always further away from where I was

Monday, September 25, 2017

Shikoku Henro Michi // day 5 // Kokufu - Kushibuchi

Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, day 5.
Temples: #18-19 (Onzanji, Tatsueji).
Distance: 25.5km (122.3km), time spent: 9:47.
Weather: Wonderful.

From here the official route goes through the centre of Tokushima. Which means a long and monotonous walk with little change of scenery along the way. I do not look forward to it. Instead I look forward at the map and locate the Jizō-goe route crossing over Mount Bizan. All the more alluring to me. I am more drawn towards landscapes than cityscapes. So my plan is set, except where I will end up when I stop walking today.

A pond next to the Jizōin temple before the start of the Jizō-goe route. On tables next to the pond, there were old people sitting, talking, and playing cards.

The weather is in an equally good mood as I am after a good nights sleep. It is a little noticeable walk to the small pond and temple (Jizōin) that marks the beginning of the Jizō-goe route over the mountain. The path up appears to be little used, with numerous spiderwebs blocking the way. All of them with nasty spiders crawling in them, not so charming as the surroundings. On the way, a man sits in a makeshift rest hut, trying to convey something to me, as if the path is closed or something. I clearly misunderstand and continue walking.

A statue with a broken umbrella sits guarding over the Jizō-goe route.

I doubt many other henros are walking this way, mostly sticking to the official route through Tokushima, though I could be wrong. The path over is disused, tight and steep at short times. At the top a small convent of statues. A short final brush down through the trees, and then a walk on road trying to locate the main path again, but I do not stop there. By returning to the main path.

One of the clear passages on the path over the Azuri pass.

There is another alternate route, going over another pass, Azuri, that I take. It is a mistake. No one goes on that path. By the look of it at least. Constantly brushing aside vegetation and the now ever present spiderwebs, it is not a fun ride. I really do not want any of those spiders to crawl around on me. The tiny statues at the top of this pass though, was cute. Emerging out from the forest on the other side, I hope to be finished with this path. Only to find out that there is more to come, and even more overgrown. I have no clue to what things I brush past as I push through the thick vegetation blocking my way. Broken and lost buildings in the trees. Finally, I arrive at a road again. Next to a nice Shinto shrine, Jizōin.

Tiny Buddha figure at the top of the Azuri pass.

Returning to the fold again, I meet another henro almost immediately. His name is Tomoyoshi Kubo and should influence my pilgrimage at a later stage, although I do not know it at this time. We keep company from here on. Now here is an interesting (and funny) fact, although an disputed fact. Next to the trail lies what is noted in the guidebook as the lowest mountain in Japan, Mount Benten at 6.1m. I just have to climb it. It is barely more than a large boulder, but there is a small shrine at its top. With my successful ascent, I can now add my name to the (probably very long) list of the conquerors of this mighty mountain.

Picture taken when summiting the lowest mountain in Japan at 6.1m, Bentenyama.

Coming down from the high altitude, I join up with Tomoyoshi-san and head for a place to eat lunch. He wants to give it to me as osettai, but instead we both end up being given lunch as osettai from a woman at the place we stop at. The long walk through the outskirts of Komatsushima is of course not as tense as my excursions over the Jizō-goe and Azuri passes. Plenty of wind though, which makes wearing the sedgehat quite tedious.

Horse and fierce samurai warrior statues at the top of Hatayama.

The path up to temple 18, Onzanji (The Temple of Gratitude Mountain), is a wonderful old path on stairs of stone covered by moss. Women was originally not allowed to enter the temple, but when Kūkai's mother came to visit the temple while he was training there, he performed an esoteric rite that lasted for seventeen days. Upon his completion of the rite, women was allowed to enter. Good thing that is, for it is a lovely temple, which should be open for all.

Leaving the temple, the path goes through another of those bamboo forest that I like. This one, like every other carries the consent that what happens is to be, so there are fallen bamboo trees crossing all over the place. There are however no ninjas in them when I look up though.

Statue of Kōbō Daishi at the entrance of the Onzanji temple.

Tatsueji (The Temple of Arising a Bay), #19, is an uneventful, but hot, four kilometers after Onzanji. Not surrounded by trees this time, but by buildings. Although all temples are like small oases in their surroundings. I find this one wonderful too, then of course, having a pagoda at a temple increases my admiration of it. There is one thing that unfortunately bothers me here, the kids running and screaming around all over the place. I thought the temples was a place for quiet contemplation.

Onzanji, the eighteenth temple.

On any walk that I do, I expect to meet other people, from different places. What I had not expected was to meet a group of henros coming from no other than New Caledonia. Julien and Didier are sitting at a bench next to the temple gates and I join them for a while, conversing in a mix of english and french (they speak french at the tiny island). There is another of the group, Yves, who is resting back at the place they will spend the night at. It is a nice meeting.

