!!! Visa Mastercard ATM issue : see Money
 !!! Yen rate, see  Budget !!!

Accomodation,food,money,communications,train,health
!! Miyazaki's maps adapted in English (David Moreton, Naoyuki Matsushita) !!

$


You can order it from David Moreton (Japan, 1600¥, port 600¥) or David Turkington (USA, 11$, port 14.24$ to Europe, 12.13$ to Canada) through Paypal secure credit card payment.
David Moreton (Japan)
David Turkington (USA)


guide

Accomodation's telephone numbers directly on the map, in purple.
Book and maps include English (purple) and Japanese (green) names of accomodations and other sites, so you can ask your way showing the book to japanese people.

The information of these maps comes from the Japanese Tateki MIYAZAKI's (宮崎　建樹) classic map book:
"Shikoku henro hitori aruki dougyou ninin"  ”四国遍路一人歩き同行二人

aruki   text


CAUTION!
Everywhere in Japan, and in all types of accomodation, the price is per person, whatever the number of occupants of the room. One person 4000 yens, 2 people 8000 yens, 3 people 12000 yens, etc... for the same room! Sometimes a light reduction, it would be perhaps 10000 or 11000 yens for three. No interest to share a room, from the financial point of view. Lodgers seldom proposes to gaijins (foreign) to share a room with others henros.

Various types of accomodation

1.  旅 館　(りょ かん)　Ryokan = traditional Japanese inn with tatami rooms, futons, bath, evening meal and breakfast included. The addresses of the book are about 6500 yens for room, bath and 2 meals, and the difference between ryokan and minshuku is not always obvious at the bottom of Shikoku. Japanese unisex bath "ofuro" or with schedule by sex and WC at the end of the corridor are the rule if the price is low.

2.  民宿　(みんしゅく)　 Minshuku = family inn, but ryokan-like. You make your futon yourself and arrange it the morning. Price sometimes a little lower than the ryokan, around 6000 yens for room, bath and 2 meals. Japanese bath ' ofuro "with schedule for each sex and WC at the end of the corridor.
In the ryokans and minshukus, it is sometimes possible to have the room without meal cheaper, but it is not the rule.

3.　宿 坊　(しゅ くぼう) Shukubou = temple accomodation. like the minshuku, but in a temple. Early wake-up for prayer (not compulsory). Certain temples have officially a shukubou, they are in the directory or on the website below. Others can sometimes give you an accomodation if you got trouble, but don't count on it.
You will find the list of temples with shukubous on the following Japanese site:  Temples with shukubou

4. ビジネ ス　ホテル　Business hotel = a kind of cheap hotel like "Etap hotel" or "Formule 1" in Europe, mostly near of the station, sometimes along the roads. Single ou double with shower and WC between 4000 and 7000 yens, without meals. Tobacco's odor is the rule. Some have western beds, other are with tatami and futons.

5.　Free pilgrim accomodation

An essential website for free or cheap accomodations along the 88 temple's Way: Henro revisited (88again.weebly)

Tsuyado  通夜堂  in the temples
Zenkonyado 善根宿 or Zenninyado 善人宿 = free acccomodations for walking pilgrims.
Often rustic, sometimes simple open-air huts Henrokoya  遍路小屋.

キャンプ場　Kyanpu-jo = Not a lot of well organized camping sites.

 FREESTANDING tent(= stands without stakes) : you can setup the tent in small shrine's corners, inside open huts or houses or near Michi-no-Eki, on concrete floors, ...  or even outside with stakes!

tent  k  t

Other accomodations:

 6. ホ テル　Hotel = as in Europe, but find out how much is the price at the reservation. Often more expensive, but if they are in the directory, they are either cheap, or they have budget rooms for aruki henros (walkers).


 7. 国 民宿舎　(こくみんしゅくしゃ) Kokuminshukusha = state ryokan, cheap and often well situated (only 4 in Shikoku).

 8. ユ-ス ホステル　Yusu hosuteru = Youth hostel, no age limit, also without youth hostel card. Unisex 6 persons dormitory. Family rooms for couples.　About 3200 per bed without meal.



             *********************************
Choose an accomodation and book it!
You can book in advance , but also on the same day.
Please, call to book! It's not the done thing in Japan to arrive without reservation (call, even if it is from the nearest callbox), excepted for business hotels, where they have no meals to prepare. If you come without booking, you risk a refusal like "it's day off!", even if you see a lot of people behind! He will not say No! He isn't mocking you. It is  the Japanese courtesy, nobody will lose face: everybody knows it is not true, but it is the devoted formula when he does not want to take you. It is absolutely useless to insist, he will not reconsider his decision!

Small japanese hotel keepers are afraid not to know what to do with strangers if they don't eat japanese food, don't know how to use japanese bath, or speak loudly in the paper-walled rooms. So sometimes they prefer to refuse them, but if you speak a little japanese, or if you are a henro (more: a aruki henro), all doors are open!

