Pork in the Road

Since I was very young, I had been reading about the Banaue Rice Terraces, they were included in our social studies and Philippine history textbooks. Billed as one of the "seven wonders of the world" I always wished that I could see them one day. Somehow I never quite got around to doing that -- until a few months ago.

After our visit to Batad, our guide John had another surprise waiting for us. Instead of heading back to Banaue, he brought us to Bangaan Rice Terraces, a few kilometers away. Like Batad, it is one of the five terraces designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Our jeep stopped by the roadside and we spilled out to see this fantastic view.

A cluster of native huts lies at the foot of Bangaan terraces. You can trek down to the small village via a staircase (the area I have encircled in red). This view was postcard picture perfect.

We spent some time taking photos until John told us that he had an ever better vantage point from which to see the terraces, just a few hundred meters away (the area encircled in yellow).

From this point, we could see what was not visible from the other side of the road -- a cascade of terraces layered between the Cordillera mountains -- not as symmetrical as the Batad "amphitheatre", Bangaan's terraces look as if some giant hand had strewn them down from the sky.

The small cluster of huts in the midst of the terraces enhanced rather than marred the scenery.
I cannot say the same though for the electric wires that were right in my line of sight.

It was hard to tear oneself away from this extraordinary sight -- after all that I had seen on this short trip to Banaue I now understand why these terraces are called one of the "wonders of the world".

Long may they continue to exist.

Adachi City in the northeastern part of Tokyo is a residential, working class neighbourhood.
Apart from a few parks and a kid friendly petting zoo, there is not much to see or do thus keeping
it well off the beaten tourist track.
However, its relative anonymity is exactly what made it so appealing to me. That plus the presence of Sojiji, a temple associated with my favourite Buddhist saint, Kobo Daishi in the Nishiarai district made Adachi a must-visit place for me.

There are a number of options to go to Nishiarai Station one of which is the Tobu Line which has themed trains wrapped with colourful characters from the Crayon Shinchan manga series. I travelled after rush hour so there was hardly anyone on the train when I got on.

Nishiarai Station is about forty minutes out of downtown Tokyo. It is the transfer point to the local Tobu Daishi Line which goes all the way to Sojiji.

A two car local train whisks commuters from Nishiarai Station to Daishimae station where Sojiji is nearest to. It was just one stop or 4 minutes away -- if I could read or speak Japanese well, I would have ventured there on foot.

Daishimae station was a few hundred meters away from one of the side gates of the temple. On this hot summer day, I tried as hard as I could to stay under the shade of the trees lining the path.

The first thing that greeted me were these kiosks selling cold drinks and yakisoba cooked to order. While the smell of fried noodles and meat wafted so appetisingly, I could not imagine eating hot food in this warm weather.

Further in to the temple grounds were stalls selling potted herbs and flowering plants.
Sojiji is a famous for viewing flowers during different seasons -- there are sakura trees, wisteria and peonies.
A Flower Festival is held annually when the temples' hundreds of peony plants are in full bloom.

Amidst the riot of colorful blooms I spied our local gumamela which are also grown and are very popular in Japan.

The largest structure in the temple grounds is the Dai-hondo or the main hall of Sojiji.

Sojiji is an important temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism founded by Kobo Daishi.

This temple was established by the saint himself when he visited this area in the ninth century.

Inside the Dai-hondo is this magnificent gold altar where the statue of Kannon Bosatsu is enshrined and venerated.

Kobo Daishi himself carved this statue which protected the people from a plague at that time.

Today, Sojiji is regarded as one of three temples in Tokyo where you can come and pray for protection from evil and bad luck. All of us can certainly use that kind of protection.

A wide veranda goes around the Dai-Hondo giving the visitor a bird's eye view of a small pond ringed with trees. Can you see the large lotus plants rising above the water? Lotus is a flower associated with purity and detachment in Buddhism.

A stone bridge crosses the pond -- it is an idyllic place for a solitary stroll.

There is a small shrine to the Budhhist Goddess Benzaiten who is associated with music and the arts. This lovely setting seems like a perfect place for her shrine.

A little further on is this statue of Kobo Daishi dressed as a henro or pilgrim, complete with walking stick and wide brimmed hat.
I am reminded of Santiago or St. James who is also depicted in many instances as a peregrino
or itinerant pilgrim.

Both Santiago and Kobo Daishi have centuries old pilgrimages dedicated to them -- the
Camino de Santiago in Spain and the Hachijuhakkasho-meguri or the 88 Temple pilgrimage in the Japanese island of Shikoku.

Because of his importance to Sojiji, there is a small replica of Kobo Daishi's eternal resting place
or the Okunoin tucked away in a quiet corner of the temple grounds. The original Okunoin is in the sacred mountain of Koyasan, in the Kansai region.

A three story wooden pagoda is called the Sankodo and was built in the 1800s.
Previously one could go in and climb the stairs where small statues of Buddha were on each step. However, it now seems to be closed to the public.
The stall selling vintage kimonos and accessories is not an everyday thing -- apparently the temple hosts a small flea market on select Sundays.

Such an important temple like Sojiji definitely comes with its own Shinto shrine. Buddhism and Shinto co-exist many times, side by side. This inari shrine with the guardian foxes is in one side of the temple grounds.

I spent quite a bit of time just sitting quietly in front of this small pond. Beyond it you can see a part of the main entrance or the Sanmon Gate which was unfortunately under repair when I visited.

Despite the hot and humid day, I spent all morning enjoying the pleasures of Sojiji, in the company
of (I like to think) Kobo Daishi himself.

While it was hard to say good bye, I am sure we will meet again.

Some people welcome the rains because raindrops on the roof make for a pleasant sound to fall asleep to.

I'm lucky that I need not wait for the rains to fall asleep to soothing, mellifluous tones --

I have a neem tree in the front yard laden with wind chimes that melodiously ring through the night.

All my wind chimes are made of metal -- they are souvenirs of my travels to Japan where wind chimes are much loved summertime symbols -- in the sweltering heat, their light tinkling heralds the

appearance of a much needed cooling breeze.

I can only surmise that it was a good wind that blew me, one sunny summer day in Tokyo, to the Sojiji Temple in Nishiarai. Unbeknownst to me, the temple was holding its annual furin or wind chime market. Someone at the temple told me that this furin market is one of the most popular in Japan. What a serendipitous moment for me to visit!

Japanese wind chimes are made of different materials -- from metal to ceramic to glass.

Sojiji's furin market had hundreds of all of these types on display, their different tones and tunes jangled merrily and somewhat chaotically each time a breeze blew by.

These chimes had come from all over Japan, from many different regions and prefectures.

I stood transfixed under the metal chimes -- these are the ones that I buy and collect.

There were so many new designs that I had never seen before. Metal chimes may not look as attractive or colourful as glass or ceramic chimes but I like their durability and the clear and round tones that they make.

As I stood there enjoying the music they made, I was in a near state of panic -- I couldn't quite choose from among the hundreds just which ones I wanted to buy.

The hand blown glass chimes gave off sweet, dulcet tones. They looked like colourful and fragile bubbles swaying in the wind. Glass chimes are usually called Edo chimes since they date back to

the Edo period when the Dutch brought advanced techniques of glassmaking to Nagasaki.

The Japanese quickly embraced the art of glassmaking and soon applied it to their wind chimes.

Ceramic wind chimes come from areas well known for their pottery traditions. This very

kawaii ceramic chime of Kumamon could only have come from Kumamoto where their pottery tradition goes all the way back to the 17th century.

Kumamon is my favorite Japanese mascot but sadly, I was afraid that this little ceramic bear would

not survive the trip back home.

All the chimes at the market were for sale. Each one on display is tagged with a number and a price. All I had to do was jot down the numbers of the chimes I had chosen and the ladies at the selling booth retrieved them from the available stocks, boxed, wrapped and ready to go.

If I had a bigger suitcase I would have bought more but I was more than happy with my small haul -- quite a heavy haul as all the wind chimes were made of metal.

Before I left, I breathed a silent thank you to the good wind that blew me here to Sojiji Temple to enjoy the symphony of sounds and colours at their once-a-year Furin Market.

Dahil Agosto ay buwan ng wika, susubukan kong gawin (at tapusin) ang sanaysay na ito sa
wikang Filipino.

Akmang-akma naman kasi ang aking salaysay ay tungkol sa isang lokal na pagkaing tumubo
mula sa panlasa ng mga taga-Naga sa rehiyon ng Bicol.
Maaaring alam ninyo ang mga lutong Bicol tulad ng laing, bicol express, pinangat at iba pa
ngunit ilan sa inyo ang nakaka-alam sa pagkaing kinalas?
Tulad ng marami sa inyo, hindi ko kilala ang kinalas kahit ilang beses na akong nakadalaw sa Naga.
Naririnig kong binabanggit ito ng aking anak na si Gani (na nag aral sa Naga) pag siya ay nananabik makatikim uli ng kinalas kaya nga lang ay walang nagtitinda nito sa Maynila.

