I returned home on Saturday.
The last couple of days in Japan I went to the places I used to love.
Last days in Japan
Tag: Japan
Visiting Kukai
Got up at stupid o’clock in the morning to catch a bus, to catch a train to catch a cable car to catch another bus to pay my respects to Kobo Daishi (Kukai).
All it said in my guidebook was to go to Mount Koya. It did not say that Mt. Koya is like a Temple village and that one needs a bus to get around. Luckily, the guy at the ticket counter at Namba Station told me about a discount ticket where it not only gets you to Mt Koya, but also includes a all you can ride two day bus pass.
I got to the Kobodaishi Gobyo Mausoleum ( no photos allowed) which was through a giant cemetery with gigantic trees. After which I got my final Nokyocho stamp.
I am now on a bullet train heading back towards Tokyo. It’ll be nice to stay in one place for a while and not have to worry about accommodations, transportation and weather!
Tucking in to my Ekiben. Night.
Sightseeing Tokushima
Today started off with a bus ride to Ai no Yakata. Ai no Yakata is an Indigo dye museum and workshop. It was interesting seeing the history of Indigo dying industry in Tokushima. It was also fascinating making a pattern on a bandana.
Headed back to the city for a quick Lunch before heading out to the Naruto whirlpool. The best time for viewing the tidal whirlpool was 16:40. I just made it on time. I opted to see it from the bridge instead of from a boat as I thought it was huge (judging from photos I had seen). The photos are from a boat and there are more than one whirlpool. They aren’t that big. Glad I went to see it.
Tomorrow Mount Koya.
Day 30
Weather: sunny
Last Shikoku Temple day. In the morning I went to Temple 88 (Okuboji). I was a bit emotional, as it was the last of the 88 temples. Not sure if the Temple itself is larger than the other temples, but it sure felt majestic.
Visiting all 88 temples is called “kechigan” (the fulfillment of one’s wish). However, some believe that one needs to complete the circle by returning to the temple one started with to achieve Kechigan. So I went back to Temple 1 (Ryozenji) where my journey began 30 days ago.
Do I feel any different from when I started 30 days ago? Yes, my feet hurt. Will have to see a doctor when I get home regarding plantar fasciitis. But besides that? I leant a lot about myself, which at this point I’m not ready to share on a public blog. And then there are other things/rules that I learnt:
1) there is no right or wrong way of doing something, only the way that works best for you.
2) (following point 1) don’t let someone make you feel bad about the way you do things. That is their insecurity NOT yours.
2) you are only allowed to feel sorry for yourself or frustrated about a situation for a maximum of 3 minutes – anything longer than that and you might miss the bus.
Tomorrow I’m doing some sightseeing in Tokushima. I was excited about starting the pilgrimage when I first got here I didn’t do any sightseeing.
For dinner I ate Tokushima Ramen. It is a rich Shoyu based ramen with a raw egg. It was kind of like Sukiyaki met Ramen and had a baby and called it Tokushima Ramen.
I am still trying to figure out the logistics of visiting Mt. Koya and paying my respects to Kobo Daishi.
Day 29
Weather: rainy
Started out later today. I went to the JR train station and got in line at the JR ticket counter to get my JR pass activated, only to find out that it was to be done at a travel agent office a couple of doors down and they don’t open until 10 am… so I had to wait around for 2 hours.
Finally got the tickets and headed to Temple 86 (Shidoji). It has a beautiful garden.
I then travelled to Temple 85 (Yakuriji) which has a cable car and the temple was in the clouds. This is where I met up with Samurai Duck! Samurai Duck wanted to join Usagi-chan and me in Shikoku and he was only able to join us for today.
After Yakuriji we went for lunch and both got a giant Tempura rice bowl each… neither of us were able to finish the food. (Samurai Duck rented a car so we were able to travel very quickly!)
We got to Temple 87 (Nagaoji) and met a woman from Ehime who is also doing the pilgrimage (this is her 4th time). She told us that a certain treat made by the monk’s wife from Nagaoji is very famous and is usually hard to get as it sells out quickly. Samurai Duck and I were able to get some.
This is where I said goodbye to Samurai Duck as I am staying in a guesthouse recommended by Kyoko-san: Inn Tek Tek and Samurai Duck had to make a 6 hour journey home! Thank you Samurai Duck!
In this area there is a famous sauna bath (the last of its kind) called Kara-furo. It was a popular way of bathing for people in the Nara period. CE 710 – 794. The ofuro (bath) culture in Japan didn’t take off until the Edo period 1603 – 1867. This sauna bathing was popular in areas around Nara and Shikoku where Onsen (natural hot springs) were not easily available.
Tomorrow is Temple 88!
Day 28
Weather: Sunny in the morning with a yellow haze of sand from China, afternoon cloudy, evening rain.
This morning I got on a high speed ferry (30 minutes) to Naoshima. An “art” island. There are many open air art pieces on this island (most notably pumpkins by Yayoi Kusama) and there are also a number of galleries.
When I got to the island I rented an electric bicycle. Wow, can that thing go! I should have done the pilgrimage by electric bike. It flies up hills!
I didn’t go to every gallery because by 2:30pm I was overwhelmed by all the art and by all the foreigners (mostly French, but I did go round a few of the galleries with a couple from Finland). As well I was going over my budget. Most galleries charge admission (¥520 – ¥2,100). The Chichu Art Museum was the most expensive and they wouldn’t let you take ANY photos (not even of the building). Note: if you do go to Chichu or Hitoshi Sugimoto Gallery you need to make a reservation. You can do it on the day, but you might have to wait a couple of hours for your allotted time.
I returned to Takamatsu by slow ferry (1 hour). No photos. I fell asleep… must have been the rocking motion of the boat.
