Shikoku Henro Michi // day 20 // Ibiru - Tosa Shimizu

Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, day 20.
Temples: #38 (Kongōfukuji).
Distance: 32.1km (588.0km), time spent: 10:41.
Weather: Wonderful.

This place is haunted. In the middle of the night, I wake up and have to go the toilet, and I am sure I can hear voices whispering even though I know that I am the only one in the house. Waking up in the morning, I know it be just my imagination running away with me. I do not believe in ghosts, but who knows what my tired and sleepy mind makes out of noises in the dark. The food at this place is really good, breakfast included, a recommended place to stay. In the guestbook and verified by the landlady, I find out that there is another Norwegian ahead of me on the trail. Too far ahead of me to catch up with though.

Sunlight illuminates the path in the morning, on a small road after leaving Ibiru.

The light outside when starting out from the guesthouse is wonderful, as the sun hangs low on the ceiling, on its way up to a beautiful sunny day. The landlady at Minshuku Tabiji waves me off. This time it is not Kobayashi-san that I first meet, but Otsu-san with his trolley coming in the opposite direction, having already visited Kongōfukuji.

A forest path after Ibiru.

From Ibiru, the path takes a curious turn, going on a short piece of beach that ends up at a small cave in the cliffs. Ropes are attached to the cliffside next to the cave, but the route does not go that way, instead leading me away from the beach through the trees on an inconspicuous path up to a small road. The road is sprayed with sunlight filtered through the trees and spiderwebs above. It is such a beautiful moment that you know it is going to be an extraordinary day. Another forested descent and ascent follows before I am on the road down to Cape Ashizuri-misaki.

The sun shining behind trees, I find the texture of the woods next to the path fascinating, haunting like, always looking so dense.

Moss art. This one was quite cool, but doing this is really disencouraged.

I have about 10km to walk on the road before I am the temple, overlooking a now beckoning sea. I am still quite amazed of all the places and things locals are setting up for the henros, walking by another hut that can be used to rest at or even maybe spend the night. One way of recognizing these kind of places are the numbers of osamefudas (nameslips) found hanging inside or outside of them. More odd is what looks like a café with a hippie touch to it, where I and another henro get a cup of coffee while someone is banging a drum and chanting. Later I hear that the name of that place was something like Cosmic Country Cafe, it certainly fit the vibe of its name.

The road entrance to Kongōfukuji.

Trees are suddenly bending over me from both sides of the road, but not in a threatening way, more like ushering me on as light illuminates the leaves and branches. As if saying, you are nearly there, at the temple of everlasting happiness, Kongōfukuji (#38). Which is a rather ironic name for the temple, given the sad fact that it is located at a place where it is popular to commit suicide. I have come to the tip of the Cape Ashizuri-misaki, with its cliffs overlooking the Pacific.

An old henro playing the honkyoku on the shakuhachi at the hondo of Kongōfukuji.

Kongōfukuji is a truly beautiful temple, made even so more by the clear blue sky above it. Situated in the middle of the temple is a wonderful carp pond. I have trouble reciting the sutras at this temple, and it is all due the old henro showing his respect at the same time. He does not recite or chant the Hannya Shingyō, instead he is playing the honkyoku on a shakuhachi. It is so beautiful to listen to that I am unable to focus on my own reciting. Honkyoku is music played on the shakuhachi, which is a flute of a kind, by the mendicant Japanese Zen monks called komusō. When he has finished playing, I can fulfill my rituals.

Video from Kongōfukuji with the old henro playing the honkyoku on the shakuhachi.

Cape Ashizuri-misaki has so much to offer that I spend a lot of time exploring the area, leaving my backpack behind at the restaurant on the other side of the road from the temple. Passing by the statue of John Manjirō (the first Japanese immigrant to America in the 19th century), I walk around the outer tip of the cape. Both an observation point and the lighthouse provides great views of the ocean, cliffs and coastline. A stone looking like a turtle can be found here. Just west of the lighthouse is another cliff that has a hole in it, forming a natural arch, Hakusan. On the top of the cliff there is a small shrine, after a short, but steep climb up. I meet the henro playing the shakuhachi below the cliff, looking through the hole as I do, and we talk for a short while.