Tomoyoshi-san going through the bamboo forest after Onzanji.

For my Japanese friend, Tomoyoshi-san, it is also the end of his day. He will take a train back to Tokushima from here. Before he go, he gives me his card and tells me to give him a call when I am either at temple 68/69, 70 or 71 and he will come and pick me up for a stay in his zenkonyado. Such wonderful hospitality. I have still a lot of kilometers to walk and temples to visit before I get there, so I hope I will not forget it.

Ornaments and lamp in the roof at Tatsueji.

I am however not finished with my day, I have a small hope to get to Katsuura and the Hinanosayo michi-no-eki (road station) there, it should have a place to camp and a restaurant to eat at. Time is not on my side, so for safety, I stock up on some few provisions in a small nearby store (and two beers from a vending-machine, teenagers would go wild about these back home).

At Tatsueji.

Near Hosenji, a rather uninteresting temple in Kushibuchi, there is another zenkonyado. It was marked in the guidebook and was my plan b if the time got tight. It has, but the free hut is extremely hot inside, messy, dusty and not very inviting. Although, I see no other choice than staying at the place. I let the two fans get to work, while I sit outside waiting for it to cool down.

Inside the zenkonyado near the Hosenji temple in Kushibuchi, my home for the night.

I eat my meagre dinner and drink my two beers, then relax. There are cockroaches crawling around on the tatami-mats. I only use the futons available as underlay for my sleeping madrass and sleeping bag. Still grateful for these free shelters though. A far from uninteresting day.

<- KokufuByōdōji ->

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Shikoku Henro Michi // day 4 // Nabeiwa - Kokufu

Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, day 4.
Temples: #13-17 (Dainichiji, Jōrakuji, Kokubunji, Kannonji, Idoji).
Distance: 29.8km (96.8km), time spent: 10:39.
Weather: Light overcast.

The fourth day rises with yet another set of temples in the horizon, as well with the added knowledge that I do not know where I will go to or how far. Today, I make the way as I go, almost, I still have a marked trail to follow. Which after breakfast leads up to the Tamaga-tōge pass on a good path through the forest. I soon follow another henro, whose walk and figure are illuminated by the sunrays through the trees.

A henro illuminated by the sunrays on the path up to the Tamaga-tōge pass.

After the Tamaga-tōge pass and the small shrine at the top, paved road replaces the path. To atone for the walk on hard surface, the views opens up and I walk looking out over the landscape below me and across the valley. It is beautiful and I quickly forget about the absence of vegetation beneath my feet.

View from the path after Tamaga-tōge.

The bottom of the valley greets me with a village that appear to have more dolls as inhabitants than living people. There are dolls sitting at a bus stop, in the fields, there is a policeman and there are even two henro dolls. Is this a custom that has spread from a deserted town in another part of Shikoku, Nagaro? Whose inhabitants mostly are dolls posing in natural attire next to the road, fields and houses. This is due to a local resident that started to make dolls of a person when they either moved away or died, as seen in the video you find at this link: Dolls replace humans in this deserted town (National Geographic). It is amusing, but also slightly eerie in a way.

Sharing a bench with two of the doll inhabitants of a village after coming down from the mountain.

As the dolls waves me goodbye, the trail follows the Akui river down the valley. And will do so almost all the way to the next temple, Dainichiji, but I have other plans. Looking at the map, or the guidebook actually as it mostly is a book with all the maps you need to make the pilgrimage, I can see that there is an alternate route going up to the okunoin of Dainichiji, a temple named Konjiji. Before leaving for that path, I go through Hirono where most of the inhabitants seems gathered at the local school for some festivities. Yielding a lot more life than the previous place.

Konjiji, the okunoin of Dainichiji, lies up in the mountains with good views over the landscape below.

If I want to visit Konjiji, I have to do a little bit more climbing than I would had I followed the river to Dainichiji instead. The climb is worth it, though I am not totally at ease on the last part of the walk, where I walk among scuttling monkeys all around me on a path not entirely easy to follow. Konjiji rewards me with a beautiful view over the oncoming landscape and is otherwise a characteristic temple up in the hills. I spend an additional blank page in my nōkyōchō on a temple stamp from here.

A small jizō statue watches over a steep path, aided by metal chains, on the way down from Konjiji.

It is the path down from Konjiji that is the best part of visiting it. Going through a wonderful bamboo forest next to numerous tiny shrines and statues, another Small Shikoku 88 Temples Site. At one place, I have to climb down a cliffside using a large metal chain. At the end is a beautiful place underneath the cliffs, made up by a small shrine, a drizzling waterfall (Konji Falls) with a jizō statue and stone stairs going up and down. I am so glad I chose to walk this way, rather than the traditional path.

Konji Falls, a marvellous site located in the woods underneath the cliffs.

