TONOSHO, Kagawa -- When you were a child, did you ever feel as though you were lost in a maze when visiting an unknown town by yourself? The town of Tonosho on the Shodoshima island in Kagawa Prefecture can probably jog such memories.
Known as a maze town, Tonosho is characterized by the intricate alleys in its old-fashioned townscape. In recent years, it has also attracted fans of art and animation. But just where do this town's charms lie? To find out, I hopped on a boat and embarked on an expedition.
After about a 20-minute walk from Tonosho Port located on the west side of the island, I found an arched sign that read, "Maze town." After walking beneath it and continuing on for about 100 meters, the street suddenly became narrow.
A residential area of houses with tiled roofs filled with a nostalgic atmosphere came into view. Walking a little bit more, I came to a three-forked road with areas less than a meter in width. The path I took wound from side to side, and as I turned a corner one after another, I lost track of in which direction I was heading.
Designed to escape pirates
More than 60 three-forked roads can be found within a district spanning 600 meters from east to west and 300 meters from north to south, according to Mineo Matsuo, the secretary general of the Shodoshima maze town volunteer guide association.
"It was hard to find my friends when we played hide-and-seek," said Matsuo, 72, who grew up in the town. And it's no wonder that's the case.
Yoko Shinjo, 43, from Chiba City, took on the challenge without a map. "As I made my way, I was thinking, 'I should come out around this area,' but somehow I ended up going back down the same road. I've never had such a fun time getting lost," she said chuckling.
Present-day Tonosho came to be roughly 700 years ago. To prepare for raging pirate attacks in the Seto Inland Sea in those days, the town is believed to have been intricately designed to allow residents to escape from such attacks.
Arrival of art boom
In 2007, the local commerce and industry association named Tonosho a "maze town" and began a promotional campaign to attract more tourists. Three years later, the town became a site for the Setouchi International Art Festival, or The Setouchi Triennale. When the modern art event was held for the first time, it was a breath of fresh air for the town.
On the Chuo-dori street, which runs through the central part of the town, there is a storehouse with an illustration on the wall that features a black creature with wide, goggling eyes. It is a picture of yokai monster Michishirubei, who points people where to go. The storehouse of a kimono shop built in the Meiji era (1868-1912) was bought by a local company and revived in 2011 as the hub for a town revitalization project dealing with the arts.
As part of the project, given the name Meipam, exhibitions featuring ornaments and paintings depicting yokai monsters are held in renovated old houses, and five such houses were dubbed the Yokai Art Museum in 2018.
The drawings of yokai monsters can be found on walls in various places throughout the town, and a bookstore boasting a collection of specialty books and a stylish cafe have also been opened. In fiscal 2019, the museum attracted about 10,000 visitors.
Anime takes the stage
In recent years, anime fans have also come to visit Tonosho, due to its appearance in the manga "Karakaijozu no Takagi-san." Mangaka Soichiro Yamamoto based his junior high school romantic comedy in the town he is originally from, and it was made into TV anime series in 2018.
Of course, the maze-like district of the town also makes an appearance in the series. Yoshito Miyake, 18, of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, said with sparkling eyes, "I feel like I've entered the world of the anime."
According to the Tonosho municipal government, the number of people moving to the town has been increasing thanks to the regional vitalization efforts.
"We'd like to make Tonosho a town where both visitors and residents can smile more," said Atsushi Nomura, 56, a public relations official for Meipam.
Before leaving the island, I made my way into the alleys again, only to once again get lost. But that's fine with me. The atmosphere of this town makes me want to take the time to detour.
-- How to get there
The island's gateway Tonosho Port can be reached in 35 minutes via a high-speed vessel taken from Takamatsu Port in Takamatsu. Ships are also in service from Shin-Okayama Port in Okayama City and Uno Port in Okayama Prefecture's Tamano. The maze-like district can be found after a 20-minute walk from Tonosho Port. The Yokai Art Museum is closed on Wednesdays.
-- Extend your trip!
Angel Road
A sand path connecting the Shodoshima island and the Yoshima islets appears twice a day during low tide. It has gained popularity among couples as it is said that if they walk over to the other side while holding hands with their loved one their wish will be granted. The municipal government promotes this area as a sacred ground for sweethearts. It has also been used as a filming location. The time of low tide changes every day, and the estimated times can be confirmed on the municipal government's website.
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