Kamakailan (salamat sa isang proyektong aking ginagawa) mapalad akong nakabisita muli sa Naga at kahit kulang sa labindalawang oras lang ang tinigil namin dito, sinigurado kong makakakain ako ng kinalas -- matikman nga kung talagang masarap ito!
Kung pagkaing lokal ang hanap, kailangan ipagtanong ito sa mga lokal din.
Sumakay kami sa traysikel at sinabing dalhin kami sa pinakamasarap na kainan ng kinalas sa buong Naga.
Walang pag-aatubiling dinala niya kami sa Barangay Dayangdayang kung saan daw mahahanap ang mga paboritong kinalasan ng mga taga-Naga.
Lumiko kami sa Kalye Corregidor at totoo nga ... maraming kinalasan na makikita doon.
Para na po, bababa na po kami!

Nguni't di kami huminto ... hindi pala Nonoy's ang suki ni Mamang Traysikel kundi ito --

Cordova's Kinalas na nasa dulo na ng Kalye Corregidor.

Ayon sa kaniya ito daw ang pinaka masarap na kinalas sa buong Naga. Totoo nga kaya, pero bakit

parang walang katao-tao nung kami'y dumating?

Sumilip kami sa loob at nagtanong. Bukas naman daw sila at kakaalis lang ng mga nananghalian. Dalawa lang ang putahe na maaari mong makain sa Cordova's -- kinalas at loglog. Nagulat ako at napaka-mura ng halaga ng mga ito.
Abot kaya palang kumain ng kinalas, kahit araw-arawin mo pa!

Ano ba ang sangkap ng kinalas at paano itong niluluto?

Sariwang miki ang gamit sa kinalas. Isang dakot ang nilalagay sa bawat mangkok.
Sasamahan ito ng tinadtad na murang sibuyas at isang buong nilagang itlog.
Para bang mami lang ba ang dating?

Higit pa sa mami ang kinalas -- at ito ang dahilan.
May mala-palabok na sarsa, bagama't magkaiba sila ng kulay, na siyang nagbibigay ng katangi-tanging panlasa at sarap sa kinalas.

Sabi ng kusinera sa Cordova's na sabaw ng hipon at dinurog na hibe ang dalawang sangkap ng

sarsa ... at ano pa ang iba? Hmmm, sikret na 'daw yon!

Tatlo kami kaya tig-iisa kami ng kinalas jumbo. Dahil lampas ala-una na ng hapon, naririnig ko na ang malakas na kulog na galing sa aking sikmura. Bilisan na 'yan! Gutom na kami!

Huwag kang maingay, tiyan! Baka buhusan kita ng kumukulong sabaw!

Ano ang sinabi ngramen tonkotsu o shio ng mga Hapon sa sabaw ng kinalas, aber?

Wala!

Tulad din ng ramen, ang sabaw ang pinaka-mahalaga sa kinalas.

Sa Cordova's, walang tigil at maghapong pinapakuluan ang sabaw na gawa sa buto mula sa ulo
at iba pang bahagi ng baka.

Di mahal ang ulo ng baka subalit siksik ito sa malinamnam na laman.

Dahil medyo mainit ang panahon (at kumukulong sabaw ang aming hihigupin) sa mesa sa labas

kami umupo. Kinalas al fresco!

May sili, suka, paminta at asin sa lamesa -- ito ang karaniwang dinadagdag sa kinalas.

Ang mga Bicolano ay kilalang mahilig sa maaanghang kaya sandamakmak na sili ang nasa

lalagyan.

Para sa akin, tamang tama ang lasa at sarap ng sabaw, di na kailangan dagdagan pa

ng asin o paminta.

Kaanya-anyaya ang itsura at nakakagutom ang amoy ng mainit na kinalas.

May tumpok ng hinimay na karne sa ibabaw -- ito ay galing sa ulo ng baka at iba pang

butong pinakuluan para sa sabaw.
Ang mga sari saring parte ng baka ay pinakuluan hanggang magkalas-kalas ang laman sa buto.
Iyan ang pinagmulan ng salitang "kinalas".

Tinikman ko ang sabaw -- malinis at masarap, walang amoy o anggo na paminsan ay nauugnay

sa mga pagkaing gawa sa karne ng baka. Wala ding lumulutang na mantika o sebo.

Pag hinalo ang sabaw at sarsa, bahagyang lalapot ito. Malalasap mo din ang hipon na nagdaragdag ng lalim at lasa sa sabaw.

Kahit naubos na ang kinalas, walang sebo o taba na natira sa mangkok. Wala ding mala-sebong lasa na naiiiwan sa bibig.

Dahil matagal ang pagpapakulo, natunaw na siguro ang lahat ng taba at litid -- natira na lamang

ang nangingibabaw na umami at sarap.

Kung sapat na sa inyo ang sabaw at miki, subukan din ang loglog -- ang kapatid ng kinalas na
sibuyas, sarsa at itlog lamang ang lahok.

Nung kinuwento ko sa isang kaibigang taga-Naga na kumain ako ng kinalas, tinanong niya ako

kung ano ang tinerno ko dito.
"Baduya" ang sabi ko. "Para ka ng taga Naga" aniya.

Ang baduya ay piniritong saging, maruya sa ating mga taga Maynila.

Bago ko natikman, wari ko'y kakaiba -- ang maruya ay merienda, hindi pang terno sa mainit na sabaw. Pero bagay nga sila. Ito ang pares ng Naga -- kinalas at baduya!

Sarap na sarap kami sa aming unang pakikipag-tuos sa kinalas. Maraming salamat sa mga taga Cordova's sa kagandahang loob at init ng pagtanggap sa amin -- kasing init at sarap ng kanilang kinalas!

Hanggang sa muling paghigop! Dios mabalos, kinalas!

The immigration officer at Narita Airport looked at my arrival card and asked me why I was going to Tokushima. And for two weeks at that.

I said I was going to do a small part of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage. He didn't understand and asked me to speak slowly. So I said that I was going to be a henro and walk with Kobo Daishi.

"Hai, so desu!" he beamed and repeated "Kobo Daishi", stamped my passport and waved me through.

His question did give me pause -- what was I really doing? I had planned to visit at least 10 of the 88 Temples but I wouldn't be walking the entire route of 1200 kilometers.

Perhaps I could not and should not call myself a henro (pilgrim, in Japanese) -- a semi-henro perhaps? I wasn't about to call myself a pseudo-henro since there was nothing false about my intentions.

Doing a portion of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage was my long held goal.

I finally decided to go and just do it -- at least while I could still walk.

A henro is normally decked out in pilgrim's attire. This includes but is not limited to the wide brimmed hat called the sugesasa which also has the sanskrit symbol for Kobo Daishi

written in front.

A pilgrim wears a white jacket called a hakui and carries a wooden staff called the kongozue which they say is the symbol of Kobo Daishi who walks with all pilgrims.

One also carries a nokyocho, a book stamped with the seal of the temples that one visits, plus

osame-fuda slips which serve as name cards.

These are the essential items of the henro's kit -- I bought all these at Ryozenji which is Temple 1.

The kind lady spoke some english so when I mentioned that I was embarrassed that I was only doing a small portion of the pilgrimage, she assured me that it was perfectly all right -- this was to be my pilgrimage and there were no rules to follow.

Kobo Daishi is very understanding, she smilingly said.

The lady asked me to write my name inside my hat -- and was surprised and pleased when I wrote my name in katakana.

This is my filled up osame-fuda slip. They come in various colors signifying how many times one has done the pilgrimage. White is for those who are walking it for the first up to the fourth time. On one side you write you name and address and on the other side, you put the date of your visit.

Now I am all set to start my very own journey as a henro.

Dogyo Ninin

In the middle of doing my (mini) version of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, a friend asked me
on Facebook "So what do you do when you visit the temples? What do you see?"
While everyone goes on a pilgrimage for their own intentions and reasons, there are still some guidelines that the henro or pilgrim is encouraged to follow.
If you would like to walk a portion of the pilgrimage, here is what I learned about temple and pilgrim etiquette 101.

Rule number one - identify yourself as a henro by wearing the proper attire. We saw bicycle and motorcycle henros wearing cycling gear but when they entered the temple, they hastily put on the hakui before reciting the sutras at the main hall.
I wore the hakui or white jacket, a sedge hat or sugegasa and carried the most important piece
(to my mind) of henro gear -- the kongozue or the wooden staff.
Thus attired, the locals recognised us and knew what we were doing, as we trudged through their backroads and backyards. We were treated kindly by everyone we met.

While I had a backpack for my wallet, passport, bottled water, etc, I found that a small sling bag or zudabukuro was most useful for keeping candles, ofuda slips, coins and my nokyocho within easy reach.