Of course, back at the usual way, I start to wonder about the time left. At about half past two, I bow once and enter through the temple gate of Dainichiji (The Temple Of The Great Sun), #13. The temple looks traditional, but is nice, though I find the Shinto shrine on the other side of the road more interesting. Ichinomiya Jinja, that is taken care of by the staff at Dainichiji. There is a henro bus group at the temple, which would follow me further.

Ichinomiya Jinja, separated from Dainichiji under the persecution of Buddhism at the beginning of the Meiji Period.

Luckily, timewise, the temples now follow each other quickly in succession. Jōrakuji (The Temple Of Everlasting Peace), number fourteen, is a scenic temple that I like the moment I arrive at it. The temple grounds are natural, with an uneven rock bed. The henro group are here as well, and I get a green osamefuda from a woman among them. A green osamefuda means that you have done the pilgrimage between 5-7 times. I have white nameslips, for those who walk it for the first to fourth time. For 8 to 24 times you use a red one, for 25-49 silver, 50 to 99 is gold. Brocade is the last, for those having done it more than 100 times.

At Jōrakuji, a bus group of pilgrims gather outside the daishido to pray.

Just after leaving the temple, a woman stops me and gives me a small pouch that I can use to keep the coins for the donations at the temple as osettai (there are also candy in the pouch). Osettai are 'gifts' given to henros, given to either help or show your support to the pilgrims. It is considered impolite to refuse an offer of osettai, as it is also believed that by giving it to a pilgrim, you also is giving to Kōbō Daishi.

Getting my nōkyōchō-book stamped at Kokubunji.

(Awa) Kokubunji (The Official State Temple), is the fifteenth temple out and is just one kilometer away. Here the main hall is under maintenance and maybe due to that the least interesting temple so far. The first temple I have rushed a little. The henro group is here as well. Having left the mountains behind, the walk from now goes on flat ground next to a busy road to temple #16, Kannonji (Avalokitesvara Temple). A small, but pretty temple in the middle of town buildings.

Kannonji temple.

Where I would spend the night has for some time been unclear, though the easiest solution is to take the train to Tokushima and find a hotel there (I am not following the arrows longer at this point, with no intention to go all the way there today). However, not far from Kannonji there is another hut available for pilgrims to stay at and I plan to check that out before deciding to head for Tokushima. The first impression is rather bad, it does not look very inviting to me. Then a man from the taxi company providing the zenkonyado (free stays for henros) bid me take a closer look at it and I change my mind.

Looking at Idoji temple through the temple gates.

Still time to visit Idoji (Well Temple), I hurry onward and reaches #17 just before closing time. I do it the other way around here, getting my nōkyōchō stamped before I go through the rituals. I feel kind at peace at this temple, as the light on the sky is waning. I then turn back and follows the henromichi down to the busy road going through Kokufu, and returns by that to the zenkonyado.

Evening sun in Kokufu.

This one does not look as nice as Kamonoyu from the outside, but is even nicer on the inside. Though, it does not have the luxury of an onsen next door. It does however have a shower, toilet and a washing machine available. It is really nice inside, with two rooms with tatami mats and apparently clean futons to sleep in. Tv also, but best of all, it has an air conditioner. All for free, how kind it is of the people here to provide these places.

Inside the zenkonyado Sakae Taxi in Kokufu so kindly offer to the walking henros.

Shortly down the street there is a rice and curry house, which provides me with my dinner. Even closer by is a Family Mart, one of the numerous convenience stores here, providing me with some goodies for the evening. Quite the remarkable and varied day. There is another reason why I did not want to go all the way to Tokushima, but that is all part of the plan for tomorrow and I will not go into detail on that today. Now I just sit and relax in my place for tonight, among the multitude of nameslips in various colors on the walls.

<- NabeiwaKushibuchi ->

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Shikoku Henro Michi // day 3 // Kamojima - Nabeiwa

Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, day 3.
Temples: #11-12 (Fujiidera, Shōsanji).
Distance: 22.4km (67.0km), time spent: 9:42.
Weather: Slightly overcast, but some sun also.

Looking at the elevation profile of the trail, there is one thing that stands out, it resembles a sound diagram of quiet music with sudden spikes of loud music. The spikes are the mountains that you encounter between the relatively flat ground you otherwise walk on. Today, I encounter the first of those spikes when the henromichi takes me up into the mountains to visit Shōsanji, the twelfth temple.

Outside Kamonoyu in the morning.

The weather is nice outside when I wake up, but there are clouds in the horizon, no rain is imminent however. It took some time for me to fall asleep last night, so I am a little bit groggy in the morning as I leave Kamonoyu to venture up into the mountains. While walking on the road at the beginning, a car stop by next to me and a man comes out and begin to adjust the straps of my backpack, I continue walking with a slightly painful pressure on my chest. Needless to say, I do not walk long before I have to readjust it back.

