The Japanese word Kisei (帰省) means to travel back to our hometown or where our family is.
This new years holiday I traveled back home to Ehime by way of Okayama airport. Ehime prefecture actually has their own airport in Matsuyama, but because Ehime is only accessible by airplane, the tickets always sell out very quickly. So our other option is to fly into Takamatsu airport, which is in the prefecture next to Ehime and take the express train. But the express train actually goes from Ehime to Okayama and you need to change lines when coming from Takamatsu airport.
Thus my decision to fly in from Okayama airport. And lucky me, the tickets to Okayama were super cheap (apparently it has to do with the price competition between shinkansen and flights)! So my kisei this time ended up being a flight (1hr 15min), a bus ride (25min), a train ride (2hr 30min), and a short walk (15min), which I surprisingly enjoyed. Well, maybe not the bus ride. But the view from the airplane and train ride was fantastic!
For those of you who do not live in Japan, to put it simply, going to Ehime via Okayama is sort of like going to New York via Canada (with an emphasis on sort of) 😉
Here are some pictures of my kisei I took on my cellphone:
Getting ready to board with my book and mocha chai latte.
I always melt a little when I see the pilot in the cockpit wave to little kids in the airport.
In the bus from Okayama airport to Okayama station.
Okayama prefecture is famous for the folklore Momotaro.
The JR Kibi line from Okayama station…isn’t the train handsome?
My ticket from Okayama station to Kibitsu station.
The great thing about rural lines is that you have time to snack on dorayaki during the train ride.
Okayama has the cutest manhole covers.
Just a short walk from Kibitsu station is Kibitsu Shrine, famous for this gorgeous corridor.
The koma-inu’s silly laugh had me giggling all the way home.
After a two and a half hour train ride, I was greeted by a lovely sunset.
You know you’re in Ehime when there is an abundance of mikan to eat…good to be home. x
Kaori Square Feet 
Happy New Year, Kaori! I hope 2014 is filled with lots of laughter and good times for you and your family 😉
The pictures in this post made me grin from ear to ear. Beautiful sunsets, yummy drinks, a gorgeous shrine… what more could you ask for? Hope you enjoy the rest of your kisei!
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Starbucks, shrines, mikan, trains, manhole covers … you really ticked all my (and your!) boxes in this one! Welcome back, and good luck with the working year ahead! ^^
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Happy New Year!
Looks like a good trip home. Kind of makes me want to try something similar during the same season but I'll pass. I can wait for a good season. Hopefully my plans to head down there pan out this year unlike every other year I tried to go back to Ehime. 😦
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Happy New Year to you too, Miwa! I just got back yesterday but am missing the lazy days already. But apparently there is a thing called mikan-butori. Very dangerous. haha.
Hope your year with your family is filled with happiness and joy! x
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Thank you Ru! It really was a great trip. I'd forgotten how much I liked Okayama 😉
First day of work wasn't too bad. Crossing my fingers this feeling last! Hope you have a wonderful year ahead as well! x
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Happy New Year Dru!
Any season in Ehime is a good season! *wink* I hope you make it down there, too. It's a great place, I love how there are both mountains AND the sea surrounding our little town there. I'm already looking forward to my next holiday there! 😀
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