Rule number two - all temples are marked by gates called "mon". As you approach the temple,

enter the gate on the left side, clasp your hands and bow before you cross the threshold.

Rule number three - once inside the temple grounds, you will see the temizuya, a water facility where you symbolically purify yourself.

To do this, get one of the ladles, dip it into the water and then holding the ladle in your right hand,

use a little water to wash your left hand. Then, using the left hand, pour some water and wash your right hand. Then, take the ladle into your right hand again and pour some water in your left hand and hold it to your lips to rinse your mouth.

Finally, clean the ladle by holding it upright and allowing the remaining water to "wash" over the handle.

Rule number four - if there is a temple bell on the premises, ring the bell once. If there is no bell available, there is always one hung over the entrance of the main hall, which you can ring instead.

Rule number five - light candles and incense at the hondo or main hall. If you did not bring any, there are candles and incense sticks available for sale, honour system is strictly followed.

Rule number six - drop your ofuda slips in the proper receptacle. See the rope hanging on the right side? That is attached to the bell which you can also ring -- just once, when you arrive.

Rule number seven - at the hondo or main hall and also at the daishido or Daishi hall, bow once, clasp your hands in prayer and recite the sutras. After reciting the sutras, you may also drop a
few coins as donation in the large wooden donation box.

There are various sutras to be recited, in Japanese of course but if you are uncomfortable with chanting them aloud (as I was, since I could only read the words slowly and could not get the right rhythm) you may stand to one side and read them silently.

In the course of the pilgrimage, I stood beside many Japanese henro and eavesdropped in rapt attention as they chanted the sutras -- some of them read from booklets but more often than not, they knew the words by heart.

Rule number eight - finally after going through these actions, find the temple office and have your nokyocho stamped with the temple seal. It costs just 300 yen, a small amount to pay for a priceless memory of your visit to the temple.

P.S

It took me years of dreaming and a year of planning to embark on this pilgrimage.

I read blogs, articles and all the books I could find about the subject.
A most useful and important resource was this english guidebook that I ordered (after much difficulty) from amazon.jp The Shikoku Japan 88 Route Guide contains detailed maps on the all the roads leading to all 88 temples around Shikoku Island.
The maps include locations of bus stops, train stations, convenience stores, hotels, temple lodgings -- it's a valuable and informative companion.
The book is also available at the well stocked shop at Ryozenji, Temple number 1.

The website http://wwwtb.mlit.go.jp/shikoku/88navi/en/ was also very helpful

particularly for us who were more "train and public bus"henros than pure walking henros.

Domo arigato gozaimashita!

A walk of 10 or 100 or 1,000 kilometres starts with one step. Bright and early on a hot day in September, we took our first step towards our Shikoku pilgrimage.
As we had just 8 days in Shikoku, we would not be able to cover all 88 temples nor would we get
to travel all 1,400 kilometres around the island but we would try to visit as many as we could.
We also made it a goal to visit at least one temple in each of the four prefectures of Shikoku --
in our own way, we would be "circumnavigating" the entire island.

The JR Kotoku Line from Tokushima Station was our first ride of the day. We took it to Bando Station, and from there we walked to as many of the temples in the area that we could visit.

On our first day, we would visit temples one to five and would walk a total of twelve kilometres.

Bando is just twenty minutes away from Tokushima -- we got off at an unmanned wooden station.

where the driver had to get off the train to collect everyone's tickets as they disembarked.

Ryozenji or temple number one was just a kilometre away from the station. We walked through the back roads until we reached the highway from where we could easily see the top of the pagoda of Ryozenji.

I felt a ripple of excitement -- my long dreamed of pilgrimage was well and truly underway! However, pragmatist that I am, I also knew I while I was walking to temple number one, I was also walking towards the end of my pilgrimage. I wanted to appreciate and delight in each and every moment of this experience.

Walking by asphalt roads is not my idea of a relaxing walk. However, we did enjoy the roadside views of brilliantly green rice paddies with stalks ready to be harvested. Most of the available land that we passed by was planted with rice and it seemed that every household has its own rice field to take care of.

It's impossible to miss the gate of Ryozenji as it is right in front of a pedestrian crossing. You can

also take a bus from Tokushima Station which will is double the length of time of the train ride but will drop you right by the temple gates.

As we walked through the wooden gate, we first saw this koi filled pond. Behind it is the Daishido or Daishi Hall.

Ryozenji was established in the 7th century by the monk Gyoki more than a hundred years before Kobo Daishi, founder of Shingon Buddhism was born.

Kobo Daishi visited this temple in the 9th century. All of the temples on the 88 temple pilgrimage are associated with him. He is said to have visited each and every one of them and the pilgrimage is done in his honour.

This is the Hondo or the main hall. This is where you leave your ofuda slips and recite the sutras.

The statue of the main deity is said to have been carved by Kobo Daishi.

After reciting the sutras at the Hondo, the next stop is the Daishido or Daishi Hall, dedicated to

Kobo Daishi. There is a statue of him sitting patiently by the steps, waiting in silence for all the pilgrims who come by.

The henro believes that Kobo Daishi walks with him during the pilgrimage. The pilgrim's belief is in "Dogyo Ninin" or "two walking as one". I am sure he was with us, every step of this journey.

There are many things to see around the temple. We spent some time walking around and enjoying the peace and quiet. Although it was mid morning, we did not feel any rush to walk to the next temple.

While September is not exactly the best time to do the pilgrimage as the temperature is hot and humid, it was also not peak pilgrimage season so we were spared the bus loads of henro who would normally be crowding the temples.

This little marker would be something that we would see in the temples we visited. It says

"May peace prevail on earth". It was a nice thing to think of -- perhaps by walking on this pilgrimage, we would be adding our own prayer for peace.

P.S

For each of the posts on the temples we visited, I will end with a photo of the temple seal inscribed in my nokyocho. I will also include a photo that I took of the temple which may not always resemble the sketch in the nokyocho, sumimasen.

This is a photo of the page in my nokyocho showing the seal of Ryozenji. On the page across it

is a sketch of Ryozenji's wooden pagoda. And above it is my (not so faithful) re-creation of the

same scene.

The distance between Ryozenji, temple number one and the normal starting point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage and Gokurakuji, temple number 2 is a mere 1.4 kilometres. The lady at the henro shop in Ryozenji told us to turn right as we exited the temple and just go straight, we would easily find it.

Weather forecasts for Tokushima for the week we would be there mentioned cloudy skies and occasional rain showers.

But so far, we had had nothing but sunshine and warm temperatures, it was almost like being back in Manila.

I was extremely thankful for my sugesasa as it kept my head cool and the sun's rays off my face.

Henro trivia: if you look closely at my photo above, you might notice that I am carrying my kongozue or wooden staff and not using it as I walk. It is said that when Kobo Daishi did his pilgrimage, he would often sleep outdoors, sometimes under bridges and thus, when the henro is walking across a bridge, the staff should never be allowed to tap on the ground as the noise might wake up the Daishi. It was something I consciously followed throughout the pilgrimage.

Shikoku's topography is mountainous -- mountains seem to border most towns and cities. Lush and green, the mountains transform even ordinary landscapes into magnificent vistas. It was always a pleasure to stop and enjoy the view as we walked along.

If you're planning to walk the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, you'll find English signs that direct

you to the temples as well as other places of interest along the national roads and highways.

The back roads and country trails however have signs that are not so regularly placed and almost all of them are in Japanese. A good map is essential to keep you from wandering off the henro-michi or the pilgrim route.

Here is Jay standing in front of Gokurakuji's vermillion Niomon gate. The temple is at the very edge of some low hills and is recessed back from the road. A gigantic car park awaits the tour buses that take pilgrims around the 88 Temples. These bus tours are very popular particularly for those who do not have the time nor the energy to walk the 1,400 kilometres of the henro michi. If you take a bus tour, you can finish the entire pilgrimage in 8 or 9 days.

Gokurakuji is a certified National Treasure with its many historic buildings and properties. Thus, it seems more well organised than most. The temple even has a bi-lingual site map at the entrance, most helpful for foreign henro like ourselves.

This lovely garden is called Unkai no Jodo or "Pure Land of sea and clouds". It's a tranquil spot that greets you as soon as you enter the temple grounds. Some of the stones used in this garden came from the ancient henro michi trails.

The Hondo and the Daishido are placed on a hill above the temple grounds. Before you climb up, you will see the Bussoku Seki or the giant footprints of Buddha carved in marble, at the foot of the stairs.

It is not an arduous nor a steep climb to reach the main buildings of the temple. Thank you for the handrails that are a big help, particularly for me when I make my descent.

The statue in the Hondo is of the Amitabha or Buddha of Infinite Light which is said to have been sculpted by Kobo Daishi himself. There are a few temples that allow photography inside the sacred buildings but when photos are allowed, out of respect I do not bring my camera inside the Hondo and only take photos from outside the hall itself. I also avoid taking a direct photo of the main deity enshrined on the altar.