A worshipper at Fujiidera.

Fujiidera (Wisteria Temple), temple #11, is not far away from my small shelter in Kamojima and lies at the slopes of the mountains ahead of me. Still, I manage to go wrong, though I cannot see how. I meet a man walking a cobble of dogs, who guides me through a path in the forest back to temple. Saturday, the temple is bustling with people. That may be the reason why I cannot entirely enjoy it there, it looks otherwise like a peaceful place with some nice old buildings, with trees looming over them.

From Fujiidera the trail goes past a Mini Shikoku 88 Temples Site, a smaller version of the 88-temple pilgrimage route.

The route going past one of the small shrines dedicated to a temple on the pilgrimage, next to a small waterfall.

Almost unseenly at the back of the temple I find the path leading up under the shelter of the trees. Quickly I discover that this is another world of the pilgrimage, as I walk further and further up, with the sounds from the temple receding as I go. This is also a Mini Shikoku 88 Temples Site, meaning that next to the path I walk on there are small shrines dedicated to each temple on the pilgrimage. I pass by a small waterfall that fills up the air with the sound of the water flowing down. It is a beautiful walk. Soon also the tiny shrines recedes and it is only me and the trees left.

There is a mystic aura around the Chōdo-an shrine when I walk past it on my way.

From other blogs that I have read, I had been warned about that it would be a steep climb up, and that it would not be a continuous climb, but a series of ascents and descents before I can enter through the temple gates at Shōsanji. I was prepared for this, due to Japans proximity to South-Korea I had expected it to be of a similar kind to what I experienced there. Steep it is at times, often aided by wooden steps put into the ground. I wonder if I have brought enough water with me.

After Chōdo-an you come to a great viewpoint where you can look out over the valley floor of the previous days on the pilgrimage, tracing your footsteps between the villages and open land. And wondering about the time you will come down from the mountains behind when you finish the pilgrimage.

Cloaked by the trees, I walk by three shrines on the way, Chōdo-an, Ryūsui-an, and Jōren-an. Both Chōdo-an and Jōren-an are of the mysterious kind, especially in this setting with clouds slowly drifting past the buildings. Watching over my approach to Jōren-an on a long staircase made of stone is a large statue of Kōbō Daishi. It is a nice spot next to a huge wonderful tree, but the buildings looks old and worn. Another man is there, giving me a sudachi (a citrus fruit) to taste while we have a short conversation.

A typical path on the climb up to Shōsanji, steep up on wooden stairs in the ground.

As in Korea, you also walk in the mountains under cover of the trees mostly, with the occasional opening up to the outside world. Undulating up and down in an atmospheric environment. The clouds soon took place on the sky, with moments of sun in between. This is wonderful when I am walking on top of a ridge where the sunrays are filtered through the clouds seeping across the path. A play of light and shadow. The best views comes just after Chōdo-an where I can look back over the flat valley floor of the two previous days, and in the valley you come to before starting the final steep ascent to Shōsanji.

At the top of a ridge, the sunrays plays a game of light through the drifting clouds.

Shōsanji (Burning Mountain Temple) is situated at about 700 metres. Emerging out of the forest, I follow a row of ornamented stone lamps on a stone fence past several tiny shrines and statues on the entryway to the temple. Situated up into the mountains it is another favorite of mine so far. It is far more quieter here than I had expected, given the throng of people at Fujiidera. I go through the temple rituals, wanders a little about the temple, get my nōkyōchō-book stamped and sit down to eat lunch. Then curiosity strikes again.

Looking down at Ryūsui-an. Further down from this shrine, there is a nice henro hut available for the henroes to stay at.

Approaching Jōren-an with Kōbō Daishi watching over you when you climb the stone stairs leading to the shrine.

Above the temple, on the summit of Shōsanjiyama itself, lies Zaō Daigongen. Which is the inner sanctum and okunoin to the temple. I can leave my backpack behind at the temple office while I climb up to it. The path up is nice, even with the spiderwebs with some nasty looking spiders in them crossing over the path. I pass by the site where Kōbō Daishi apparently sealed a dragon inside, marked by two small statues and a shrine. At the summit is a larger shrine, I ring the bell at the shrine. The views from the top is broken, but I can still see the valleys below and hills and mountains afar. Back at Shōsanji, I get a separate stamp for Zaō Daigongen in my book, and a thumbs up from the staff.

A great view from the tiny village at the bottom of the last valley before the final steep climb to Shōsanji.

I have three more kilometres to go before I get to my accommodation for the night at Nabeiwa, Sudachi-kan. Going there I do feel kind of following Following the Arrows, a blog that I have been reading prior to this journey. We have now done the pilgrimage in almost the exact same way so far.

Shōsanji, nestled underneath the mountain with the same name.

Zaō Daigongen at the top of Shōsanjiyama.

