【下灘駅】Matsuyama Castle, Dogo Onsen, Shimonada Station📸 film diary | ehime, japan travel vlog

#14 September 2019.
Even though I already do most things alone, every year, I make an effort to try to go on at least one solo trip by myself to somewhere new, one that's not a day trip.
This month, during the long weekend, I decided to visit Ehime (愛媛), Shikoku (四国)!
I stayed in Matsuyama (松山) for 2 nights and did a day trip to Ozu (大洲).
I also wanted to go to Aoshima, also known as Cat Island but the boats to the island were cancelled.
Understandably, since despite the typhoon warnings for the weekend, instead of cancelling, I still decided to go on this trip anyway and I was lucky, it didn't effect me too much.
I mean it was rather peaceful and serene, since the places I visited were mostly empty, and the trains were less frequent but that just meant I had more time to wander these new cities.
It was truly a healing trip, that I needed.
The highlight of my trip was definitely the train ride to Ozu.
I originally wanted to book the Iyonada Monogatari sightseeing train for this famous scenic route of the Seto Inland Sea, but I left planning it all too late and it didn't happen.
I also accidentally took the local train to Ozu instead of the express train and I was pleasantly surprised.
It was the most scenic train that I'd ever taken and I don't mind long train rides, it's actually one of my favourite things to do.
Listening to music during long train rides is the calm to my chaotic mind.

I think about this train ride a lot, words couldn't describe how I felt in that train, until I realized today that a lot of people have said that the iconic train ride scene in 'Spirited Away' was inspired by this route. Frankly, it all makes sense now. Instead of me trying to inadequately describe it using my words, I'll just let Hayao Miyazaki encapsulate it for me.
It also explains why when I went to Shimonada Station, there was someone dressed up as kaonashi (no-face), whom I got to take a picture with, I was very happy.
I'm baffled by myself, to be honestly, Spirited Away is one of my favourite Studio Ghibli films and I love kaonoashi the most, how did I not know any of these things but it were all pleasant discoveries.

❀ Visited ❀
⊳ Dōgo Onsen (道後温泉)
It was sadly under renovation, I picked . . the perfect time to travel here, right? I just wanted to say though, I basically. . decided this entire trip to Ehime because of this onsen, I knew that it was the inspiration for the bathhouse in Spirited Away . . and as I mentioned, it's one of my favourite films. . alas.
⊳ Matsuyama Castle (松山城)
⊳ Okaido Shopping Street (大街道)
⊳ Garyū Sansō Villa (臥龍山荘)
⊳ Shimonada Station (下灘駅)

⊹ Food ⊹
⇢ 瀬戸内料理 金兵衛
⇢ 中華料理 台北 (Chinese restaurant)
⇢ 悠茶 (Bubble Tea Shop;   / youcha.matsuyama  )
⇢ 下灘珈琲 (Shimonada Coffee)
⇢ 喫茶 だいちゃん

✿ INSTAGRAM ✿
  / zn.y  

♪ MUSIC ♪
► Falling - Opia (Wheatan remix)
  / opia-falling  
► the girl i have a crush on - frad
  / the-girl-i-have-a-crush-on  
► im trying to find myself - dybredly

#jetprogram #lifeinjapan