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The tourist trail has beat a steady path to the small, scenic village of ASHIZURI MISAKI , standing on the most southerly point of Shikoku, but don't let this put you off checking it out. Pilgrims have long been coming here to pay their respects at Kongofuku-ji , the 38th temple on the sacred circuit . This picturesque temple, dedicated to the Buddhist deity Kannon, who symbolizes infinite compassion, has a two-storey pagoda and nestles amid a palm grove in the centre of the village. Ashizuri's white-painted lighthouse stands atop the eighty-metre-high cliffs, while at shore level there's a natural rock arch, crowned by a small shrine. All these sights are within easy walking distance of each other, along cliff-top pathways that each February burst forth with crimson camellia blossoms. On the way to the lighthouse you'll pass the statue of Nakahama Manjiro, better known as John Mung , the local lad who travelled the world and pioneered relations between Japan and the USA in the early years of the Meiji Restoration. Opposite Kongofuku-ji is a small museum, John Mung House (daily 8am-5pm; Y200), dedicated to the man, which includes some of Mung's personal items and miniature tableaux describing his life and the whaling industry he was once part of. Reaching the cape by public transport can be costly (around Y4000) and time-consuming. There are direct buses from Kochi to Ashizuri Misaki (around 4hr 40min). Trains only go as far as Nakamura, where you'll have to catch one of the local buses from directly outside the station. The bus journey takes around an hour and becomes progressively more spectacular the closer to the cape you get, the driver skilfully whipping the bus around the narrow, cliff-hugging road. In your own car, you can opt for the less hair-raising, but equally scenic, Skyline road down the middle of the peninsula to the cape. The bus stop is next to Kongofuku-ji. Buses run regularly to the nearby town of Tosa Shimizu (Y820), where you'll usually have to change to continue north up the coast. There are two youth hostels at Ashizuri Misaki: Kongofuku-ji (tel 08808/8-0038, fax 8-0688; under Y3000), next to the temple, is the slightly more attractive, though it's often busy with groups of pilgrims; and Ashizuri (tel 08808/8-0324; under Y3000), which is next to the small shrine, and offers accommodation in tatami rooms. Both hostels serve breakfast and evening meals. There are several ryokan in town, including Hotel Kaijokan (tel 08808/8-0503, fax 8-0211; Y15,000-20,000), where the rates cover breakfast only, and Ashizurien (tel 08808/8-0206, fax 8-0033; Y30,000-40,000), which includes dinner in its rate.
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