Sudachi-kan is run by a friendly elderly couple and is proof that you can get along even when you do not speak the same language. After having showered, they serve me a good dinner in their little shop. I notice that they collect notes from different countries around the world, so I donate one 50 kroner note from Norway to their collection. No street lights in the small village as expected, and in the evening I sit outside my room listening to the sounds of the night from the woods around. I am the only guest. I has been a wonderful day.

View from the top of Shōsanjiyama.

<- KamojimaKokufu ->

Friday, September 22, 2017

Shikoku Henro Michi // day 2 // Anrakuji - Kamojima

Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, day 2.
Temples: #7-10 (Jūrakuji, Kumadaniji, Hōrinji, Kirihataji).
Distance: 24.6km (44.6km), time spent: 8:25.
Weather: Rainy.

In the morning, I arrive at the breakfast table where I find a large note at my place saying that I cannot eat seafood, cleary they want to avoid any further misunderstandings. Breakfast is like a selection of small dishes, both similar and not similar to the Spanish tapas in a way (though you do not get that as breakfast on the Camino), I guess this is what I need to be used to when it comes to breakfast here. It is different, but far from bad though, and more than enough food.

At Jūrakuji, a statue of Fudō Myōō, a being that remains stalwart and unmovable (fudō) so to be able to block the various tricks of evil.

This was to be another day with several temples to visit, although not as many as yesterday. First off was Jūrakuji (The Temple of Ten Joys), the seventh temple, just a stone throw away from Anrakuji. I think the huge hotel complex somehow throws me off at this temple, it sort of takes up all the space of the temple. Although there are some nice statues here and the small shrine inside the bell tower is nice. At the nōkyōchō-office, the woman stamps my book with an indifferent look on her face.

View from the Goshoohashi Bridge on the way from Jūrakuji to Kumadaniji.

I walked together with Johan, Kaja and their Japanese friend from Anrakuji, with me lagging behind and catching up all the time. They walk constantly, but as I am curious, I keep looking at things and places, with my camera at hand. At each temple, I arrive later and later after them. This goes on until Kirihataji (the tenth temple), at this point I arrive at the time they are about to leave. On the way, a local woman wants me to take a picture of a flower, of unknown reasons, so I do that.

It is hard to tell if it is any different scenery today than yesterday, as it started raining soon after we left Jūrakuji, but it does feel more open. There was a lot more walking through fields and acres, farther away from the hills and mountains, which were partly obscured by the clouds. So far, I have had no problems finding my way. Waymarking on the Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage varies from various stickers of different sizes with a red arrow on them (and something a henro mini figure), small ribbons tied to twigs and branches, to wooden poles pointing the way.

The old pagoda at Kumadaniji appearing between the trees.

Temple eight, Kumadaniji (Bear Valley Temple), is a wonderful temple set into the hills and forests. Although I would have loved to see it on a sunny day, the weather of the day gives it a truly serene atmosphere. I see or hear no bears when I am the temple, but there are monkeys in the trees surrounding the temple. My fascination of the pagodas and the temple gates (sanmon) are growing for each one I see. The pagoda at Kumadaniji is said to be one of the oldest in Shikoku.

The temple gate or sanmon at Kumadaniji, believed to be finest of all the 88 fudasho temples.

The scenery is certainly more open on the way to the next and ninth temple, Hōrinji (The Dharma Wheel Temple). This is a more modest temple situated in the middle of flat fields of cultivated land. I like it. Quiet here, not many other henros or worshippers. Relaxing, while listening to the rain falling on the roofs of the temple, before I go and listen to the rain falling on my sedgehat. It is a quite nice hat when it is raining, feels like having an umbrella on my head.

In the rain I pass by stacks of rice straw hanging up to dry (not much drying today though). This is similar to a custom in Norway that is becoming more and more rare, hanging out hay to dry on wooden racks. I pass by small fascinating cemeteries that are overgrowing. I pass by small shrines and idols, some like small stone gardens. I pass by several warning signs of snakes, but I see no one.

From the ninth temple, Hōrinji.

Then I arrive at temple #10, Kirihataji (Cut Cloth Temple). That is, I arrive at the bottom of it. To get to the temple itself, I have to climb about 330 steps, but I quickly forget about them when I start to climb. The walk up is so beautiful and atmospheric, with the sounds of the rain dripping through the leaves and branches of the trees all around me. In the rain all the green becomes so enhanced. I feel like I am walking into a forgotten realm. At the top of the stairs lies the temple buildings, with a nice pagoda watching over them. This and Kumadaniji are the kind of temples you need to spend some extra time at.

Rice straw hanging out to dry on stacks, with the mountains in the background besieged by clouds.

Johan, Kaja and their Japanese friend are going to eat lunch, they tell me where they will eat. When I arrive at the restaurant however, Udon-tei, they are not to be seen. I surmise they had already finished eating when I finally got there, I am a little bit downcast about that. Almost finished eating, I see them passing by outside the restaurant. They had decided to eat another place instead.

