This was a real pleasure to watch. Glad to have stumbled across your video this evening. I lived and worked in Imabari for Nova before it went bankrupt about 15 years ago and then worked part time in Matsuyama for awhile after that before moving back to the US. Many of the shipbuilding and towel factory employees were students of mine back then, and Imabari was a wonderful place to live. As a 21 year old when I was positioned there, I didn't really appreciate how unique Ehime was, but I feel glad that I got to experience such a unique place among all the locales I could've found myself in Japan. Some trivia on the castle in Imabari - it's one of (if I recall) only 2 or 3 castles in Japan whose moat is naturally salt water fed by the sea. A bit of information about Dogo Onsen - it's not just another hot springs town. It's actually one of the oldest hot springs in Japan and was the inspiration for the bathhouse in Spirited Away. I was also told that the reason why tai meshi was so well liked is because the strong currents of the Seto Inland Sea make the muscle of the fish particularly firm and gives it a nice texture and allows you to cook with it in some ways that more delicate fish might not tolerate.

@barrettish

Жыл бұрын

That’s so awesome, thanks for sharing! I really enjoyed my time there and I hope you get to visit sometime. Awesome trivia too!!

I live in Ehime! Thank you for introducing Ehime‼︎

@barrettish

Жыл бұрын

Awesome! It was nice visiting there!

@bubz0001

4 ай бұрын

Do you still live in Ehime? 2024? My grandparents used to live there. Back in 1970s. I have lost contact with them since I left Japan more than 40 years ago.. but I still have their address.. Maybe you know this place?

I love Ehime and Shikoku, it was my home for a long time. I want to add some great things about it for anyone who is interested in visiting! You can cycle the whole Shimanai Kaido! It connects Hiroshima to Imabari and it is a beautiful trip. You will pass through a series of gorgeous islands and travel over the Seto Sea on the bridges that connect each one. There are bicycle rentals on each side and in between. The Dogo Onsen area is great and Matsuyama has a lovely castle, but two cities, Saijo and Niihama should not be slept on. Both have amazing mountain ranges with endless hikes. Ishizuchi Mountain is the tallest mountain in Western Japan, it is an amazing hike. Niihama has Higashi Akaishi and Nishi Akaishi, both are amazing mountains and on a clear day, you can see the Shimanami Kaido from the top. In October, Saijo and Niihama have amazing taiko festivals, they are some of the most famous in all of Japan. Tokushima (check out Miyoshi) and Kochi (check out the Ashizuri Cape) are also amazing to visit, I personally don't really like Kagawa but many people love it, Shikoku is one of the most amazing places in all of Japan.

@barrettish

11 ай бұрын

Awesome, thank you for adding all of that info! Hopefully I can go back and explore more because it was really nice there!

just found your channel and am enjoying it very much!

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I’m glad you’re enjoying it!

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾Thank you for sharing.

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching! 🙌

Great video!!

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!!

Thank you for introducing Ehime! You are doing great job! Actually your mother happened to recommend me this on our common fb group. I live in Matsuyama. I know almost all places you shared except the izakaya you had basashi. If you don't mind, can I share izakaya's name?

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome, thank you for watching! It was just a typical izakaya actually, it was called Kurotengu (黒てんぐ) We went there because two other restaurants were full! haha

4:55 i love this shot omg

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

Hey thanks!!

Nicely done, Barrett! The fact about the towel manufacturing in Ehime was news to me. A lot of people on their Jchannels talk about how Shikoku is the place they would rather live than cities their jobs tie them to.

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Yeah, that area in Ehime is known for making the best towels here. I can see why some feel that way, I think Kyushu and Nagano are also desirable as well.

@wavejockey

2 жыл бұрын

i'm looking for a towel or table cloth as a present - what's that ? "Imobody" ??

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

@@wavejockey It’s called Imabari Towel. There are many different brands, but a lot of them don’t have English or don’t ship overseas. I’m not sure which do and which don’t, but I know this one has English and ships: en.fil-usine.com

Thank you so much for sharing. The team and I were actually here a few weeks ago and planning our next shoots with NatGeo so you've given us ideas. What was memorable in your opinion?

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! For me, I just really loved the ocean views in the Imabari area and along the western coastline of Matsuyama prefecture. It was just so picturesque with all the islands, a great escape from my usual Tokyo life.

Next time your here make sure to check out Shikoku Karst. Probably one of the best views I've seen in Japan.

@barrettish

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tip! Wow, I just looked up images and it almost feels like it's in another country!

Thanks! My wife, daughter and I are looking forward to pedaling the Shikoku Circuit in June 2028. Any suggestions?

@barrettish

Ай бұрын

Awesome! I actually don’t know about it, unfortunately… I’m a fan of taking in the sights and eating local foods though!

@Mr.NotImportant-qu5rx

Ай бұрын

@@barrettish I appreciate your foodie fun and informative videos a lot! Food is vital when cycling, and healthy tasty food delivered fast is greatly appreciated! Keep up the good work!

Do we get to see the product from this job that you mentioned? Thanks for the video…!!!

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

Hopefully one day! Thank you for watching!

isn't it the best travelling for work to a place that you would normally not go and have the entire trip paid for? Bet everything is ok with you after the earthquake since this video was uploaded an hour ago?

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

Yes that’s the best! There’s damages up north where the quake was, but things are pretty normal in Tokyo.

How do you spell your friend’s family’s towel brand?

@barrettish

Жыл бұрын

It’s not my friend’s family’s but a company I was there to shoot factory photos for. The brand is fil+usine: en.fil-usine.com

@beijingbikinikill8608

Жыл бұрын

@@barrettish Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to reply. I'll check them out.

Gotta ask, did you buy or try the Orange Pocky? 😂

@barrettish

2 жыл бұрын

haha no I didn’t. Maybe I should’ve!

why did you view Shikoku in such a poor light before you went?

@barrettish

6 ай бұрын

I don't think I viewed it in a poor light, but just as more of an afterthought or just not a priority to visit. I had briefly thought about visiting a while back when I was living in Fukuoka, but I realized Shikoku is hard to get around by train which would've caused some issues for me.