Shikoku Henro Michi // day 25 // Uwajima - Uwa

Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, day 25.
Temples: #41-43 (Ryūkōji, Butsumokuji, Meisekiji).
Distance: 26.9km (731.6km), time spent: 10:39.
Weather: Rain most of the day.

The streets of Uwajima are wet when I walk through them in the morning, and they are just as quiet and empty of people as last evening, the only change being light and not dark outside. I humour myself at a place that appears to be a karaoke and tea place, truly an unusual combination (from what I know about karaoke joints). Today I remove the jima from Uwajima and walks to Uwa. Thankfully, I have three temples to visit today, offering some consolation for the miserable weather.

At the foot of the temple, Ryūkōin.

With the hills and mountains surrounding Uwajima wrapped in rainclouds, I say farewell to Ryūkōin, climbing once again up the stairs to the bangai temple. The walk out of Uwajima is a walk from little rain to an ever increasing downpour. I see no other henros out walking. Today my mood is not good when I walk on the long way through the valley out of Uwajima, and it certainly does not improve when I get drenched by a passing truck. Some of them drives really crazy and appears to take no care of the people walking next to the road, sending a wave of filthy water all over me including my face. Not my most henro-inspired moment, but I turn around and bow to the truck, saying 'arigatō gozaimasu'. I do not know why I am in such a bad temper today.

I try to improve my mood by drinking a neon green soda called Suntory Pop at the Uwajima henro-hut, I do not feel that the synthetic taste helps a lot. The hut has ample space to sleep in if needed, the disadvantage being next to the road.

The path over the small pass to Tafukuin.

It is funny then how things suddenly improve, even though nothing particulary happens that should make it so, but my mood do brighten up. And by the time I cross over the short wooden path, which is kind of grumpy due to the rain, passing by the indistinct Tafukuin shrine, my feet feels lighter again. A cup of hot coffee that I get at the nearby Lawson Station is of course a welcome boon to the day. This alternative route continues on a quiet sideroad in the middle of fields, with clouds that otherwise would have been mountains surrounding me.

A microshrine at Inari Jinja.

Looking out from temple #41, Ryūkōji.

All is forgotten when I come to temple #41, Ryūkōji (Dragon's Ray Temple), the domain of a 'rice god'. As always so far, I feel relaxed when I am at a temple. A humble temple set in the forest that shares the temple grounds with Inari Jinja, Ryūkōji was founded by Kōbō Daishi after he met an old white-haired man carrying rice, convinced that the man was Inari-myōjin (a 'rice god'). At the Inari Jinja (shrine) there is another of the fascinating shrines within a shrine buildings. If you wonder how it is to conduct the temple rituals while it is raining, I can tell you that it mostly is no problem, when you are resiting the sutras you usually stand underneath the temple roof of the hondo and daishido.

Ryūkōji.

The small path after Ryūkōji going through a soaked forest.

A small atmospheric path, with the sounds of water dripping all around me, leads through the forest after the temple. The ground is slippery. Rice fields, small settlements and cloudy mountains awaits me. Then Kōbō Daishi stands looking at me through the nice temple gate of Butsumokuji, temple #42, The Temple of Buddha's Tree. More pilgrims here, though it is far from busy, I met only three at Ryūkōji. This temple is also a testament to the extreme throwing skills of Kōbō Daishi, not only had he thrown a vajra from China, he had also thrown a hōshu (a Mani jewel). While riding a cow near Butsumokuji, he found the hōshu in an old camphor tree. Like Ryūkōji, this temple is also a modest one, the rain falling from the sky now is anything but. Dedicated to animal husbandry it is no wonder the amount of offerings and idols of animals I find at the altars. I like it here, which come to no surprise.

Ricefields, small settlements and cloudy mountains on the walk between Ryūkōji and Butsumokuji.

The trail crosses over another mountain today, over the Hanaga-tōge pass, which I look forward to. Though with this rain, I do anticipate some henro-korogashi on the way. It looks quietly violent up there today. At the resthut where I eat my lunch, I can walk no further. Not on the path leading up and over the pass at least, it is blocked by a signpost saying that the path is closed. As there is a marked alternative going through the Tanaga-tunnel, I feel that I cannot disobey the closure, as opposed to what I did when I hiked the Baekdu Daegan in South-Korea some years ago. Maybe not so smart to do it either, looking up at where the path goes from the road, it appear to be the victim of some landslides.

Kōbō Daishi looking at me through the temple gate of Butsumokuji.

Butsumokuji.

I keep looking for views, why I even do this in this weather is a good question, so I walk for a while down the road after the tunnel. All the views I get are the same, the hills and forests ravaged by the clouds. The winding and mysterious path leading down from the mountain is all to my liking, but it leads me to a long walk through another valley drenched by water. I still wonder where all the other henros are? Holed up in their accommodations due to the weather. Am I the only one out walking? That cannot be.

Staircases leads the way up to an unknown and mysterious temple.

For the last part of the walk to temple #43, Meisekiji (Brilliant Stone Temple), there is such a multitude of routes to choose from that I am unsure of which I ended up walking. I have no idea why there are so many alternative routes, has each route a different meaning, history or symbolism attached to it? Before the temple there is a restaurant and temple shop where I can leave my backpack while I go conducting my rituals in the downpour. Another peaceful temple set in the confines of a forest.

Ravaged mountainsides.

The descent from Hanaga.

Finished with my resitings, I stand at the top of the staircase leading up to the main temple buildings, looking down at the sturdy-looking temple gate. There a group of disabled henros are showing their respects and sutra-resiting, although they arrived by bus, it is inspiring to see them take on a pilgrimage like this. The downside to it is that me and other henros has to wait in line at the nōkyōchō-office for the single munk having a huge stack of nōkyōchō-books to go through. This is by no means the group of disabled henros fault, but sometimes you wish that there was one line for the groups and one for the solitary henros. Light is now dwindling and I know that I have still some more walk to do before I finish this day. I have to retrace my steps on the forest path leaving the temple as my lens cap found out it was a good idea to drop to the ground, but it is quite a pleasant walk, so no grudges there.

At Michibiki Daishi.

Meisekiji.

Now, it does feel good to arrive at my place for the night, Business Hotel Matsu-ya, the ryokan with the same name and with a star in the guidebook was closed this day. To my joy, New Caledonia is at the hotel also. Unsure for a very short time, but then I recognize Didier that has shaved since last time I saw them three days ago. We go out for dinner together, finding an italian place called Materiale Da Qui. The food is near excellent, especially after such a rainy walk. As the bad weather will continue, they have decided to take the bus to Matsuyama tomorrow. That probably mean I will not be seeing them again.

Emperor of his own tiny island, this statue stands guarding at the entrance to Uwa from the forest path after Meisekiji.

The weather brought me on an emotional rollercoaster of a sort today, but at the end of the day, I feel quite satisfied. Of course, when the day ends in a good way, it makes you remember it in a more positive way too.

Dinner with the New Caledonians, Julien, Alain, Didier, Yves and me.

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