第十六話Experience Vol.16

From Tokyo to Izumo: A Pilgrimage to the Land of The Shaman King

The Journey Begins…

People from all over the world visit Japan for many different reasons.Some love the food culture and dream of eating sushi and tempura in the country that made it famous.Others love the beautiful scenery that can be viewed during each of Japan’s majestic four seasons.While still others love the pop culture that finds its mecca in the Harajuku and Shibuya areas of Tokyo.However, I think there are many others like me, who fall in love with Japan through anime and manga.We dream of one day experiencing the Japan that up until now, we have only seen in words and pictures.I came to Japan this time with one purpose—of seeing and experiencing Izumo, the hometown of my favorite manga hero, Yoh Asakura from the manga The Shaman King.

My pilgrimage to the holy land of The Shaman King would begin with my arrival at Tokyo International Airport, and end in Izumo, a small town nestled between towering mountains and the beautiful sea in Shimane Prefecture in western Japan.Izumo is most famous for its historic Izumo Taisha, a shrine sacred to Japan’s Shinto religion which welcomes millions of visitors every year from both home and abroad.While visiting Izumo Taisha was definitely in my plans, I was most excited to visit Izumo, because it is where I would find the Izumo Cultural Heritage Museum, which was used as the model for Yoh Asakura’s home.I couldn’t wait to begin my adventure.

Off Tokyo Station

After arriving at the 2nd floor lobby in Terminal 3, the international terminal at Tokyo Haneda International Airport , I bought a ticket for the bus headed for Tokyo Station.The bus terminal is located on the 1st floor of the terminal.There are several train line services into the city, but the highway bus is possibly the most convenient from those with a lot of luggage, as it can be loaded into the bus, which heads directly to Tokyo Station. Each passenger, however, is limited to two suitcases, so if you have more luggage that you may want to think of another option.The trip, which takes about an hour, is quite comfortable.Japanese buses have a nice amount of leg room and comfortable seats, so for those traveling to Tokyo Station it is both comfortable and economical.A one-way regular ticket costs 1000 yen for adults and 500 yen for kids under 12.There are no reserved seats. The tickets can be bought from a machine near the bus departure area.

The bus arrived at the Yaesuguchi Exit at Tokyo Station, where I would board the famous Shinkansen Nozomi bullet train, which would take me to Okayama—one step closer to the home of the Shaman King!Tokyo Station is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful works of architecture in the city of Tokyo.I visited the famous square outside the Marunouchi exit at Tokyo Station and took some great pictures of the famous red brick station.

I had some time to kill before my train departed, so I visited a gacha gacha shop.I bet you are wondering, what is a gacha gacha shop??Well, do you remember those machines when you were a kid where you could put some coins in a get a toy or candy inside a plastic pod?Half of the excitement was not knowing what you were going to get until it rolled out of the machine and you opened the pod. Well, Japan has taken this childhood pastime to a new level.You can get practically anything in a gacha gacha, including figurines of your favorite anime characters, sea animals, or any other collectable you can think of.There were hundreds of machines in this shop, and I got my bread-loving friend a bread character gacha gacha.After leaving with my gacha gacha, I strolled around Tokyo Station, enjoying the new sites and smells in this unique station.I found a scone shop that had the best scones I had ever eaten.While most people think of rice when they think of Japan, Japan has some of the best bread and pastries that I have ever eaten in my life.Make sure you check out a Japanese bakery while you are here!

Tokyo Station is massive, so you may think it would be hard to find your way around, but there are many signs in English pointing you where to go.If you are headed west from Tokyo, look for signs for the Tokaido Sanyo Shinkansen.

I bought a one-way Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo Station to Okayama Station for 17,570 yen.The Shinkansen entrance is located at the Yaesukita (North) Exit.If the weather is clear, you can see Mt.Fuji on the way to Okayama, so I highly recommend purchasing an E window seat on the right side of the Nozomi train.Luckily for me, the weather was relatively clear so I had a great view of the majestic mountain—although there were a few clouds obstructing my perfect view.You will pass Mt. Fuji about 30 minutes after leaving Tokyo Station, so make sure not to fall asleep and miss it!

You can purchase various kinds of tickets for the Shinkansen.There are both reserved and non-reserved seats.Many people purchase the non-reserved seats, because it gives them more flexibility on departure time and are slightly cheaper, but if you want the security of having a seat, especially the Fuji seat, I recommend the reserved seat tickets.These are best if you know exactly what time you want to depart.Of course, even with reserved seats you can always take a different train if it is the same price, but you may not be guaranteed a seat.