 If  you don't speak japanese, ask a henro or your lodger to book for you.
Show him the next charts:
予約 する
できますか		 Yoyaku suru dekimasu ka? Can you book?
すみません が
予約　して
くれませんか		 Sumimasen ga, yoyaku shite
kuremasen ka?		 Excuse me please, but couldn't you book
 a room for me?
明日 Ashita (prononcez "achta") Tomorrow
あさって Assatte (prononcez asat'té) The day after tomorrow
一人です Hitori desu 1 person
二人です Futari desu 2 persons
三人です San nin desu 3 persons
いくらです　か Ikura desu ka How much is it?
一泊ですか
-----------
素泊りですか		 Ip'paku desu ka
----------------
Sudomari desu ka		 One night ?
--------------------
Room only?
二食付きですか Nishoku tsuki desu ka With 2 meals?

Jours de la semaine
Monday 月曜日　げつようび　    getsu youbi
Tuesday 火曜日　かようび　      ka youbi
Wednesday 水曜日　すいようび      sui youbi
Thursday 木曜日　もくようび      moku youbi
Friday 金曜日　きにょうび      kin youbi
Saturday 土曜日　どようび　      do youbi
Sunday 日曜日　にちようび　    nichi youbi

Days of the month, the first ten in japanese, then in chinese, excepted for 14, 20 et 24.
 (Caution! mikka et muika, yokka et youka, can be a source of mistake if the pronunciation is bad!)
1 一日 tsuitachi (ou ichijitsu) 17 十七日 jû shichi nichi
2 二日 futsuka 18 十八日 jū hachi nichi
3 三日 mik'ka  ! 19 十九日 jū ku nichi
4 四日 yok'ka  ! 20 二十日 hatsuka (ou nijūnichi)
5 五日 itsuka 21 二十一日 ni jū ichi nichi
6 六日 muika   ! 22 二十二日 ni jû ni nichi
7 七日 nanoka, nanuka 23 二十三日 ni jū san nichi
8 八日 youka   ! 24 二十四日 ni jū yok'ka
9 九日 kokonoka, kokonuka 25 二十五日 ni jū go nichi
10 十日 touka 26 二十六日 ni jū roku nichi
11 十二日 jū ichi nichi 27 二十七日 ni jū shichi nichi
12 十二日 jū ni nichi 28 二十八日 ni jū hachi nichi
13 十三日 jū san nichi 29 二十九日 ni jū ku nichi
14 十四日 jū yok'ka 30 三十日 san jū nichi
15 十五日 jū go nichi 31 三十一日 san jū ichi nichi
16 十六日 jū roku nichi

Japanese hotels count "1 night, 2 days" if you arrive in the evening and leave in the morning.
It could mean half-board in the ryokan and minshuku, but you can hear that also in business hotels where there is no food. No worries, you will not pay for 2 days!
一泊　二日
 Ip'paku Futsuka 1 night, 2 days
二泊　三日 Nihaku Mik'ka 2 nights, 3 days
三泊　四日 Sanpaku Yok'ka 3 nights, 4 days


Arriving at the accomodation

The Japaneses live from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., especially in the countryside. You'll have to leave early in the morning to arrive imperatively at the stage before 5 p.m. An arrival after 5 p.m. disturbs the hotel keeper, because it is necessary that you take your bath before the meal which will be at 6 p.m., but sometimes at 17h30.

Remove your shoes at the entrance, place them in the rays, and go up then on the wooden part with the provided slippers. If there is nobody, call: "Gomen kudasai!".
genkan  couloir  heya


The front clerk will take you to your room: remove the slippers before stepping on the tatami, where you can walk only barefoot or with socks. You will find a plate with a cloth, a towel and often a yukata, kind of kimono-pyjamas to go around in the hotel, to go to the bath or even to eat and walk in the street (but nowadays that's really naff!). See if there are others doing that before going out of the hotel with it. If the weather is cold, there will be also a tanzen, waistcoat to be crossed over.

The hour of the bath will be then strongly indicated to you. "Ofuro?" "Ofuro wa goji desu" the bath is at 5 a.m.! In the minshukus and small ryokans, men and women have separated schedules in the same bath, therefore it is imperative that you take the bath at the appointed time (He has perhaps just created a time crenel especially so that the foreigner is alone in the bath). Caution, the bathroom is not always accessible the morning, and in any event, there will be only cold water.

Batrh  ゆ  ゆ   Men 男 おとこ  Women 女onna

At first you enter a room where you put all your clothes out, and put them in baskets or raks. Then you enter the ofuro room, with your towel hiding your sex if there are other people in the bath. On one side are faucets or showers. Sit on a lilliputian stool and wash yourself facing the faucets.

furo1  furo2

When you are cleaned and rinsed, you can go in the hot bath, alone or with others. No soap in the bath! It will be very warm (40 - 42 degrés C, 104 - 107 F). Very relaxing after a walking day. If you are alone, don't empty the bath out when you're getting out.

