Sightseeing Taxis for a More Fulfilling Trip #2
How many people have used sightseeing taxis at their travel destinations? They are more expensive than other methods of travel, so most people probably feel that there are some hurdles to using them. Using a sightseeing taxi during travel, however, can enrich a trip more than expected. In this article, I will introduce a trip I took to Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, on which I used a sightseeing taxi.
The sightseeing taxi I used was provided by Shirakawa Kanko Kotsu Co., Ltd. of Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture. Sightseeing taxis are a service in which drivers who are familiar with the sightseeing spots and traffic information of the region guide travelers to their desired destinations. Travelers can also consult with the drivers about spot recommendations and route plans to each of the destinations. Additionally, the drivers will act as guides both on the road and at the sightseeing spots.
Kashima Jinja Shrine: A Spot Added Suddenly to the Tour
There are a lot of komainu guardian lion-dog statues within the shrine grounds.
Kashima Jinja Shrine is located about a ten-minute drive from Nanko Koen Park. The shrine wasn't in the original route plan; it was added to the tour on the spot. The reason we decided to stop by was a pamphlet for "komainu-meguri" we found at Nanko Jinja Shrine. Shirakawa City is famous for mining "Shirakawa stone," and there are any number of artists who use it to create komainu guardian lion-dog statues. Due to that, there are a lot of travelers who do komainu-meguri, going around to see all of the komainu statues, during their trips.
Small komainu are hiding underneath the paws of some of the big komainu statues.
When I got out of the taxi, Mr. Saitou suggested that I try to count the komainu statues while he parked the car. I found 14, but there were actually 16 of the statues: two little komainu can be found hiding at the feet of some larger ones.
With these anecdotes about Shirakawa City, visitors can enjoy the sightseeing spots even more.
"It's interesting, isn't it?" said Mr. Saitou. "Elementary school students visit on field trips and count the komainu, and the boys finish as quickly as they can like it's a game, but the girls take their time." While he showed me around, he told me things like this that aren't written in guidebooks, things that only people who live in the area would know. We didn't stay very long, but counting the komainu and finding the differences between them was fun, so it was definitely worth the trip.
I also saw some swans on the riverside during transit. Mr. Saitou stopped the car and told me that the swans are used to people, so they don't run away if you get close. Detours like this are one of the advantages of using a sightseeing taxi.
Komine-jo Castle: Not Just the History of the Building, but the Real Story of an Earthquake Disaster
Information at the entrance.
While we were walking from the parking lot to the grounds, Mr. Saitou pointed to the moat and asked me if I could tell what was different about it. Actually, the Komine-jo Castle ruins sustained damage during the Great Kanto Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 (it was a 6+ on the Shindo scale in Shirakawa), and around 10 places of the stone walls collapsed. The areas that were repaired are characterized by smoother stones that fit tightly together.
The wall on the left is scraggy with cavities, but in comparison, the one on the right looks smooth and doesn't have much space between the stones.
Mr. Saitou told me that he came to take photos after the earthquake to have a record of how much had collapsed. He also talked about his involvement with the local community, and he explained that the technique used here was referenced for restoration in Kumamoto, too.
Check out the link below to reserve a tour or get more information on Taxi Sightseeing in Shirakawa City. https://taxi.wowu.jp/shirakawa/book
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