Those visiting Japan may also want to consider the Japan Rail Pass, which allows you unlimited rides on most train lines for a designated period of time.You can choose from a 7-day pass, a 14-day pass and a 21-day pass.You can also choose between the reserved Green Seats and a free seating pass.The prices will vary based on the type of Japan Rail Pass that you choose.Use of the pass is limited to foreign visitors entering Japan on a short-term tourist visa, and to Japanese citizens living abroad long term.Although the Japan Rail Pass is very convenient, users are not allowed to ride the Nozomi or Mizuho Shinkansen trains unless they pay an additional fee.

Before departing Tokyo Station, I bought the famous ekiben to eat on my way to Okayama.Ekiben is a word formed from the Japanese words eki (train station) and ben (bento or boxed lunch).There is a tremendous variety of these balanced boxed lunches, which often feature local meat, fish or vegetable specialties.While eating on local trains is generally frowned upon in Japan, eating on the Shinkansen is not only perfectly acceptable but also a source of great excitement for many people.

All of the ekiben looked so amazing that honestly it was hard to choose just one.So I chose two! I got a chicken and vegetable ekiben and a seafood ekiben.Armed with way too much food, I found my way to the platform to wait for my train.There are trains headed in all directions, so make sure that you get on the right train at the right platform.The train signboards at Tokyo Station are also displayed in English.

The Shinkansen and Majestic Mt. Fuji

The ride from Tokyo Station to Okayama Station was about three and a half hours.Shinkansen trains have both wifi and outlets to charge your devices, but many times the outlets are on the window side, so this is another reason to try to book the window seat.

I nestled into my comfy window seat, charged my phone, and dug into my delicious ekiben.Luckily, I was able to get a great glimpse of Mt. Fuji out of my window about 30 minutes into the trip, and it was just as beautiful as I had imagined it would be. Both the food and the view were spectacular.

Okayama—Home of the Peach Boy

After arriving at Okayama, there were two things that I really wanted to do before boarding my next train for Izumo.I wanted to check out the omiyage shops in Okayama Station, and I wanted to take some selfies in front of the famous Momotaro statue located outside the station.

Do you know the story of Momotaro?It is a famous Japanese folk tale about a boy born from a peach who goes on a journey to fight demons.Along the way, he makes friends with various animals, and he shares his kibidango, or glutinous rice cakes with them.This story is loved by children and adults all over Japan, and the city of Okayama abounds with Momotaro-themed souvenirs, and his name can be found on The Momotaro Tourist Information Center.I found my way to the iconic statue and took a load of selfies before heading to the omiyage shops to buy some sweets made famous by Momotaro.

Omiyage is the Japanese word for “gift” or “souvenir,” and it is a Japanese custom to buy omiyage for friends and co-workers when you take a trip.Sweets and snacks are the most popular omiyage choices.The most popular item in Okayama is the kibidango, made famous through the folk tale of Momotaro.There are a lot of nice shops in the station where you can buy omiyage.So, I bought a couple of small boxes of kibidango to snack on during my trip to Izumo.They come in various flavors, so be sure to try them all!

The express train from Okayama to Izumo is called the Tokkyu Yakumo, and those who want to transfer directly from the Shinkansen will find that it is very easy to do so (although I highly recommend buying some kibidango first!)The three-hour ride from Okayama to Izumo offers majestic views of the mountains and rivers of the Chugoku area of Japan, including the breathtaking Shinji Lake located in Shimane Prefecture.A one-way reserved ticket for an adult costs 6820 yen.

After an incredibly relaxing three-hour ride during which I took in the beautiful scenery and filled my tummy with kibidango, I finally arrived in Izumo city, the home of Yoh Asakura!I couldn’t believe that I was finally here, but it was actually from here that the main part of the adventure would begin!

In Izumo: The Home of Yoh Asakura

I was just a few kilometers away from my destination of the Izumo Cultural Heritage Museum.But what was the best way to get there?After some research, I discovered that I could rent a bicycle at the Dentetsu Izumo City Station and take it on a local train called the Bataden to the closest stop to museum, Hamayama Koen Kitaguchi (Hamayama Park North Exit).The one-way fee to Hamayama Koen Kitaguchi Station was 450 yen, plus an additional fee of 320 yen to take the bike on the train.

Cycling to the museum sounded way more fun than taking a bus or a taxi, so I decided to try it out. The electric cycle rentals were 830yen per person per day.The best thing was, the cycles didn’t have to be returned to the same station, but could be returned at the Izumo Taisha Station, which was my final destination in Izumo.In order to do this, you have to tell the staff at the time of rental and pay an additional fee of 1040 yen.

I rented the bike and hurried to the station.Because my train from Okayama was delayed a bit, I only had a few minutes to make my train.The staff at the station was incredibly helpful in getting the bike into the elevator and up to the 2nd floor where the platforms were located.Luckily, I was able to make the train with two minutes to spare!The first train car where I boarded had an open space for bicycles.But because the bikes are electric, they are quite heavy and it was challenging getting them on the crowded train without bumping into those around me.However, the train conductor helped me to secure the bike with a harness, and when we arrived at our station, the conductor also helped me get the bike off the train.The Bataden train is a small local train, so the stations are unmanned.Make sure that you give your ticket to the conductor or place it in the ticket box before you get off the train.

