Sad you had a pretty so-so experience of the island.
It's probably one of the most beautiful places I know, but the island's tourism office is just so bad at promoting it. Or rather it's stuck in a Showa Era way of doing tourism (well, most Japanese tourists are too, so, I guess it still works).
For starters, yes, most of the hotels are near Angel Road (I'm curious about which one your hotel way, the cultish atmosphere intrigues me) because it is "the view" of the island (if you're there at the right time with the right tide) so everyone stays in and around Tonosho but truth is, the central (inland) and eastern parts of the island as well as the southern peninsula are the best parts. (basically Tonosho is the least interesting part, it's just where most people live)
The olive thing is annoying. As you notice, the entire island is "olive this" "olive that" but it's just a gimmick as olives are not actually part of the island's culture and history.
And at the same time, the island has some of the best somen and soy sauce in the country (I will die on the hill that it has the best soy sauce in the country) but that's not exotic enough for the tourism office. So both industries are struggling to survive.
The windmill and the Kiki gimmick (another gimmick): it's not about Ghibli's anime but because the recent live action remake was shot (and probably takes place?) on the island. There's also a famous current anime taking place on the island, and it has been attracting more and more tourists.
24 Eyes: I haven't read the book but the original movie is very good (of course, it's a 1950s Japanese movie, so it's very slow and contemplative). It's very touching and it's important because it's the first time a mainstream Japanese work of art dared to look at the war in the eyes.
The studio village is definitely worth a visit (I try to go every time I go to the island) because it's a very good reconstruction of early Showa Japan. Another thing that's almost never mentioned explicitely (because facts matter less than good feelings in Japan) is that the movie studio was built for the 1980s remake of the movie. In the 1950s there was no need to rebuild such buildings they were still all around the island. The school from the original movie was preserved, it's located a few hundred meters before the studio village.
So, yes, all in all, Shodoshima is really a stunning place, especially its nature and traditional culture, but the powers-that-be are terrible at promoting it, all they care about is squeezing as many yen as they can from tourists thanks to a bunch of stupid gimmicks.
If you have the opportunity, I advise you to walk the pilgrimage one day (probably not in summer), it takes about a week, and then you'll discover the true Shodoshima.
It was a good trip. Like you say, the scenery is beautiful! It would have been nice to go to the soy sauce factory and the studio village, but with a travel-sick kid, they were a bit far on the bus. The culty vibe at the hotel disappeared after a couple of days, but the first night was definitely creepy with us being the only people in the hotel. It was more like an AirBnB, with no permanent staff (they only came in to clean for about an hour a day).
It would be great to walk the pilgrimage trail one day (definitely not in summer!), the ferry from Kobe is really good value for money. It's definitely a place I'd like to revisit.
I recently spent two weeks on Shodashima and loved its calm vibe. But it was too hot to explore much and I mainly enjoyed hanging around the small village (Ikedakou), swimming, and going to the farmer’s market.
Perfect. I feel like I’m there, and I so want to stay in the abandoned hotel (just for one night mind you) sharing a tube of Chip Star.
Quick note. If Donald Ritchie ever wrote that he adventured thru the night with women, he was lying. They were young men, and the more street-urchin ilk the better.
Sad you had a pretty so-so experience of the island.
It's probably one of the most beautiful places I know, but the island's tourism office is just so bad at promoting it. Or rather it's stuck in a Showa Era way of doing tourism (well, most Japanese tourists are too, so, I guess it still works).
For starters, yes, most of the hotels are near Angel Road (I'm curious about which one your hotel way, the cultish atmosphere intrigues me) because it is "the view" of the island (if you're there at the right time with the right tide) so everyone stays in and around Tonosho but truth is, the central (inland) and eastern parts of the island as well as the southern peninsula are the best parts. (basically Tonosho is the least interesting part, it's just where most people live)
The olive thing is annoying. As you notice, the entire island is "olive this" "olive that" but it's just a gimmick as olives are not actually part of the island's culture and history.
And at the same time, the island has some of the best somen and soy sauce in the country (I will die on the hill that it has the best soy sauce in the country) but that's not exotic enough for the tourism office. So both industries are struggling to survive.
The windmill and the Kiki gimmick (another gimmick): it's not about Ghibli's anime but because the recent live action remake was shot (and probably takes place?) on the island. There's also a famous current anime taking place on the island, and it has been attracting more and more tourists.
24 Eyes: I haven't read the book but the original movie is very good (of course, it's a 1950s Japanese movie, so it's very slow and contemplative). It's very touching and it's important because it's the first time a mainstream Japanese work of art dared to look at the war in the eyes.
The studio village is definitely worth a visit (I try to go every time I go to the island) because it's a very good reconstruction of early Showa Japan. Another thing that's almost never mentioned explicitely (because facts matter less than good feelings in Japan) is that the movie studio was built for the 1980s remake of the movie. In the 1950s there was no need to rebuild such buildings they were still all around the island. The school from the original movie was preserved, it's located a few hundred meters before the studio village.
So, yes, all in all, Shodoshima is really a stunning place, especially its nature and traditional culture, but the powers-that-be are terrible at promoting it, all they care about is squeezing as many yen as they can from tourists thanks to a bunch of stupid gimmicks.
If you have the opportunity, I advise you to walk the pilgrimage one day (probably not in summer), it takes about a week, and then you'll discover the true Shodoshima.
It was a good trip. Like you say, the scenery is beautiful! It would have been nice to go to the soy sauce factory and the studio village, but with a travel-sick kid, they were a bit far on the bus. The culty vibe at the hotel disappeared after a couple of days, but the first night was definitely creepy with us being the only people in the hotel. It was more like an AirBnB, with no permanent staff (they only came in to clean for about an hour a day).
It would be great to walk the pilgrimage trail one day (definitely not in summer!), the ferry from Kobe is really good value for money. It's definitely a place I'd like to revisit.
Interesting. How long would it take for pilgrimage ? Steep descends?
Indeed, the movie version of Twenty-four Eyes is very good. Poetic and sad, and a scathing anti-war statement.
Sorry for a bit of self-advertising, but here's a link to my four-part report on Shodoshima (mainly connected to shoyu production). https://giannisimone.substack.com/p/1-adventures-in-shodoshima
I recently spent two weeks on Shodashima and loved its calm vibe. But it was too hot to explore much and I mainly enjoyed hanging around the small village (Ikedakou), swimming, and going to the farmer’s market.
Lovely photos and very entertaining!
Perfect. I feel like I’m there, and I so want to stay in the abandoned hotel (just for one night mind you) sharing a tube of Chip Star.
Quick note. If Donald Ritchie ever wrote that he adventured thru the night with women, he was lying. They were young men, and the more street-urchin ilk the better.
Interesting... That explains all the looking at young men's belts on trains that he does!