Going Solo in Japan (Kagawa – Shikoku) - 1999

In the year 1999 we went to Japan twice. Earlier we had been there in August to visit a few hospitals. But in late November we went again for a conference. Conference was held at Kagawa in Shikoku which is the Southern Island. The unusual thing was that we had never been to this southern island Shikoku.

We reached Okayama from Tokyo by Shinkansen. And first visited Okayama‘s Kōraku-en garden which is among the top 3 gardens in Japan. The three most famous gardens in Japan are considered to include Kenroku-en in Kanazawa, Kōraku-en in Okayama and Kairaku-en in Mito.

There are 3 ways to get from Okayama to Shikoku by train, bus, or car

There is no Shinkansen to go to Shikoku from Okayama . JR Shikoku express trains are fast and comfortable.

To go to Shikoku from Okayama one has to cross over The Great Seto Bridge or Seto Ohashi Bridge .

This is one of the three routes of the Honshū–Shikoku Bridge Project connecting Honshū and Shikoku islands. Crossing the bridge takes about 20 minutes by car or train. Before the bridge was built it took about an hour to cross by ferry.

The bridge is made of a series of double deck bridges connecting Okayama with Shikoku across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

Now I remembered that earlier once we had crossed over this the Seto Ohashi Bridge by bus just to take in the scenic view of the Seto Inland Sea. This was recommended by a friend on the train. The bus stops over at a view point and passengers are allowed to get down and enjoy the scene. We didn’t realise that one can go back from here by taking a returning bus. Not knowing where to get down we went all the way to Tokushima and than turned around.

This time we crossed over using high-speed rail line that connects Okayama on Honshu to Takamatsu on Shikoku via the Seto Ohashi Bridge. The train ride offers stunning views of the Seto Inland Sea.

We got down from the train at Kagawa station and settled down in our hotel.

On the first day I also attended the conference. At the conference lunch was very simple for us - Vegetable sandwich and an apple. Earlier I had heard that Shikoku is famous for Udon noodles . On inquiry with the staff one of them personally took both of us at a nice restaurant to enjoy these noodles. They were delicious.

Next day ladies group was taken out to visit famous sculptor Isamu Noguchi’s home and studio. Noguchi was born to a Japanese father  in USA and lived there most of the time.

Noguchi’s work was not well-known in the United States until 1940, when he completed a large-scale sculpture symbolizing the freedom of the press, which was commissioned in 1938 for the Associated Press Building in Rockefeller Center, New York City. Isamu Noguchi bas-relief sculpture on the facade of 50 Rockefeller Plaza. Red Cube at 140 Broadway (1968) is another famous sculpture by him locted at 140 Broadway, New York, NY's financial district.

Noguchi’s elongated rhomboid mass in painted red steel offers its viewer a subliminal tool to harmonize the man-made canyon surroundings.

In 1952, Noguchi acquired a property in Mure, which later became the site for his studio and workshop. He named the property “Mure-cho” after the town, and it became a place where he could work on various projects and explore his artistic ideas.

The Mure-cho property is now home to the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum in Japan, which was established in 1986. The museum showcases Noguchi’s sculptures, drawings, and other works, providing a space for visitors to appreciate the artist’s connection to Japan and the influence it had on his creative process.

The Sapporo Sculpture Garden within Moerenuma Park showcases several outdoor sculptures created by the renowned Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi. The park features open spaces, hills, and a variety of sculptures by Isamu Noguchi. We walked around looking at various sculptures that were spread all around.

The short stay in Kagawa was enjoyable.