 In ryokans, the meal will be perhaps served in your room during your bath, or they will bring it later. But in most cases on the Shikoku trail, you'll eat with the other henros. When you'll return to your room, the futon will be ready.

In minshukus, small ryokans and business hotels you install the futon yourself, and put it back in the cupboard oshiire 押し入れ　(おしいれ). You will find in the cupboard or in the middle of the room: matress, over-matress, quilt and pillow. The sheet you found in the room is a bottom sheet..

fut


In the toilets, you'll have to put on special toilet slippers, often written トイ レ. Shame if you go out of the toilet with it!
　
Toilets Toïle トイ レ
Toilets ("hand + wash") oTearai お手 洗い
Rest rooms Benjo 便所

On the japanese style WC, stand over the toilet stool facing the side with the hood (facing the tap), as you will drive a scooter!
t

                *******************************

Food
No problem, there is food everywhere. If you eat dinner and breakfast at the ryokan, you don't need to carry a lot of food in your rucksack: there are small restaurants which give udon うどん,　ramen ラメン, or sobas そば　bowls for 400 to 700 yens.

In Japan, if there is a menu (Teishoku　定食　てししょく) or a set　(セット), what has been decided will not change! Don't try to have rice instead of soba or shrimps instead of fish, you will be exhausted before he changes something.
There are a lot of konbini (convenience store) in the villages to buy your picnic. 7-Eleven, K-Circle, AmPm, Lawson, etc...
711 k k am l d f  

Beverages
             
There are vending machines everywhere, even on the countryside, so you have not to carry a lot of water in your rucksack. You'll find coffee コー ヒー cans, cold 冷たい　(つめたい)　or warm　暖かい　(あたたかい)　and sweat drinks to offset the losses from sweating, useful in summer: Pocari Sweat, Aquarius, Dakara. 120 ¥ per can.
jido
Lessive

 In most of the housing you can do your laundry. Japanese washing machines wash with cold water.
Dryers are generally very weak, thus you can dry more fragile linen that at home.
洗濯 する　できます か. Sentaku suru dekimasu ka ? Can I do my laundry ?
洗濯機　が　あります か. Sentakuki ga arimasu ka ? Have you a washing machine?
洗剤　が　あります か. Senzai ga arimasu ka ? Have you some washing powder?
乾燥機　が　あります か. Kansouki ga arimasu ka ? Have you a dryer?

 ****************************
Money
In Japan, people pay all in cash, it is then necessary to carry sums you would not carry in Europe or in the States, but the country is very safe. On the other hand, it is almost impossible to withdraw money in the banks in Shikoku out of the big cities, and the ATM don't take foreign credit cards, therefore read the Money page attentively:
Money

Budget
Budget
Communications
Telephone

Look at the telephone page (french):
Telephone in Japan

 Internet and WIFI

 Do not forget to deactivate the data roaming on your mobile!
( 15,50 euros / Mb, yes MEGAbyte, not Giga!! 100 Mb = 1550€, 1 Giga 15500€!!)

Wifi comes slowly in Shikoku. You will see WiFi panels(signs) (Softbank especially) but they are for their subscribers.
In Shikoku free WiFi points are rare, and always in town, McDo, restaurants, bars. 
Wifi Hotspots in Japan Map

Hotels and business hotels are hardwired  and you will find a LAN socket (Ethernet RJ45) on the wall or at the bottom of the TV modem.

wd  wm c

If you have a laptop computer, take simply an Ethernet RJ45 cable.
If you have a tablet or a smartphone, you need a WIFI router to connect on the LAN socket.
Ask the lobby or buy a TP-Link  nanorouter to create your own WIFI transmitter.
w1  w2


Train, bus

to take the train or the bus, look at the train page
How to take train and bus

Notice: there is a new train line between Nahari and Kochi, often not yet on the maps
Tosa Kuroshio line


 Car rental
You need "International driving permit" to rent a car in Japan.

Caution, French, Swiss, German (and some other) driving licence are not accepted. Look in the french page of this site if you are concerned.

For other countries, ask the japanese embassy before departure to be sure!

Information Rentaca-   (no return website, type my address again)
After that, it's easy to rent a car, even for 6 hours in stations (Ekiren), or  Nipponrentacar offices and others.

Health
The cost of medicine in Japan is about the same than in the US, so you must have a very good insurance and assistance.

In case of emergency:
Ambulance (kyukyusha  救急車　きゅきゅしゃ):　119

There are pharmacies everywhere.
Caution! Some medicines are forbidden in Japan, even with a prescription! Codeine, ephedrine for exemple, that you can perhaps buy freely at the drugstore at home are considered as drugs in Japan. Don't go in jail for a cold!
*********************************
c
home