One-Day Travel Itinerary: Tokushima to Takamatsu to Matsuyama

The day starts with oversleeping. I wake up at 5:30 AM to the alarm but fall back asleep, finally getting up at 7 AM. Plan A, which included a 6 AM morning hot spring, 6:30 AM breakfast, and a 7:30 AM checkout followed by heading to Naruto Station, is scrapped. Instead, I manage a quick 5-minute dip in the hot spring before joining breakfast. After checking out at 8 AM, I head to Naruto Station, joining students on their way to school. I arrive 50 minutes later than planned. I take a bus to the beach near the Onaruto Bridge. It’s been 10 years since I last visited Naruto for the Otsuka Museum of Art and the whirlpool boat ride. This time, I’m here to find the newly installed Pokémon manhole covers. I locate the manhole near the beach and take plenty of photos of the sea, as the weather is beautiful. Then, I take a bus to Kosoku Naruto Station, a stop for buses heading to Kobe. At this station, I collect a manhole card being distributed there. To make up for the 50-minute delay, I use a taxi to save time and successfully complete my plans in Naruto. Today, I meet a solo traveler from Kobe who joins me on the train from Tokushima Station to Naruto Station. While taking photos of the free footbath at Naruto Station, we make eye contact, and they greet me, mentioning they had seen me earlier at Tokushima Station. They also had noticed me because they were pulling a suitcase like mine. I take their photo at the footbath, and we board the bus together. They mention they’re heading to the Otsuka Museum of Art. I tell them I’ve been there before and that I’m heading to Takamatsu to photograph Pokémon manholes. I get off first, wave goodbye, and part ways. My travel schedule is fixed, so I can’t adjust the timing. Travel encounters end with the journey. They don’t continue. Occasionally, I might follow someone on Instagram, but that’s about it. Next, I head to Sanuki City. I collect the Sanuki City manhole card and take the Kotoden train to Kawaramachi Station in Takamatsu. The train gets as close as 5 meters to the sea at one point. It feels like riding over the ocean. This is a first for me in my 159 trips to Japan. It’s even closer to the sea than Shimomada Station, Kitahama Station, Kohe Station, or Baishinji Station. It’s not a station but a fleeting moment experienced from the train. In Takamatsu, I attend an afternoon tea session for the first time. Everything is perfect. The service is excellent. Afternoon tea at wedding halls is always satisfying. I then take a bus to Takamatsu Station and embark on a manhole tour featuring covers installed in Reiwa Year 3. I also recharge my Suica card for future trips and buy an octopus bento before boarding the Anpanman train to Matsuyama, where my Day 3 accommodation awaits. I check in at 9 PM. It’s raining. Hopefully, it will stop by morning. After two nights at hot spring hotels, tonight’s stay is at a hotel with a large public bath. I plan to either relax in the spa or go out for a stroll. It’s my last night. Thank you.