Along with the simple wooden Hondo, the similarly constructed Daishido is also situated on this

little clearing on top of the hill. The weathered wooden buildings are not very grand but they exude

a sincere air and blend in well with this natural environment.

Beside the Daishido is this statue of the Anzan Koan Daishi which dates back to the 19th century.

It is said to have been donated by a woman who became very ill when she was pregnant.

Afraid that she would lose her child, she prayed to Kobo Daishi who then appeared to her in a

dream and told her to go on the pilgrimage. After returning home, she safely delivered a baby boy.

Gokurakuji is thus a favourite for expectant mothers who come here to pray in front of the Anzan Koan Daishi for a safe and easy delivery.

As I am about to go down the steps at Gokurakuji, I noticed this very small statue placed underneath a canopy outside the Hondo. The visitor is free to touch it and even lift it up. If it feels light, whatever wish you make will be granted.

I felt no need to try that as just by my being there -- at that very moment, I knew that Kobo Daishi had already heard my wish and had made it come true.

P.S.

This is the temple seal of Gokurakuji and its Niomon gate is the featured sketch on the nokyocho.

Our visit coincided with Jay's birthday. Omedeto tanjoubi, Jay san!

Life is a pilgrimage. May the journey ahead of you be an easy and blessed one.

The map said the distance from Gokuraku-ji to the next temple Konsen-ji was 2.6 kilometres.

I looked forward to the slightly longer distance -- so far it had been a pleasant walk and the

semi-rural views of small towns were a welcome change from the usual cityscapes of urban,

modern Japan.

The nice ladies at the temple office in Gokuraku-ji told us to keep off the (boring) highway and

walk along the back roads. We found their recommended turn a few hundred meters away,

well marked with a jizo in a small altar and the now familiar wooden directional post.

Pork in the Road comes to a fork in the road!

As I paused to check which path to take, a man came running out of his house and motioned me

to go straight ahead, after which he promptly went back inside.

We did not exchange any words, just a bow and a smile but I felt the warm consideration in this gesture. We would experience other acts of kindheartedness such as this from random people we would meet in the next several days.

Perhaps it does help to identify yourself as a henro, by wearing the henro attire.

The locals look out for you and help you when you least expect it.

Just 1.6 kilometres to go! On the far left you can see a portion of the highway which was marked on our map as the route to the temple. Thanks to the intervention of the helpful ladies at Gokuraku-ji, we took the better way.

If we had walked along the highway, I would not have met this friendly shiba inu who came running out when he saw us walking by. He peered at us from the fence and wouldn't leave even after we had walked on.

These wooden markers remind me of the mogotes of the Camino de Santiago and the cement posts along the Kumano Kodo. Markers and directional signs are prevalent along the roads of Shikoku, they can come in different forms -- some are just stickers placed on walls or even lampposts.

Before we knew it, we had reached Konsen-ji. The Niomon gate made a bright contrast to the green foliage of the hills behind it. I can understand why autumn is peak pilgrimage season in Shikoku -- these hills must be a riot of fall colours, quite beautiful to behold.

The main buildings inside the temple grounds are the Hondo on the left and the Daishido, marked with a golden Buddhist emblem on top.

Do you see the red bridge beside the various statues? It leads to a small pavilion and a pagoda in

the back.

On the morning we visited, there were students from the local high school who were performing

o-settai or "charitable gift giving" for henro. They gave us cups of refreshing green tea.

Because they had given us o-settai, Jay and I reciprocated by giving them an omiyage or a present. Before we left for this pilgrimage, I had ordered hand made, hand painted fans from my friend Victor to be given to people we would meet along the way.

I asked him to draw a lotus flower as the lotus or hasu is associated with Buddhism and Kobo

Daishi. I could not give each and every student a fan but their teacher gladly accepted one on behalf of their class.

Coincidentally, I found a single violet lotus flower growing from the Konsen-ji's lotus pond.

It looked like the lotus on our fan -- I think Kobo Daishi approved of our omiyage.

It was a hot day and almost noontime so we enjoyed a cool respite in the temple's air conditioned office. The lady graciously agreed to have her photo taken as she inscribed our nokyocho.

Henro etiquette 101 -- always please ask before using your camera as not everyone wants to have their photo taken.

I ordered the fans with the specific thought of giving them to the monks and the temple staff in the

nokyocho office. They always responded with surprise and pleasure and we would receive o-settai

in return.

The people in the nokyocho office were also the ones who would invariably give us very definite directions to the next temple. And even if most of them could only speak very little english, we always managed to understand each other.

After all, kindness and helpfulness are universal languages that we can all communicate in.

P.S

Unfortunately, we were not able to take a photo of the pavilion as sketched on the nokyocho but this is Konsen-ji's seal and stamp along with a photo that I took of the Daishido.

It was almost noontime when we finished visiting Konsen-ji. As it was such a hot day, the lady at the temple office suggested that instead of walking five kilometres to temple number 4, we could instead take a bus which would shave off a few kilometres from our walk.

The bus stop was almost a kilometre away -- a good 10 minute walk. Along the way, we passed by these plots full of lotus plants. The roots are pickled and brined to make tasty tsukemono or pickles and are also stewed and eaten as side dishes.

There were no trains passing so time for a quick photo on the train tracks!

When we got to the bus stop, we saw that the next bus wasn't due till 12:58. Buses in semi rural areas in Japan have fixed schedules and if you miss your bus, you'll have quite a wait till the next one.
We had about 45 minutes to wait so we looked around for a place to buy some food. Where is a conbini when you need one?
The nearest place we found was a supermarket, about 500 meters away. We bought cold tea and a jam filled bun which we ate as we walked back to the bus stop.

We got back to the bus stop just in time -- the bus arrived at exactly 12:58, just as we expected it to.

We alighted at Rakan, the stop for both Dainichi-ji, temple 4 and Jizo-ji, temple 5.

From the bus stop, it is still a 2 kilometre walk to the temple.

As you walk down the road, temple number 5, Jizo-ji comes up first, just a five minute walk from Rakan bus stop. We could have gone in but we decided to do it in the proper sequence.
There is a henro map in the temple parking lot which gives straightforward directions to Dainichi-ji.

The road to Dainichi-ji is winds gently on a barely noticeable ascent and there are few
houses to be seen. We did pass a lot of fruit laden trees -- were they citrus or persimmon trees?

Once in a while a car would pass but for the most part of our walk, we had the road to ourselves.

Can you see the small pavilion in the photo above? That is a henro rest area where one can stop
for a break or maybe even a quick nap.

Surrounded by low mountains, Dainichi-ji was at the very end of the road, which was also perhaps the reason why we saw so little traffic along the way. The road we had been walking tapered off
to a narrow one lane that seemed to disappear upwards into the mountainside.

Kobo Daishi is said to have spent time meditating at this temple and he also carved the main deity, the Dainichi-Nyorai, hence the name of the temple.
My first impression of Dainichi-ji was that it was much smaller, perhaps the smallest of the four temples we had been to. It was also very quiet -- it seemed far away from everything, surrounded by just mountains and woods.
Unlike the other temples, there were no well manicured gardens, no ponds filled with koi -- just two plain wooden buildings, the Hondo and the Daishido.

As I finished the sutras at the Hondo, I realised it was connected to the Daishido by a covered corridor.

Along the corridor were statues of Kannon, Goddess of Mercy, displayed side by side and encased in glass.

There are 33 statues along this corridor between the Hondo and the Daishido. The statues are beautifully carved with such soft and compassionate features. Kannon is very revered in Japan and there are a number of 33 Kannon Temple pilgrimages, the oldest and most well known is in the Kansai region.

As we were leaving, one other henro came in. He would have a serene and solitary visit.

Dainichi-ji may be a small temple but its secluded setting made for a pleasant and tranquil interlude that afternoon.

P.S.

This is the temple seal of Dainichi-ji and the sketch featured is the temple gate. Above it is the

photo I took of the same scene.

The gate is not so typical because instead of the two fierce looking Nio warriors usually found by

the entrance, there is a bell tower on the second floor.

It's true, it's always quicker on the way back. At least that's what we told ourselves as we walked back on the same (still) deserted road, from temple number 4 to Jizo-ji, temple number 5.
There is something about the familiarity of the surroundings I suppose, that tricks your mind into thinking that the distance is shorter.

I almost did not see these two weatherworn stones, almost hidden under the trees. At first I thought they were jizo but they were really stones with some inscriptions carved onto them. They looked quite old and I wonder what they are and how long they have been there.

Along the way, we passed by a shrine, Yamagami-jinja, pushed up against the hillside. We bowed

to the kami in residence then walked on and left them in peace.

