A land of contradictions, short on self awareness and long in missed opportunities… Shikoku feels a lot like the awkward child that you love dearly who can never quite seem to find their way. Perpetually handicapped by an endless stream of well funded poorly executed and uncoordinated government initiatives beholden to no masterplan, this beautiful island anchoring the crystal blue Seto Inland Sea is subject to a patchwork of good intentioned environmental destruction on a scale that is difficult to imagine. If ever there was a case study on how not to invigorate a rural region, surely Shikoku would be a good candidate. I love Shikoku more for what it could be (and probably once was) than what it offers today. Much in the way that you’re always rooting for the underdog that you know is gonna loose again today but you wont stop watching until the final whistle blows. Someday they’ll realize that the true value of the 88 temple pilgrimage is in the journey and not the destinations, and they will place an emphasis on restoring those paths and what we experience along the way. Or at least we can hold out hope they will… until that final whistle blows