Pilgrimage on Shikoku Island

{Shikoku Hachijūhachikasho Meguri}

--PLANNING--
--HOW TO GET THERE--

There are several ways to get to Shikoku, depending on where you are coming from. Here are my suggestions.

From Kansai International Airport
• You can take a bus directly from the airport to Tokushima Eki Mae ("In Front of Tokushima Station"), the bus station directly in front of the Tokushima JR train station in downtown Tokushima City.

Buses run fairly regulary, starting at 8:35 am, with the last bus leaving the airport at 8:20pm.
One way service costs ¥4,000.
Operated by the Kansai Airport Transportation Enterprise (KATE).
http://www.kate.co.jp/pc/time_table/naruto_tt.html

• If you want to spend the night in Ōsaka before heading to Tokushima, here is the schedule for the bus going from Ōsaka International Airport (KIX) to downtown Ōsaka. It departs from Boarding Area #5 and costs ¥1,300. You can take the JR West train for just a little less (if you take the Rapid Express and not the Limited Express) and trains run every 20 minutes. The Nankai line also has a service from the airport with two trains an hour and is by far the cheapest price, costing only ¥890 to Nanba Station.

From Ōsaka
• Take a JR Bus from either the Umeda Station or the Nanba Station.

In Umeda Station, look for, and follow, signs to Sakurabashiguchi. This is an area at the very back of the station. You'll actually go outside as the bus station is in it's own very small lot just behind the train station.
In Nanba Station, look for the bus center at the very back of the underground shopping area connected to the station.
There are over a dozen busses a day leaving from Umeda Station, but only three a day from Nanba Station.

• The bus will take you directly to Tokushima City, where the final stop will be at the Tokushima Bus Center directly in front of JR Tokushima Station.

• The trip costs ¥3,600 if you depart from Umeda Station and takes two and a half hours. After leaving Umeda, the first stop is at the Nanba Station, so from there it will take about 2 hours.

From Tōkyō
• Take the Bullet Train to the Shin-Ōsaka Station.

Bullet trains leave from Tōkyō Station.
Bullet trains are expensive and the trip will cost about ¥14,000, one-way.
It takes about 3 hours to get to Shin-Ōsaka.

• Transfer at the Shin-Ōsaka Station to a local JR train and go to Ōsaka Station in Umeda.

Trains leave every 10 minutes, or so.
The cost is ¥230.
It takes about 10 minutes.

• Then as from Ōsaka (above).

From Nagoya
• Take the Meitetsu train line from Chubu International Aiport to Nagoya Station (if necessary).

The train station is in the airport so you don't have to go out to find it.
The price in 2005 was ¥850.
The trip takes about 50 minutes.

• At Nagoya Station, transfer to the Kintetsu Line and go to Ōsaka-Nanba.

An Express train (Kyūkō) will take over three hours and costs ¥2,300.
A Special Express train (Tokkyū) will take 2 hours, but costs the original ¥2,300 plus an additional fee of ¥1,850. The advantage, however, is that all seats are reserved and you get an actual seat, instead of a bench seat along the side wall of the train that you share with all the other passengers. I.E., it is a much more comfortable ride.

• Then as from Ōsaka (above).

• You can also take a bus from Nagoya straight to Tokushima City. From a search online, it looks like Tokushima Bus and Meitetsu Bus provide this service. If you can cat-nap in public train stations and can sleep on a bus, an overnight bus is your cheapest option as it saves you from having to pay for lodging your first night in the country.

• Meitetsu Bus shows that they have one early morning bus (depart 8:40am) and one overnight bus (depart 11:00pm). The trip costs ¥6,600 one way. It takes just over 5 hours on the morning bus, but the overnight bus takes over 6 ½ hours. (http://www.meitetsu-highwaybus.com/net/ko-tokushima-j.html)

• Tokushima Bus service seems to mirror the Meitetsu Bus service. Since it departs from the Meitetsu Bus Center in Nagoya, i wonder if they share the same bus? (http://www.tokubus.co.jp/kousoku/untin_jikoku/nagoya.htm)

From Mt. Kōya
• Take the cable car back down the mountain to Gokurakubashi Station.
• Take the Nankai Train Line to Hashimoto Station.
• Transfer at Hashimoto to the JR Line and go to Wakayama City Station.
• Transfer in Wakayama City, if necessary, to another JR Train and go to Wakayama Port.

It costs ¥1,900 to go all the way from Mt. Kōya to Wakayama Port.
The trip should take about 2.5 hours, but depends on how long you have to wait each time you transfer.

• Take the Nankai Ferry from Wakayama Port to Tokushima Port.

The ferry terminal in Wakayama Port is right across from the train station.
The ferry costs ¥1,800.
The trip takes about 2 hours.
Wakayama-Tokushima Timetable (Last 2 columns)
Tokushima-Wakayama Timetable (Columns 2 and 3)

• Once in Tokushima Harbor, take a local bus to Tokushima City.

The bus stop is right in front of the ferry terminal building.
The bus costs ¥210 (I think. I forgot to write it down)
It takes about a half hour to get into the city center.
The bus will drop you off at the bus center directly in front of Tokushima Station.

• Note: For those henro wanting to go from Tokushima to Mt. Kōya at the end of their pilgrimage, Mak Harada (a Known Henro) shares this advice:
"As for the trip from Nankai ferry port to Kōyasan, I would say it's a toss up between Nankai Express via Nanba and JR via Wakayama. The latter is a few hundred yen cheaper. It's an incredibly bad connection between the ferry port and JR Wakayama Station, which tries your patience. It seems everyone (that is henro) finds out the best way is to take the bus to Nanba and then Nankai Railway to Kōyasan only after he tries the seemingly logical way by using the ferry."

There you go. To get back to Mt. Kōya, take the bus to Ōsaka and then the train from there.

Once you get to Tokushima City
Once you get to Tokushima CIty, if you need English help finding lodging, the henro michi, information about the local area (or the prefecure, for that matter), transportation, or anything else, stop by the offices of the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA). There is almost always someone there who speaks English during the week. During the weekend, it sounds like it is hit or miss, but definitely worth a try.

TOPIA offices are located on the 6th floor of the Clement Plaza building, the same building that serves as the JR Tokushima train station, and right next to the bus terminal. Once there, besides information, you'll find a library, internet access, a great place to just relax, and friendly people.

Clement Plaza, 6F
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi
Tokushima City 770-0831

Phone: 088-656-3303
FAX: 088-652-0616

Office Hours
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Monday - Sunday

e-mail: topia@fm.nmt.ne.jp
web: www.topia.ne.jp

From Tokushima City To Ryōzenji (Temple 1)
Once you are in Tokushima City, you have two options:

Take a local bus to the Ryōzenji Mae bus stop.
• The cost will be ¥390.
• Pay on the bus as you get off — you don't buy a ticket before boarding.
• The bus will leave from boarding area #6 at the Tokushima Bus Center.
• It takes about 45 minutes to get there.
• As the bus stop name implies, you will get off right in front of the temple.
Or, take the JR Train to Bandō Station
• The cost should be ¥260.
• It will take about 30 minutes to get there.
• From Bandō Station, it is about a 15 minute walk to Ryōzenji.

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