Our favourite road companion, the pilgrimage wooden marker makes an appearance with the information that from this point, it is just 1.6 kilometres to Jizo-ji (and 500 meters back to

Dainichi-ji). The sun's glare has softened and a cooler breeze accompanies us as we enjoy a more comfortable walk to the temple.

My kongozue and I prepare to enter the gate of Jizo-ji. Do you see the small henro figure tied to my staff? He's been with me to the Camino, the Kumano Kodo and now, we're walking together again

on this Shikoku pilgrimage.

The first thing I saw when I entered the temple grounds was this large statue of Kobo Daishi. He stands benevolently gazing at everyone who enters Jizo-ji.

The temple Jizo-ji enshrines Jizo, one of the most popular Japanese deities and protector of unborn children. Kobo Daishi established Jizo-ji in the early ninth century and is said to have carved a small statue of Jizo which has since been encased in a bigger stone statue. You have probably seen Jizo on one of your travels to Japan -- they are the small stone statues that are usually outfitted with a red bib and a red cap.

There were a few people praying inside the Hondo. They were obviously locals and not pilgrims.
Like the temples and shrines along the Kumano Kodo, the temples of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage are active "working" temples, they serve the needs of the local communities. They are not just tourist sites or attractions.

A very large gingko tree stands between the Daishido and the Hondo. The lady in the temple said that it is over 800 years old. Because it is so huge, its shade extends almost all throughout the courtyard. It added to Jizo-ji's laid back, rustic appeal.

One photo with Kobo Daishi before we leave the temple. Our first day as henro ended here in

Jizo-ji. Tomorrow we'll visit a few more temples here in Tokushima Prefecture before moving on

to the rest of Shikoku Island.

P.S

This is the temple seal of Jizo-ji and my photo of the Daishido, which looks almost like the sketch depicted in the nokyocho.

People who love ramen probably know that it started out as a chinese import (think of your favourite old time chicken mami) but it has been so reinvented and innovated by the Japanese that it is now a part of their culinary repertoire.

I am not a ramen "otaku"or even a ramen-atic but I do enjoy a bowl or two whenever I am in Japan.

I also try to sample different kinds of ramen particularly those that are specific to a certain place.

Jay and I were in Tokushima City last month to walk a portion of the Shikoku 88 Temple pilgrimage. Our plane arrived late at night and after checking in to the hotel, we set out in search of dinner.

As we wandered around the quiet streets looking for a place to eat, I saw a restaurant with a

long queue. Of course it was a ramen place. What else would be open and still attract crowds at

that late hour?

But we were starving and in no mood to wait so we ended up in a 24 hour curry place with no lines.

"I shall return", I vowed to myself.

A few nights later we visited the place again and this time, the ramen gods were on our side

as there was no queue at all. The place is called Menou and it serves Tokushima-style ramen.

Like any ramen shop, whether it is a small place or a famous nationwide chain, Menou has a

vending machine from which you place your order and pay. It's an efficient process and easy to
use, even without an english translation, the photos of the food are enough to go by.

The minute we sat down at our table, a queue magically formed outside. There were about 10 people in line. We got in -- just in time.

First on the table was my perfectly cold glass of nama (draft) beer. I had ordered gyoza, which

goes perfectly well with beer but perhaps the beer would be gone by the time the food arrived.

Menou is not that small, some famous ramen places have just one counter around an open kitchen.

There were a few tables and two counters where diners went about the serious business of enjoying their ramen. No small talk, no boozy laughter -- a ramen restaurant is not an izakaya -- you slurp your noodles, knock back your beer and leave. There's a hungry horde waiting outside.

As I mentioned, ramen joints are foreigner friendly. You don't need to know how to read Japanese

to understand the pictographic signs -- this one says that for 100 yen you can have an extra serving of noodles. And you can even order different kinds. Ramen tip : ordering extra noodles is called kae-dama.

Aside from gyoza, ramen restaurants also have rice on the menu -- ordered on its own to be eaten with your noodles (carbs on carbs!) or topped with chashu, and eaten as a side dish.

We tried Menou's chashu gohan and found the chashu slightly sweeter, darker and sliced thicker than most. Aside from the slices of chashu, there were thin strips of simmered pork belly (see it on the topmost part of the photo above) It looked (and tasted) like bacon!

And here is Tokushima-style ramen -- recommended as one of the top ten local foods to try in Shikoku. Tokushima ramen has a slightly thick, hearty and pork-y broth. It's almost like
tonkotsu but instead of a milky white colour, the broth is dark brown. This is from the special
soy sauce that is mixed with the pork bone broth.

We had Menou's classic chashu ramen -- it came with five generous, thick cut slices of chashu,

strips of chewy menma or dried bamboo shoots and a sprinkle of sliced green onions.

Tokushima-style ramen is quite oishii! Because the broth is so rich, thick and a bit salty, a
bowl of plain rice would be the perfect thing to temper the ramen's strong taste.

The surprise of the evening was Menou's gyoza because the filling tasted so much like
Lucban longganiza! Because Jay is from Quezon, we found it quite funny but the
gyoza was oh so good ...

sumimasen, biiru o ippai kudasai!

A casual restaurant in Japan and is one of the easiest places to get a meal. The atmosphere is friendly and un-intimidating and even if very little English is spoken, you can be assured that you will enjoy good food. If there is a red paper lantern in front, it is usually an izakaya which is more like a bar or a pub that serves appetisers and small dishes.

Jay and I love izakayas -- for the food, the atmosphere and yes, the friendly prices. In Tokushima, we

were in luck when we found Robata Ichiba Champion, just a block away from our hotel. The facade was well lit and quite cheerful -- it looked like a great place for dinner.

The evening crowd had yet to come in -- just a couple of booths were occupied. The chef waved us over to the counter -- for me, these are usually the best seats in the house.

I love sitting at the counter because you get to see the chefs in action. There were two at Robata Ichiba -- the chef on the leftmost was younger and the more chatty one.

We enjoyed talking to him throughout our meal. And despite my limited Nihongo skills, we were still able to make ourselves understood.

My beer arrived in less than a minute and it came with a cold dish with two kinds of sashimi, garnished with strips of bell peppers and a mild sweetish-sourish sauce. What a fresh and refreshing taste.

This is otoshi -- an appetiser that you don't order but that you pay for. Think of it as cover charge. The cost ranges from 200 to 500 yen, depending on the izakaya.

Otoshi are made of premium, usually seasonal ingredients. Each izakaya's otoshi is unique

since they are the chef's inventions. And they are always invariably delicious. A taste of the otoshi

is also a foretaste of how good the food will be.

Most people will think the otoshi is a free appetiser (since it's served when you sit down at the table) but if you check your receipt, you will see the otoshi will have been tacked on to your bill.

Please do not think that otoshi is underhanded or sneaky, it is part of the izakaya tradition in Japan.

Jay ordered the premium chirashi bowl which arrived with what seemed like a calamansi slice

on top. This is sudachi, a citrus fruit which grows all over Tokushima.

We saw many fruit trees as we walked along the back roads -- some of the sudachi we saw were

as big as oranges. It has a milder flavour than our own calamansi and is not as acidic.

We also had 3 kinds of maguro sushi -- lightly seared, fatty and regular tuna.

Who eats chicken skin? Those of us with a death wish, that's who! Kawa yakitori is always

a must-order for me. While the chicken skin loses some fat during grilling it is still juicy and

yes, deadly-ly delicious.

For those who value their life and their health, tsukune or chicken meatball yakitori is the safer

bet. While I always specify "shio" (salted) when ordering yakitori, I make an exception for tsukune

and order it "tare" (with sauce) as the meatball can dry out in the grilling process.

The chef recommended that we try his take on aspara-bacon which is a staple in yakitori

places. This time he wrapped very thin slices of pork belly around cheese and left a bit of asparagus in the middle. Soft creamy cheese oozed over salty bacon and yes, I completely forgot all about

the asparagus until I felt its light crunch.

Umai desu yo!, we told the chef who was pleased that we enjoyed it.

Kanpai! One for the road! After our meal, we continued to chat and linger over another beer and more conversation with the chef. We found out that he has Filipino friends and he has eaten and

likes adobo! Sugoi desu yo -- truly food is the universal language of friendship.

For people who want to experience the Shikoku 88 Temple pilgrimage but do not have the time to finish all 88 (people like us), there are clusters of temples in the bigger cities of Shikoku that will allow one to have a taste of just what it is like to be a henro (if only for a short while).

Tokushima City is an ideal base for such kinds of pilgrims (again, people like us) because a good number of temples can be easily reached by taking the train or bus and walking the rest of the way.

Here I am, in my henro gear, ready to go walking again. Yesterday, we train-ed, bus-ed and
walked to Temples 1 to 5, logging 12 kilometres in the process.
Today, we would visit temples 6 and 7 which are within easy walking distance from each other.