On the way to Kirihataji, I pass by this shrine next to the road, Azukiarai Daishi.

After Kirihataji, the rain had picked up, it certainly did not get any better. In the direction I am going, the mountains are besieged by the rain clouds. I am getting wet now, but my only concern is that I know I will be walking up into those mountains tomorrow. With rain, that might be hard day ahead of me. I am walking over Zennyūjima Island alone, the first feeling of being in a remote place I have had so far. I wind my raincoat tighter around myself, actually enjoying myself on this part.

The climb up to Kirihataji consists of about 330 steps, but it is a wonderful walk up through the woods to get to the temple.

On the other side of the bridge crossing Yoshino River at the outskirts of Kamojima, I can see Johan and Kaja. I overtake them just in time to get to say farewell, as it is uncertain if I will meet them again. We could not get a reservation at Shōsanji (temple #12), and they were uncertain if they would manage to walk the additional kilometres to the next place to stay. They have decided to skip that temple, they will be ahead of me from now on.

In Kamojima I find the place I want to stay the night at. It is quite the unbelievable place, and it is all for free. Next to the Kamojima Onsen lies a small hut, Kamonoyu. It has two small rooms with tatami mats, a washing machine, a sitting place outside and a toilet nearby. And best of all. It is next to an onsen, a Japanese bathhouse. After walking in the rain almost all day, it is wonderful to slip down into a steaming hot bath. After my bath, I sit outside the hut, relaxing with a cold beer that I bought earlier from a vending machine.

Kirihataji.

For dinner, I head down into the town centre where I eat at an Indian restaurant. Yes, I am in Japan and I am eating at an Indian restaurant, but I mistook the place for a rice and curry place. It is a buffet, so I get enough to eat. Then I stock up on some snacks in a convenience store and return back 'home'. No one else has arrived while I was away. I had expected Otsu-san to show up, at least here, but I have seen no sign of him all day.

Inside Kamonoyu, a free hut for henros to spend the night at in Kamojima, right next to the Kamojima Onsen.

Despite the weather, it has been a nice day. And it ends with me sitting outside this wonderful free hut, relaxing in the dark until it gets chilly and I retreats inside. A man on the way to the bathhouse stops by to give me two small lucky charms as osettai. I will return to that subject in a later post. I read some in the light inside the hut, while looking at all the nameslips hanging on the wall. A large spider crawls around on the outside of the door. Tomorrow, the mountains awaits, it is not supposed to be rain.

<- AnrakujiNabeiwa ->

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Shikoku Henro Michi // day 1 // Ryōzenji - Anrakuji

Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, day 1.
Temples: #1-6 (Ryōzenji, Gokurakuji, Konsenji, Dainichiji, Jizōji, Anrakuji).
Distance: 20.0km (20.0km), time spent: 6:45.
Weather: Warm and sunny.

Yesterday, I had stood in my hotel room in Tokushima looking down at the items on display on my bed. In front of me, I had one sedgehat (sugegasa) and a white vest (hakui) with inscriptions on, a nōkyōchō-book, a stole (wagesa), a white bag (zudabukuro) and a stack of nameslips (osamefuda). All items that would associate me with being a henro on the Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, except the staff (kongōzue) which I know will just be in my way. Now, I stand at the gate of the first temple on the pilgrimage, Ryōzenji (the Vulture's Peak Temple), with the reality of what I have embarked upon in front of me. I had received some curious and sceptic looks from the other guests at the hotel during breakfast, before I took the short trainride to Bandō and walked the ten minutes to Ryōzenji. This time, it was for real, what awaited me around every next corner was unknown.

Ryōzenji, the first temple on the Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage. To get there from my home in Oslo, I flew to Tokyo, spent one night there and then took the Shinkansen to Osaka and a bus from there to Tokushima. From Tokushima there is a short train ride to Bandō which is a ten minutes walk from the temple.

I had read about what I was supposed to be doing at each temple, but to carry them out in reality was something else. At each temple, you are supposed to bow once at the main gate facing the main hall (hondo), wash my hands and mouth in the wash basin (this is the point where I can put on the wagesa), ring the bell in the bell tower to mark my arrival, then recite the sutras at the main hall (this involves lighting incense and a candle, ring the bell at the hall, place the nameslip (osamefuda) in the proper box and give a donation to the offertory box), repeat the previous step at the daishido hall. I can now receive the temple stamp, as a proof that I have visited the temple, in my nōkyōchō-book. When I leave the temple, I should once again at the main gate turn towards the main hall and bow once. Simple? Not at first, but practice makes you better. The language barrier is the difficult part. At Ryōzenji, I recite the sutras silently, while listening to the other henros.