It was a nice day, the terrain was flat, and it was only about a 20-30 minute ride.The ride from the train station to the museum was awesome!It wasn’t too cold, and the scenery was fantastic.To be honest, it was the first time in my life to use an electric bike and it made pedaling a piece of cake.There were a couple times I felt like the bike was taking off without me, so it took a little getting used to it, but that was part of the adventure.

The Sacred Site of The Shaman King

And after a 20-minute ride…I finally arrived at my destination!!The home of Yoh Asakura!!The Izumo Cultural Heritage Museum was just as I had imagined, as it had been depicted in the manga.I first checked out a small room that looked like a museum to Yoh Asakura.There were all kinds of items from the manga there--posters, figures, badges, etc.After that, I took some pictures at the entrance of the museum.I re-enacted many of my favorite scenes from the manga, posing in the same way Yoh Asakura did in the same locations.This place is the dream of any Shaman King fan, so I wasn’t going to let these awesome photo opportunities slip by!

Then I visited the Izumo Yashiki, a huge tatami room in the center on the complex with a gorgeous view into the beautiful Japanese garden.Here, I took some time to relax and reflect on how cool this place really was.The wide-open spaces of the tatami room, and the intricately designed garden calmed my spirit and soul.It is easy to understand why the creator of The Shaman King, Hiroyuki Takei, made this the birthplace of Yoh Asakura.

My original plan was to ride the bike to the museum, which was about a 10-minute ride away.Then, I would return to the same station and take the bike on the Bataden train again for the short ride to Izumo Taisha Mae Station.However, because they bikes were so heavy and the trains were crowded with tourists, I decided instead to ride the bike to Izumo Taisha from the Izumo Cultural Heritage Museum.

As I cycled out of the cultural center on my way to Izumo Taisha, I was so thankful that I got to make this journey.But my adventure wasn’t finished yet!I was off in search of some spots on the Izumo Taisha sando, or worship route, that appeared in The Shaman King manga series.

Final Stop: Izumo Taisha

The 20-minute ride to Izumo Taisha was just as nice as the one to the cultural center.Of course, I used Google Maps to get me there, but the roads are also clearly marked with signs to Izumo Taisha in English.After arriving at the Izumo Taisha Station, I returned my rental bicycle and resumed my journey on foot.

First, I entered the station in search of a scene from The Shaman King—and I found it!I reenacted the scene, taking a picture on the bench on the platform in front of the soon departing train.It was so cool to see with my own eyes something that I had up to now only seen in the pages of the manga.

Continuing my Shaman King pilgrimage, I searched for a restaurant that appeared in the manga, but after inquiring at the Tourist Information Center, I was told that it no longer exists.Ah, too bad.But I realized that life is always moving forward, and although sometimes I wish time would stand still and be frozen forever in the pages of a manga, change is the only thing that is certain.Not to be discouraged, I took pictures reenacting various scenes from The Shaman King, including several in front of the Izumo Taisha Station, and different shots all around the sando worship route leading up to the entrance to the shrine.I ended my day taking a memorable shot in front of the huge torii gate in front of Izumo Taisha.

Reflections on my Shaman King pilgrimage

It was here at Izumo Taisha that my pilgrimage came to an end.I was filled with both sadness at my trip being over, and gratitude that I got to see all that I wanted to see.The Shaman King is a manga loved by people all over the world--including me.The Izumo Cultural Heritage Museum was my destination, but the entire journeyfrom Tokyo Haneda International Airport was part of my pilgrimage.It was a long journey, but I enjoyed every step of it.Through it I was able to connect with not only my hero Yoh Asakura, but also with the hospitable people of Japan.As I reflected on my trip, I realized that I not only came close to Yoh Asakura, but also to the heart of Japan.I hope that you can one day have the same amazing experience that I did.

Here are a few tips for your trip:

•Try to bring as little luggage on your pilgrimage as possible.If you are staying in a hotel, you can leave your big luggage there, or you can use coin-operated lockers located in the various stations to store big items.The cycling trip is most comfortable if made with only a backpack.
•Make sure to charge all your devices before you leave and take advantage of the outlets located on the Shinkansen train.A portable charger is also recommended.My phone died at the end of my pilgrimage, and I had to take a break at a local Starbucks to charge my phone before I could continue.
•Izumo is usually colder than Tokyo, so if you travel in winter make sure to dress warmly.Also, since you will be cycling, wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
•Be sure to try all the local specialties in Izumo, especially the soba noodles!
•Most of all, coming with an open mind and a flexible schedule will help you to fully experience and enjoy all the wonderful things that Izumo has to offer.