To get to the sixth temple Anraku-ji, the lady at the tourist information office suggested that we
take a bus bound for Kajiyahara and get off at Higashihara, the stop nearest to the temple.
The bus terminal was directly in front of our hotel so it was very convenient.

For the most part of the one hour ride, we were the only passengers. These are municipal buses and thus are owned and managed by the city. I wonder if they make money considering that outside of rush hour, hardly anyone takes the bus.

Because he recognised my henro attire, the bus driver knew just where to drop us off.
He stopped right at the intersection and pointed us towards a country lane leading to Anraku-ji.
It was just 800 meters to the temple. Before we headed out, we checked the return bus schedules, there was a bus heading back to Tokushima at 3:15 which gave us three hours to see two temples.

Tokushima's mountains make a nice backdrop for endless fields of green rice paddies, some though seem to have been abandoned such as this one where overgrown weeds have covered a small
tractor. We would see this scene in different parts of Shikoku. Perhaps there are no more farmers in the family who can tend to the fields.

Jay wished that he could haul all the abandoned-but-still-good tractors back home.

After 10 minutes of walking, we arrived at the turn-off to Anraku-ji, properly marked and signposted. This is the parking lot of the temple -- it was empty when we arrived.

I am always on the lookout for statues of Kobo Daishi and we found one in the parking lot.

I think that this is another statue of Kobo Daishi. He is holding his staff and his sugegasa and he
is in a sitting position -- quite different as he is always depicted as an ordinary henro, on his feet
and seemingly ready to walk with you.

Here is another type of stone marker along the henro michi (pilgrim route) where a finger points
you in the right direction. It was unnecessary in this case as it was placed almost by the temple entrance.

Anraku-ji has a very Chinese looking gate. This is a Niomon gate as there are two fierce looking Nio on each side. Nio are the protectors of Buddha and they can usually be seen guarding the temple gates. I wish I had a better photo but you can somehow make out the Nio on the right.

The first thing that we saw when we walked through the gate was this very picture perfect
Benten Pond. There is a small shrine from where the goddess Benzaiten looks out on this pretty picture day in and day out. As Benzaiten is a water goddess, associated with music, literature and the arts, this Benten Pond is the perfect setting for her.

After being taken in by the soothing beauty of Benten Pond, we were further captivated by

Anraku-ji's two story red wooden pagoda. Anraku-ji is very well maintained as seen from
the neat and beautifully landscaped grounds.

The straight path from the gate leads to the Hondo or main hall. Kobo Daishi is said to have founded
Anraku-ji. It is also said that he carved the original statue of the temple's main deity, Yakushi Nyorai.
That statue was almost completely destroyed in a fire and whatever remnants were saved were placed inside the newer statue that is now placed on the altar.
This Hondo dates back just to the 1960s replacing older buildings destroyed by fire and other natural disasters.

Another statue of Kobo Daishi stands in front of the Daishido, the hall that is dedicated to him.

There is a Daishido in each of the 88 temples along the pilgrimage.

The nokyocho office is located right beside the Hondo. The smiling lady carefully inscribed

our nokyocho all the while commenting on how hot it was. She sent us off with a cheery wave and

said that the next temple was less than 2 kilometres away "demo, atsui desu yo!" ("but, it is really hot!")

Temple 6, Anraku-ji is just under 20 kilometres from Temple 1, Ryozenji. Most walking henro

stop at this temple because of its shukubo or temple lodging. The shukubo, shown above, is quite spacious and can house 40 henro.

Shukubo offer basic rooms, a hot bath and meals. Guests can also participate in the daily temple ceremonies. It's a good way to experience temple life and definitely more interesting than staying

in a hotel.

P.S.

This is Anraku-ji's temple seal and my photo of the temple's Niomon gate.

Juraku-ji, temple number 7 is just 1.4 kilometres away from Anraku-ji, temple number 6.

Since we had a bit of time ahead of us, we enjoyed a relaxed saunter through the back roads of
Awa City, in Tokushima Prefecture.

The road out of Anraku-ji passes a small store selling pilgrim gear, snacks, drinks and yes, soft serve ice cream - something that Jay can never pass up. Our table faced a wide open door and the view of green hills and greener fields was so idyllic, we could have sat there all day.

It's difficult to walk on asphalt under a hot scorching sun -- the heat seems to seep up from the soles of your feet.

The walking henro's friend -- directional signs pointing the way.

Halfway to Juraku-ji, we passed by a stone torii, the entrance to a shrine. It is identified on my route map as Kumano Jinja or a Kumano shrine. What a pleasant discovery -- we had walked the Kumano Kodo, the Shinto pilgrimage just a year ago and this shrine brought back happy memories of an incredibly beautiful although sometimes challenging trek.

The wood looked weather beaten and some of the shimenawa seemed to have fallen off but the stone lions stood quietly on guard and the kami must be unperturbed in this absolutely tranquil spot.

The higanbana or spider lily blooms during the Equinox -- when summer is ending and autumn is about to begin. We would see masses of them throughout our pilgrimage. In the Japanese language of flowers, these tiger lilies symbolise abandonment and a lost memory -- what a sad theme for such brilliantly attractive blooms.

Upon first seeing the temple gate of Juraku-ji, my first thought was "Did I just walk back to

Anraku-ji?" Both temples have very similar chinese style gates. Juraku-ji though is backed up against wooded hills.

As we entered the gate, we saw a cluster of jizo with red bibs -- these small jizo are called mizuko jizo and are patrons of aborted children. There are seventy mizuko jizo in this small garden in Juraku-ji.

A short flight of steps lead up to another chinese style gate. Beyond it are the main buildings of the temple.

The temizuya of Juraku-ji features a large green stone from which water used for purifying

is made to flow.

A very shiny and imposing table made of the same green stone is placed in the henro rest area.

If I am to believe the translator app, perhaps the stone came from Kamo-shima here in Tokushima prefecture.

This is the Hondo or the Main Hall of the temple. You can see that it is sitting right at the edge of a forest. Some of the leaves have started to change colour -- this must be a popular spot during

autumn.

To the side of the Hondo is a statue of a Jizo Bosatsu that is believed to cure problems connected

with the eyes.

The Daishido is a small wooden structure set atop a flight of stone steps. Kobo Daishi is believed to have founded this temple and he also carved the main deity, the Amida Nyorai. Kobo Daishi is also said to have given this temple its name which also means "temple of ten joys". Ju-raku refers to the ten pleasures that one obtains in Buddhist heaven.

Kobo Daishi stands by the small cemetery attached to the temple. He is dressed as a henro with his begging bowl and staff. Around his neck you will see a small pouch, from which the modern day zudabukuro is most probably derived.

I found a statue of Fudo Myoo, one of my favourite Buddhist deities. He is always seen carrying

a sword and is surrounded by flames. Fudo Myoo looks fierce enough to scare off people but in

truth, he is a compassionate deity who guides souls to paradise. He looks like the perfect guide

and guardian -- I am sure he would ward off any evil along the soul's way to heaven.

We have a 3:15 bus to catch to get back to Tokushima City so we head back along the (still) quiet roads.

We met a fellow henro on our way back. This is Jun san who came all the way from Hokkaido and who is also doing the pilgrimage for the first time. We met as he was walking to Anraku-ji and Juraku-ji, where he planned to stay the night in the temple shukubo.

Ganbatte, we wished each other as we parted.

P.S

Juraku-ji was the last temple in Tokushima prefecture that we visited. This is the temple seal inscribed on my nokyocho along with my photo of the Hondo.

The Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage covers 1,400 kilometres around the island of Shikoku.

The Henro Michi or pilgrim route winds through the island's four prefectures - Tokushima, Kochi, Ehime and Kagawa.
Jay and I could not do the entire pilgrimage (which would take us at more than 2 weeks, using
public transport like buses and trains) but we did vow to visit at least one temple in each prefecture.

After staying three days in Tokushima and visiting 7 out of the 23 temples in that prefecture,
it was time to move on to our next "base", Takamatsu in Kagawa Prefecture.
But first, we had planned a day trip Kochi, where 16 temples can be found. Our destination was Chikurin-ji, temple 31.

It was cold and rainy on the day we left Tokushima. After walking under sunny skies, our luck ran out, just as we were leaving the city. This is the view from our hotel room, the Daiwa Roynet - perfectly located across the bus and train stations.

We had sent our suitcases ahead of us to our hotel in Takamatsu via Yamato, Japan's super efficient courier service. The luggage forwarding service is called the Ta-Q-Bin or takkyubin and is the easiest way to move your bags from city to city and hotel to hotel. Going to Kochi, we just had our small carry on bags with us.

Because Shikoku is a relatively small island, there is no shinkansen or bullet train. To get around, there are regular, express and rapid express lines. The trip to Kochi took two hours and a half, with a change of trains in Awa Ikeda. I love travelling by train in Japan -- they have the best and most well run trains in the world, to omoimasu.