Gokurakuji, the second temple, a groundsman was tending a small fire in the backyard of the temple, adding some smoke to enhance the atmosphere of the temple.

Some few words about the nōkyōchō-book. This acts as a proof that you have visited the temple and shown your respect to Buddha and Kōbō Daishi. At each temple you get a temple stamp and calligraphy in the book, the calligraphy is done by hand. When you have finished your pilgrimage, you will have an unique souvenir from your journey. It is a small, but proud, moment when I get my first temple stamp in my book.

I then start walking. On this day, the temples will come as pearls on a string, a proper way to practice the rituals for the rest of the journey. I will visit six temples in total, at the sixth temple, Anrakuji, I will spend the night. There is another henro starting at the same time, a Japanese man dragging his belongings behind him on a trolley. He does not speak English, but we exchange a few pleasantries as we start walking.

A small and red pagoda at Konsenji.

Only a kilometre and half separates the first temple from the next, Gokurakuji (Pure Land Temple / Paradise Temple). Although I liked Ryōzenji, Gokurakuji feels nicer, more secluded. This time, I recite the sutras out load, as good as I can. I try not to rush my time at the temples, I want to experience the feel of a temple before I move on.

"Bussetsu ma ka han nya ha ra mi ta shin gyou / Kan ji zai bo sa gyou jin han nya ha ra mi ta ji / Shou ken go un kai kuu do issai ku yaku / Sha ri shi shiki fu i kuu kuu fu i shiki / Shiki soku ze kuu kuu soku ze shiki / Ju sou gyou shiki yaku bu nyo ze / Sha ri shi ze sho hou kuu sou / Fu shou fu metsu fu ku fu jou fu zou fu gen / Ze ko kuu juu mu shiki mu ju sou gyou shiki / Mu gen ni bi zesshin ni mu shiki shou kou mi soku hou / Mu gen kai nai shi mu i shiki kai / Mu mu myou yaku mu mu myou jin nai shi mu rou shi yaku mu rou shi jin / Mu ku juu metsu dou / Mu chi yaku mu toku i mu sho tokko / Bo dai satta e han nya ha ra mi ta ko / Shin mu ke ge mu ke ge ko / Mu u ku fu on ri issai ten dou mu sou kuu gyou ne han / San ze sho butsu e han nya ha ra mi ta ko / Toku a noku ta ra san myaku san bo dai / Ko chi han nya ha ra mi ta / Ze dai jin shu ze dai myou shu ze mu jou shu ze mu tou dou shu / No jo issai ku shin jitsu fu ko / Ko setsu han nya ha ra mi ta shu soku sesshu watsu / Gya tei gya tei ha ra gya tei ha ra sou gya tei bo ji so wa ka / Han nya shin gyou"
Hannya Shin-Gyō (heart sutra).

The walk between the temples mostly went through small villages and cultivated land and was in that way not as exciting, but it was pleasant enough. The weather was however brilliant, and it was the temples that I visited that occupied most of my mind today. I came to temple #3, Konsenji (Golden Spring Temple) through the backway so to speak, with a feeling of sneeking into the temple. This was also in a quiet spot, had a small pond and nice red pagoda. I spend some time just sitting on a bench and breathing in the atmosphere of the place, while a bus group of henros are chanting the sutras in unison.

An underpass decoration adding some colours to its grey surroundings.

From Konsenji, the walk took me past more of the cultivated landscape, but also introduced some short sections going through woods. These were pleasant breaks from the otherwise somewhat monotonous walk past peoples homes. Though, I almost step on a green snake that quickly slithered away in one of them. At Aizen-in, a small temple that is the okunoin or the inner sanctum of Konsenji, I receive some warm green tea and spend some time talking with one of the monks.

Temple #4, Dainichiji (The Temple of the Great Sun), differed from the others by taking me on a short detour up into a forested valley between low lying hills. At the same time the temple looks nice, I do not feel the same atmosphere over this temple as in the others so far. The Japanese henro with the trolley has been trailing me all day. Normally, I arrive at a temple a short time before him. I love the way he is reciting the sutras, there is a lot more determination and melody to his reciting than the others that I have heard so far.

One of the few wooded sections on the first day, going over a tiny pass on the way to Dainichiji.

I first mistake Gohyaku Rakan for temple #5, Jizōji (The Earthbearer's Temple), wondering where I find almost everything I need to conduct the rituals. It does not have an appearance similar to those I have visited, and also appear to be under maintenance, then I learn that it is not the main temple itself, but the okunoin. The temple I seek lies just below it. It is very quiet there when I arrive, the temple buildings are nice, but with a common looking layout.

Going through the gate to the fourth temple, Dainichiji.

