15: the shikoku sojourn!

4.25.22

Where does one get the best udon in Japan? Most Japanese say it’s Shikoku, an island made of four prefectures (Kagawa, Tokushima, Ehime, and Kochi) located below the “belly” of Japan. And yes, I can attest to this claim, as my mind was blown after experiencing a $3 plate of cold zaru-udon mixed with nori, grated ginger, lemon juice and grated daikon…not only was the dashi tsuyu (broth) packed with bonito umami flavor, but the chewiness of the noodles was perfected to the T.

But Shikoku was so much more than its udon fame. I only got to see 3 days worth of the island, yet, when back in Yakage, my face was sore from smiling and gaping so much at the depth and range of beauty I encountered on this trip. From a 900 year old cedar tree to wild inoshishi (forest boar) to sunset cloaked koi to homemade miso-glazed roasted mochi sticks…my appreciation continues growing for the range of Japan's natural treasures. And these treasures–they’re simple. They don’t need extra glam or shine to increase appeal or popularity. There was no light show around the tree…rather, there was just one battered sign explaining the tree’s age and dimensions. The night spent at my ryokan–there were no extra activities/embellishments/spas/performances in its offerings. It was just good food, good baths, and good sleep in a mountain inn surrounded by valleys pillowed with verdancy. But my oh my, I felt like royalty when waving goodbye. But perhaps this unpretending plainness is exactly what makes such places and foods luxuries. It's the fact that they are appreciated for what they are, not what we as people want them to be. It’s like the way no meal, even a 3-Michelin-star dish, will ever compare to my mom’s pumpkin soup that is the word “home.” Does this make sense?

Anyways, back to Shikoku. And instead of trying to recreate my trip in bombastic descriptions, I will again leave it to a good ol’ photo dump because as they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” or since I’ve already used this phrase in past posts… as I say, “a mediocre photo is probably way more interesting to figure out than skimming a chunky page of words.”

UDON GALLERY