thanks for wandering around southwestern Shikoku with me. Everywhere is worth exploring.

A long day with multiple transfers, traveling from Kōchi to Matsuyama in Japan using only local trains (and one long bus). Part 2 of an epic trip around Shikoku island.

🔵 *Extended version* https://www.patreon.com/posts/130922797
Watch the full 41-minute ad-free version. Includes far more details, station stops, stories from the trains, Shikoku scenery, my conversation with a “henro” pilgrim, more about my often-pitiful meals, and lots more in general from this journey

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🔵 *Video diary: Excellence of Shikoku* https://www.patreon.com/posts/129965801

🔵 *Raw footage: Amazing tunnels on the JR Yosan Line* https://www.patreon.com/posts/130919312

🔵 *Raw footage: Gorgeous green valley on the Sukumo Line* https://www.patreon.com/posts/129968199

🔵 *Trip spreadsheets (full stations list and detailed expenses)* https://www.patreon.com/posts/130966434

*About me*
My videos are about traveling, transportation, and wandering offbeat and lesser-known spots on the map for curiosity’s sake. I upload a new video each week. Thanks for watching. Everywhere is worth exploring.

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–Jeremy, T1D Wanderer

Music by mellowstu / Pond5