The rain was pouring even harder when we arrived at the JR Kochi Station. The very large and complete Tourist Information Bureau is just across the station exit. We got our maps and tickets to the My-Yu bus which would take us all the way out to Chikurin-ji, a 45 minute ride away.

I wanted to take a seat beside Anpanman but his bench was slick with rain. Anpanman is one of Kochi's most famous celebrities -- his creator, Takashi Yanase was born in this prefecture and

you can see Anpanman almost everywhere you go.

Perhaps more famous than Anpanman is Kochi's illustrious son, Ryoma Sakamoto.

His bronze statue stands in the huge square outside the station. Sakamoto san is one of

Japan's most popular historical figures. Aside from being a samurai, he was also quite the

forward thinking revolutionary in his time. He is frequently portrayed in this pose and you

can see just how modern he was from the western style boots that he always wore with

traditional Japanese dress.

I first "met"Sakamoto san in Nagasaki where his statues are also prominently displayed.

In his short life (he was assassinated at the age of 33) he accomplished much including

helping bring an end to the shogunate era, thus paving the way for a modern Japan.

At a shop in Kochi Station, I was able to enjoy their special latte -- I can now claim that

I had coffee with Sakamoto san!

We took the My-Yu bus from Kochi Station. It runs every 30 minutes and is a convenient way to see the sights in and around Kochi City. The bus goes on a circular route and passes Mt Godai or Godaisan where Chikurin-ji, temple 31 is. Because Kochi City is by the water, it seems to have a busy port -- at least from what we saw from our bus window.

The My-Yu bus dropped us off at the entrance to Chikurin-ji. It would pass by again in exactly one hour for the return ride to Kochi Station. The temple is located further up the mountain and can be reached by a series of old moss covered stone steps. For those who would need assistance, bamboo walking sticks are conveniently placed by the stairs, just return them when you leave.

The steps lead up to a beautiful wooden gate. Chikurin-ji traces its origins back to the eight century although I am not sure how old the actual buildings are. These wooden structures are often rebuilt after being destroyed by wars or by lightning, earthquake and other natural calamities.

There is a Treasure House that holds Chikurin-ji's valuable statues which are designated as

Important Cultural Properties. Entrance to the temple is free but you have to pay a small amount to enter the Treasure House.

Chikurin-ji is achingly beautiful. The soft rain added to the ethereal, mystical atmosphere of the temple. The worn pathways lead to moss covered steps and then even more steps.

Out of nowhere, a small shrine appeared. Hidden behind trees, set away from the main path,

I almost missed seeing it.

Thick green moss covers the ground and almost everything in its path. Chikurin-ji is lush and

verdant, perhaps it's a vision of what the world was like, hundreds of years ago.

A statue of Kobo Daishi and the Nyorai stand side by side in this small altar. A sign says that

figures of deities from the 88 temples of the pilgrimage can be found in Chikurin-ji. The mountain also serves as a mini version of the pilgrimage.

The last flight of stone steps is also the most daunting. The steps are unevenly spaced and moss makes them slippery, particularly on this rainy day. There are no handrails so I had to make my way up very carefully, breathing a silent prayer to Kobo Daishi to steady my feet as I climbed the stairs.

When you reach the top of the steps, this eye-catching scene awaits. Chikurin-ji's five story

wooden pagoda stands quite imposingly over the Daishido.

Chikurin-ji's pagoda is one of the highlights of the temple. It is painted a deep almost maroon red, quite different from the normally bright vermillion pagodas that you see.

Across the Daishido is the Hondo, the main hall of Chikurin-ji. Colourful banners festooned from the ceiling make the Hondo stand out from the background of green that surrounds it.

Chikurin-ji has many secrets waiting to be discovered. I wandered through the grounds and

saw a number of paths that would lead further up and into Godaisan.

The temple grounds are ideal for meditation. Its expansiveness leads you to many quiet

corners where you are alone with your thoughts. The real world seemed so far away.

I made my way slowly through hidden pathways, grateful for every moment that I was here in

this amazing temple.

This is the Gochi Nyorai or the five statues of Buddha. They form a mandala, representing the Dainichi Nyorai, the Buddhas of Wisdom.

All too soon, it is time to head back, our bus is due in a few minutes. In less than an

hour, Chikurin-ji managed to lodge itself into my mind and heart as one temple that I will

always treasure and remember. Thank you Kobo Daishi for leading us here today.

As I made my way slowly towards the steps, a single red maple leaf fell right on my path.

It is a gift, a message from the Daishi. Autumn is a celebration of what was.

It is a last burst of colour and life before everything dies -- but with a promise to bloom again.

Namu Daishi Henjo Kongo

P.S

Chikurin-ji can easily qualify as one of Japan's nicest temples, at par with the best in Kyoto.

Here is the temple's seal in my nokyocho along with my photo of the pagoda.

People have always said that eating in Japan is expensive but, I beg to differ. It's possible to
enjoytasty meals at budget-friendly prices, without having to resort to eating conbini-bought food.
Aside from the small, independently run, oftentimes mom-and-pop shokudo (casual eateries) there are QSRC stores (quick service restaurant chain) and no, I don't mean McDonalds or KFC that you can find just about anywhere you go.

If you like tonkatsu (as Jay and I do), you must have seen Tonkatsu Matsunoya which has over 100 stores all over Japan. Food is served fast, the price is a surprise and the quality is the same no

matter which store you go to. When in Japan, Jay likes to eat tonkatsu as often as he can but he had not tried tonkatsu at a QSRC like Matsunoya so when I saw one in Takamatsu, I dragged him in.

He was quite shocked to be confronted with these machines at the entrance. The tonkatsu

restaurants Jay goes to are the ones where you sit down and wait for someone to take your order.

At Matsunoya's they have these "ATM"machines ... automatic tonkatsu machines (see what

I did there?) where you choose your order from the electronic menu, press some buttons, insert

your cash and presto -- your meal stub comes out.

Matsunoya's flagship dish is its katsudon. It's sold for the same price all over Japan,

exactly 500 yen for a bowl, tax included. The next most popular dish is of course, the

tonkatsu set. A regular size cutlet is just 530 yen, with tax. A slightly bigger cutlet

will set you back by only 680 yen.

Even the beer at Matsunoya is cheaper! Nama or draft beer is 330 yen where it would normally

cost 400 to 500 yen in an izakaya.

As with restaurants like Matsunoya, diners come to grab a quick, hot and tasty meal and then

head back out the door. It's mostly counter seating in Matsunoya, with a few tables for two.

Diners eat and run -- no lingering or chit chatting please, everyone's just engaged in the

business of eating.

There is an open kitchen at the back of the restaurant. This is where you give your meal stubs

and when your food is ready, your number will flash on the electronic board.

Note the huge rice cooker on the counter on the left side -- rice is refillable and free!

I ordered the miso-katsu set plus beer. Miso-katsu is a Nagoya original and comes with a

fermented red miso sauce. This aka-miso sauce is stronger tasting than the normal tonkatsu gravy and has a richer and saltier taste. Umai desu yo!

Matsunoya does not offer a choice between Jay's preferred hire (lean pork tenderloin, more expensive) or rosu (skinless chop with a bit of fat, less expensive).

All tonkatsu sets are rosu, I think. For the price of 630 yen, Jay was happy and had no complaints.

Oishiikatta!

P.S

Tonkatsu Matsunoya belongs to the giant food company, Matsuya Foods which owns and runs a

huge QSRC, eponymously named Matsuya. Matsuya is the forerunner to Matsunoya and has

over 1,000 branches all over Japan. It built its empire on the gyumeishi or gyudon -- just

500 yen with tax for a generously sized bowl of rice topped with tender, thinly sliced beef.

This is served with miso soup, pickles PLUS ... free rice refills! You can't beat that!

We had a quick lunch at Matsuya in Tokushima and while I wasn't able to take a lot of photos (the restaurant was full to bursting and I was squeezed into a small corner seat) I did get to take photos

of what was directly in front of me.

For a "budget"QSRC, Matsuya does not skimp on giving its customers the condiments that can enhance their meal. There are 3 kinds of salad dressing, additional gyudon sauce and

unli-beni shoga, those pink pickled ginger strips that go so well with gyudon.

I ordered one of my favourite Japanese"homestyle" dishes -- pork shogayaki. This is thinly sliced pork cooked with ginger and mirin and soy sauce. The set came with a fresh mixed green salad with sweet corn and miso soup with tofu and pork bits.

Itadakimasu!

Japan's oldest and most popular pilgrimage, the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage in honour of

Kobo Daishi, winds its way through 1,400 kilometres and the four prefectures of Shikoku Island.

Even if we would not be able to go to all 88 temples, I promised Kobo Daishi that we would

visit at least one in each prefecture.