By the time, I arrive at the first henro hut on my journey, Kanyake, I have worked up a solid craving for a cup of coffee and some more food. There are a lot of wending machines here, some of them even sell beer (huge beer bottles as well), but they cannot cater to this need. Looking at my guidebook, I see that there is a 7/11 nearby. When I return to the hut with a hot coffee and some pastries, the man with the trolley has installed himself in the hut. I learn that his name is Hisatada Otsu, he will spend the night here. From what I understand, he plans to stay at so many free places he can. I reckon I will meet him again tomorrow, at least at where I plan to spend the night then.

The walk around and to the fifth temple, Jizōji, from Gohyaku Rakan.

I arrive at my destination and final temple, Anrakuji (The temple of Everlasting Joy), I have just time to go through the temple rituals for this day. The most notably feature of this temple is the nice carp pond set in a small garden next to a nice pagoda. I then enter a new world of accommodation. Paid accommodation at a temple is called shukubō. I get a nice room with tatami mats and a futon, quite different than what I am used to sleep in. The best thing is the private bathhouse of the temple, even though it was a hot day, it feels good to get a soak in the very hot water.

Kanyake henro hut. This is a part of the Henro-Goya Project, where volunteers have build several huts for the henros in order to spread and preserve the culture of the Shikoku pilgrimage. A list of all the huts can be found here.

Quite unexpectedly, there is a Danish couple, Johan and Kaja, also staying at the temple and we arrange for us to sit together at the dinner. They are walking the pilgrimage together with a Japanese friend who they met doing the Camino de Santiago a couple of years back. I get a lot of food, and good, especially through the confusion that reigns when I produce my note saying that I am allergic to any seafood except fish. They start cooking up more food for me, but we soon find out that I can actually eat a lot more of what I originally was given than we thought.

At my last temple of the day and where I will spend the night, Anrakuji.

In the evening, I attend a ceremony at the temple. Beforehand, we were told to write down the name of a deceased person that were close to you on a piece of paper and fit it to a small branch and then write down a wish on a thin piece of wood. At this we were given a sort of tour through the temple, with a sermon and all. This included coming to a darkly lit tunnel where an illuminated stream of water ran through, where we were supposed to put the branch with the name of the deceased one on small 'islands' in the stream. We should then light up a small candle that we let go into the stream of water, and can look at the lights drifting past the islands with the branches on. We then lighted up the piece of wood with wishes on, while we were chanting some sutra. It was all very nice and emotional, and I cannot but feel kind of sad (but in a good way) as this brings back memories of the one I wrote on my twig. And then I feel joy as memories of the one I wrote a wish for on the piece of wood comes to me.

Eating dinner at Anrakuji, together with Johan, Kaja and their Japanese friend.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow. The scenery of today might not have been the most interesting, but the number of temples more than made up for that, I have had a nice first day on the Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage. And an interesting one as well, I am curious of what will follow.

Kamojima ->

Monday, September 18, 2017

Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage

The Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage is a pilgrim route on the island of Shikoku in the western part of Japan, the smallest of its islands. It follows an ancient pilgrim trail believed to be the route Kōbō Daishi, a famous Japanese scholar and priest who is the founder of the Shingon Buddhism, walked on his ascetic training around Shikoku. The main purpose of the pilgrimage is to visit the 88 main temples or sacred places associated with the pilgrimage. There are also 20 bangai (outside the numbers) temples associated with the pilgrimage. If you visit the 88 main temples, the trail is about 1150km long; if you also visit the 20 bangai temples, it will be about 1300km. The route is also considered circular, as it is customary to return to the temple you started your pilgrimage from. It is also customary to visit Kōyasan after you finish your pilgrimage, the mountain top where Kōbō Daishi established the Shingon school of Buddhism (in 819) and where he is said to be sleeping in eternal meditation. On your travel around Shikoku, you will pass through the four provinces of Shikoku that is also considered the four stages of enlightenment. Tokushima prefecture (place of spiritual awakening), Kochi prefecture (place of ascetic training), Ehime prefecture (place of enlightenment), Kagawa (place of nirvana).

The motto for the pilgrimage is "Dōgyō Ninin" (We Two, Traveling Together). In the fall of 2017, I took it upon me to be a henro and traveled to Shikoku where I walked with Kōbō Daishi around the island, here you will find my tale:

Day 1 (21.09):Ryōzenji - Anrakuji

Day 2 (22.09):Anrakuji - Kamojima

Day 3 (23.09):Kamojima - Nabeiwa

Day 4 (24.09):Nabeiwa - Kokufu

Day 5 (25.09):Kokufu - Kushibuchi

Day 6 (26.09):Kushibuchi - Byōdōji

Day 7 (27.09):Byōdōji - Hiwasa

Day 8 (28.09):Hiwasa - Kaifu

Day 9 (29.09):Kaifu - Ozaki

Day 10 (30.09):Ozaki - Kongōchōji

Day 11 (01.10):Kongōchōji - Tōnohama

Day 12 (02.10):Tōnohama - Kagami