Tomorrow back on the pilgrimage.
Day 27
Weather: Sunny.
Started the day going to Temple 81 (Shiromineji) which was on the top of one mountain and had a statue of a Tengu. (Also the resting place of Emperor Sutoku 1119-1164). It also had different stone carvings of the animals for Chinese years.
I then went to temple 82 (Negoroji) which was up another mountain and where they had a statue of an ushi-oni (devil cow) which looks like something out of the stories of Cthulhu.
I then went to Temple 80 (Kokubunji) which was tame.. no mythical beasties.
Temple 73 (Ichinomiya) was next. it was a short walk from the train station (10 minutes) and it had cute dragonfly designs in the concrete by the gate.
I finished the temples faster than expected so I decided to go to Temple 84 (Yashimaji) which was easy to get to by train and bus. It was at the top of another mountain and I finished with a sparkling wine and Gorgonzola pizza with honey.
Tomorrow is a day of sightseeing.
Day 26
Weather: Rain in the morning- sunny by 3pm
Today I finished the 70s. Tomorrow I will tackle 80 – 82 (81 and 82 are in the mountains).
Got to temple 76 (Konzoji) at 7:00am and the rain started. The weather app said it would rain until noon and then be cloudy until 3 pm when the sun would come out. It was spot on!!! I was impressed!
I was the first henro at Konzoji and when I arrived there were a group of people doing morning stretches in the temple grounds.
Temple 77 (Doryuji) I was joined by a group of pushy bus henro. Their tour conductor rushed past me while I was getting my Nokyocho out to get her group’s Nokyocho done first (there where quite a lot) and the monk looked unperturbed at the action. I had run out of incense sticks so I went to buy them at the gift shop… that is when the henro group started trying to push me away from the cashier to get their souvenirs. That is when I said: Wait. Your. Turn. (sternly and in English) they looked sheepishly and stopped… not sure they understood the words but they understood the meaning. They were the first rude Henro group I have come across this whole trip.
Temple 78 (Goshoji) was much better. No rude henro group. They were travelling by bus so they probably already left this temple by the time I got there. Thank Buddha! This temple had beautiful wood reliefs in the ceiling of the awning of the temple.
There was also a shop? window filled with items made with 5 yen coins on the way to Goshoin.
The last temple of the day was Temple 79 (Tennoji). The rain stopped but it was still cloudy. This temple has both a temple and a shrine. (There was a period when temples and shrines were worshiped together in the same location, but with the separation ordinance of Buddhism and Shintoism in 1868 many shrines/ temples were relocated).
Day 25
Weather: sunny with a high of 23*C
Started the day with Temple 68(Jinnein) and 69 (Kannonji). They are literally right next to each other. I only had to go to one temple office to get the stamps in my book.
Then went to Temple 70 (Motoyamaji) which Ahmad an impressive pagoda and cut frogs under the rain water basin. The woman monk at the Nokyocho office gave me a scone as osettai. It was much appreciated. Motoyamaji’s main statue is of Bato Kannonji Bosatsu (a being with a horse head that eats worldly desires as a horse eats fodder). As per usual, the main deity cannot be seen and when one can see them, photos are not allowed.
From Motoyamaji I took a bus, but the bus driver said that the place I wanted to get off does not have a connecting bus…so I ended up at the last stop of the line in Niocho Nio. There is a beach there that has total ponds that people like taking sunset photo at called Chichibugahama. I wasn’t there at sunset nor did I have time as I caught another bus that brought me closer to Temple 71 (Iyadaniji).
Iyadanijiis a crazy stair temple. One has to climb stairs to get to the landing where you turn right to go up more stairs to get to the main temple. Then one had to go back down to the landing area to go up another set of stairs to get to the Daishi temple and Nokyocho office. One woman forgot her walking stick at the main temple and had to do those sets of stairs again!! I felt sorry for her. -you even have to take a separate set of stairs to go to the toilet! NOT a temple for people with mobility issues.
I then went to Temple 73 (Shusshakaji) where Usagi-chan got stuck in a tree. The female monk at this Temple gave me ¥200 yen to buy a cold drink from the vending machine… I guess my face must have been red from the heat?
There is some kind of campaign where Temples 71 – 77 put flowers in the water fountain area and display rabbits around the temple… I don’t think Temple 72 (Mandalaji) got the message.
I nearly walked past Temple 74 (Koyamaji) it was so close. It had many rabbits.
Temple 75 (Zentsuji), the birthplace of Kukai, was impossible to miss. The pagoda at this location is even bigger than the one at Temple 70! And the compound is so large one cannot take a photo of the whole grounds unless it is an aerial shot.
Zentsuji was one of the few temples where one can visit if one has mobility issues.
Day 24
Weather: Sunny.
Started the day going to Unpenji Ropeway to get to Temple 66 (Unpenji) -the last temple in Ehime. Luckily, today was a clear day so I got to see the view.
There were many statues of unhappy or slightly unhinged men along the path to Unpenji. Not sure their significance, the write up about this temple in the guidebook says it was a place of learning.
Before heading back down there was a line marking the boundaries and I was about the start the Nirvana stage of the pilgrimage. Usagi-chan also found some more friends.
I’m not sure if it is because I know I’m now heading toward the end of this pilgrimage or if I actually got to a state of Nirvana, but the walk to Temple 67 (Daikoji) was peaceful and beautiful. Unfortunately, none of the photos I took show the beauty.
At Daikoji, the monk said that my prayer was well done, which surprised me. I’ve gotten really fast at doing the prayer as I have said it 67 x 2 = 134 times . Multiplied by 2 because it is said at the main temple and again at the Daishi temple.
KotsuKotsuLife 