Kongōfukuji.

View of the lighthouse at Cape Ashizuri-misaki above the vertical cliffs.

Unfortunately, I do not have time to see all I want to. I also want to visit the ruins of the Okunoin situated in the hills above the temple, but decides time is against me. However, I need to eat and at the restaurant where I left my backpack, I order a dish with curry and rice. While eating, a Chinese man just drops down next to me and starts talking. It was nice, but somewhat odd.

Hakusan with its natural arch and tiny shrine on top.

I guess this is the spot where I differ from most of the other henros, though I cannot say for sure. Instead of retreating back the way I came from, I continue walking towards the west. The views of the cliffs and coast is much nicer on this side of the cape than on the eastern side of the cape. The Ashizuri henro-hut is both a nice hut to stay at and has good space for camping. Underway, the route does a quick descent and ascent through a village nestled in the sides of a steep valley going down to the sea.

Carps swimming in the pond at Kongōfukuji.

Near a tunnel that is not marked on my map, the trail is supposed to head up into the hills on a forest path, but I am unable to locate the proper entrance to the path. This turns out to be another lucky strike, even if I miss out on a nice walk through the forest, resorting to walk on the road going around the cape instead (marked as another Shikoku-no-michi route on the map). The road is far from busy and the views from it and an observation deck (Uno Misaki) on the way are great.

View of the cliffs and coastline from the Uno Misaki observation deck.

On the way, I find a sign pointing towards another lighthouse. Following the path, I come out to a small lighthouse overlooking the cliffs. This day has taken so many beautiful turns. Looking down at the wonderful cliffs and rocks down by the sea there is one small detail that catches my eye, almost all down by the sea there is a tiny red shrine. I just have to go there, be it time or not, I know I will be late at my accommodation for doing this, but I have to do it. It also means that I have to go back a little on the road.

View of the cliffs and rocks next to the sea, from the second lighthouse further west from Ashizuri-misaki, the tiny red Ryugu Shrine almost visible.

It is a marvellous walk down to the shrine, Ryugu Shrine. First through the woods, then on a long and winding staircase of stone down to the cliff with the shrine. The red shrine consisting of one torii in front of the tiny red altar 'house' overlooks the rocks near the everpresent sea, with the hills of the cape above it. It is a moment when you regret having booked a place, just wanting to stay longer and reflect on the moment.

The final walk to the Ryugu Shrine.

Ryugu Shrine.

Still having some way to go before I will get to Tosa Shimizu, I walk quickly to and through Nakanohama village, where the route climbs up into a hill. It is a peaceful and pleasant walk through trees in the late sun, with muted sounds coming from the places around. After I left Cape Ashizuri-misaki, I have not met or seen any other henros. In Tosa Shimizu, the host of Tosa Minshuku Ōhira stops by and ask if I want a lift to the place. I wonder if he has been out looking for me, since I am a little late. Despite that, I have to decline, still hanging onto my rule of not taking any vehicles when on the walk. There is another reason for it as well, I need to withdraw some cash, otherwise I will not be able to pay for my stay. Problem, I may have a money crisis at hand. The only atm I find that accepts my card is under maintenance, luckily, the maintenance man is working on it as we speak.

The forest path between Nakanohama and Tosa Shimizu.

It is a good place, Tosa Minshuku Ōhira, with very friendly hosts and another good dinner. Though, the combination of several dishes mixing fish and meat is quite strange to me, but it works. It tastes great. After dinner, I have to return to the atm and to my relief, it is operational again. Money crisis over. I stop by a Lawson for some evening beers and snacks. First thing returning is not drinking the beers however, I need to take care of not one, but two blisters. I am unused to getting blisters, but I know what I have to do. I borrow a needle and thread from the hosts and then sterilize them before making a tiny hole in the small offenders, using the thread to drain the fluid.

I am just going to describe this day in one word, wonderful.

Evening sun in Tosa Shimizu.

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