道の駅
The place
Michi-no-Eki ("Roadside Station") in Kōchi Prefecture, Sukumo/Kuroshio sector (South Pacific coast of Shikoku, Shikoku Island, Japan), at 13 m elevation, Pacific coastline. Continuous Japan Shikoku cluster (batches 260-401). A government-run michi-no-eki roadside station where overnight stays are permitted (1,200+ Michi-no-Eki stations across Japan since their creation by MLIT in 1993 + Shikoku's Ohenro pilgrimage, 88 temples, 1,200 km, 1,200 years old + Kōbō Daishi Kūkai 774-835, iconic founder of Shingon Buddhism + Kōchi, population 320,000, Kōchi Castle 1611 + Sukumo, population 20,000, Ashizuri Peninsula + heritage of the Japanese people of Shikoku (Japanese people, 125 M, Japanese language + Ainu of Hokkaidō, 20,000, endangered Ainu language isolate + iconic Pacific bonito (katsuo) fishing heritage + iconic katsuo tataki grilled sashimi cuisine, Kōchi's signature dish + Sakamoto Ryōma 1836-1867, Tosa samurai, iconic figure of the Meiji Restoration + iconic Meiji Ishin heritage, 3 January 1868, end of the Tokugawa shogunate and modernization + iconic Hiroshima heritage, 6 August 1945, 140,000 dead + Nagasaki, 9 August 1945, 74,000 dead + Kobe earthquake, 17 January 1995, M 6.9, 6,434 dead + Fukushima, 11 March 2011, M 9.1, tsunami, 18,000 dead, iconic triple nuclear disaster).
The setting
Kōchi Sukumo/Kuroshio South Pacific coast Shikoku Japan 13 m Pacific coastline, continuous cluster batches 260-401, michi-no-eki roadside station overnight stays + 1,200+ stations since 1993 MLIT + Shikoku Ohenro pilgrimage 88 temples 1,200 km 1,200 years + Kōbō Daishi Kūkai 774-835 Shingon iconic + Kōchi 320,000 castle 1611 + Sukumo 20,000 Ashizuri, Japanese Shikoku 125 M Japanese + Ainu Hokkaidō 20,000 Ainu isolate + Pacific bonito katsuo fishing + katsuo tataki Kōchi signature dish + Sakamoto Ryōma 1836-1867 Tosa Meiji iconic + Meiji Ishin 3 Jan 1868 end of shogunate + Hiroshima 6 Aug 1945 140,000 dead + Nagasaki 9 Aug 1945 74,000 dead + Kobe 17 Jan 1995 M 6.9 6,434 dead + Fukushima 11 Mar 2011 M 9.1 tsunami 18,000 dead iconic triple disaster.