With seven temples in Tokushima accounted for and one down in Kochi, we were ready to visit
the third prefecture, Ehime. It has the most number of temples, 25 out of the 88. This is the map
of Shikoku island showing the four prefectures and the location of the 88 temples.
I got this map from http://www.shikokuhenrotrail.com/shikoku/pilgrimageoverview.html.
I used this website often when I was planning our trip.
For our single foray into Ehime, we would visit Ishite-ji, temple 51 in Matsuyama City. This is a very important temple in the pilgrimage and perhaps you could say, this is also where it all began.

After staying in Tokushima City for four days, our next base was the city of Takamatsu in Kagawa prefecture. To get to Matsuyama City in Ehime, we took the Limited Express Ishizuchi, unfortunately not the fancy one in the picture above.

What you see in this photo is a reservations only, sightseeing train called the Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari.

The seats are all facing panoramic windows and it travels through scenic areas in Shikoku.

A man who was also taking photos of the train told me that reservations are sold out months in advance.

While we were not on the sightseeing train, I did catch glimpses of beautiful vistas of Japan's

Inland Sea, not from my window though as we were seated on the wrong side.

After a two and a half hour train journey, we arrived at Matsuyama and from there took a tram

to the famous Dogo Onsen. Ishite-ji is just a 2 kilometre walk from the tram terminal.

It was almost noon when we started our walk. I now fully understand why September is off

season for pilgrims -- the weather is almost summer-hot! If you've experienced a Japanese

summer, you know what I am talking about.

The sun above was punishingly brutal and where was a breeze when you needed it?

The clean flowing stream looked so inviting -- I wanted to stop and lie down in the water.

The road was lined with houses, more houses and commercial buildings. I missed the

green rice fields and forested mountains seen along Tokushima's back roads.

This pretty manhole cover made for a pleasant distraction. Japan has raised manhole covers

to an art form so don't forget to look down when you're walking in the streets as you might

miss seeing a work of art.

Along the way we passed by a statue of Kobo Daishi. Can you see the small red turtle near

his staff? I took it as a sign -- while I can walk on and on for long distances, I normally

walk at a slower pace, almost like a turtle. That's me right there -- at the foot of the Daishi.

Ishite-ji is one of the temples that are inside the city so it's not a surprise that it suddenly popped up by the side of the road. There is a giant statue of Kobo Daishi on the hillside, his gaze on the distant horizon ahead. I think he's trying to avoid seeing the car park right down below.

The temple's entrance is right in front of a crosswalk. Matsuyama is the largest city in the entire island of Shikoku and for the first time on this trip, I saw a constant stream of vehicles on the road.

Even before you enter the temple grounds, you can see all these statues and markers by the

sidewalk. I find it all a bit cluttered -- there are figures of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas along with

fish and animal heads.

This is the main entrance to the temple. The temizuya is right in front and there is a painting hung

on the small pavilion beside it. There is also a wooden outpost on the left side.

On the middle, there is a small statue of a man, kneeling on the rock.

This is Emon Saburo, the person who you can say started the 88 Temple Pilgrimage and who is central to the story of Ishite-ji.

Emon Saburo was a rich man who the story says, repeatedly turned away a beggar from his door. After this unkind act, his fortunes fell and his eight sons died one by one.

Too late, Emon Saburo realized that the beggar was Kobo Daishi. He then went after the Daishi, looking for him in temples around the island. As he arrived at each one, people would say

"Oh, you just missed him, he left for the next temple".

Emon Saburo did this for years and years but he never caught up with the Daishi.

Finally, when he was old and near death, the Daishi appeared to him. Because of Emon Saburo's persistence and repentance, he was forgiven and Kobo Daishi asked him to make one request that

he would grant.

Emon Saburo asked that he be reborn as a rich man so that he could use his fortunes to help everyone in need. Kobo Daishi then gave him a stone, which Emon Saburo was holding when he died.

Many many years later, a son was born to a noble family. The boy's hand was closed and would not

open until one day, a priest came and prayed over the boy.

When they opened his hand, they found a stone and on it was written the words

"I am Emon Saburo"

Ishite-ji was supposedly built by the young boy who grew up to be a wealthy nobleman and presumably did all the good things he promised that he would do.

The temple's name literally means "stone hand" -- ishi is the Japanese word for stone and the

word for hand is pronounced like "te".

Without Emon Saburo and his reincarnation, we would not have the pilgrimage as we know it today.

This is why Ishite-ji is such an important temple for the henro.

Ishite-ji's Niomon gate (you can see the faint outline of the fierce Nio on each side) is a designated

National Treasure. It follows the Kamakura style of architecture which would date it between

the twelfth and fourteenth centuries.

This priceless structure is made totally of wood and while I appreciate that it has stood there at the entrance for hundreds of years, I also cannot help but think of the many possible catastrophes that could damage it.

Giant sandals made of hemp stand on each side of the Niomon. Are they the Daishi's sandals or

are they Emon Saburo's?

The three story wooden pagoda is an Important Cultural Property. You can see that there

are strings of origami cranes or senbazuru hung in front of it. It is said that when you hang

senbazuru and make a wish, your wish will be granted.

The shoro holds a bell tower and is also an Important Cultural Property. Ishite-ji is cluttered

indeed, cluttered with all these valuable and historic treasures.

Another Important Cultural Property is the Hondo or the Main Hall. Like the Niomon gate and the pagoda, it is done in the Kamakura style and is hundreds of years old.

Along with the rest of Ishite-ji, the Hondo seems to be crowded and full of images and statues.

My eye is drawn to a shining gold statue of what seems to be Fudo Myoo although the principal deity of Ishite-ji is the Yakushi Nyorai or the Healing Buddha.

We walk around and see more small buildings and even more figures and statues.

The temple's collection is quite eclectic and extensive . I spotted figures that look like Korean

stone statues. And even one that looks like a European friar. Can you spot them in the photo?

Since a stone plays a key role in the history of the temple, there is an area where you can pick up

a stone and write your wish on it. I did pick one up but instead of writing on it, I took it home,

to remind me of Ishite-ji,Emon Saburo and my visit to this curious but enthralling place.

No matter how strange or different I thought Ishite-ji was, I reminded myself that it is not an

object of curiosity -- it is an active and working temple. It serves not just the passing henro

or the inquisitive tourist but it is there for the people who live in the community who come

here to pray and pay homage to the Buddha.

P.S.

This is Ishite-ji's temple seal as inscribed on my nokyocho. And here is my photo of the pagoda,

an Important Cultural Property.

Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture is Shikoku's largest city. It is home to a renowned castle (Matsuyama-jo), a renowned temple (Ishite-ji, temple 51 of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage) and one of
the oldest and most renowned hot springs in Japan -- Dogo Onsen.

The city has an excellent tram station that will get you from JR Matsuyama Station to Dogo

Onsen's period piece looking terminal.

The first thing I saw when I got off the tram was a shotengai, a covered shopping arcade.

This is Dogo Haikara-dori, a short 400 meter stretch of shops, cafes and restaurants that

leads to the Honkan, the centuries old bath house of Dogo Onsen.

I started hyperventilating -- a shotengai is my favourite kind of place to (window) shop in
Japan. The stores are mostly local, filled with goods that are made in the area and sold by the

artisans themselves. A shotengai is full of those irresistible souvenirs that will make people ask "Where did you get this?"

Beside the entrance to the Haikara-dori is the Botchan Karakuri Clock.

When the clock strikes the hour, miniature figures from the Japanese classic novel "Botchan"emerge and enact scenes from the novel. The couple and photographers in the foreground are

not part of the scene but are taking wedding photos, timing the shots with the start of the show.

Check out my gleeful grin as I am about to hit the shops!

Jay did not want to have anything to do with my nefarious schemes so he quickly walked on ahead.

One of the shops I really liked and where I had to literally put my hands in my pockets so I

wouldn't buy anything was the Imabari Towel store. Imabari City in Ehime prefecture is well

known for the towels that they produce.

Fluffy, absorbent and with beautiful contemporary Japanese designs and colour combinations, Imabari City has over a century of experience in towel manufacturing. Their gorgeous products are sold in high end department stores in Japan and even abroad.

This shop had signs that said no picture taking but I stayed well outside the door and could not resist taking a photo of the gorgeous indigo and white Tobe pottery, made here in Ehime prefecture.

Shikoku is known for udon noodles so it was no surprise to see an udon shop in the arcade.

This is Dogo Onsen Honkan, it probably rivals Matsuyama Castle as the most recognised building in Matsuyama City. The Honkan, built in the 1890s stands over what is said to be a 3,000 year old hot spring that has been visited even by the Japanese royal family.

The facade of the wooden Honkan may be familiar to fans of Miyazaki san who modelled the building in his movie "Spirited Away"after this structure.

Can you see the white crane on the top left side of the photo? The legend of these age old waters is
that a wounded crane dipped his injured leg in the hot springs and it was promptly cured. From then on, people have come from all over Japan to enjoy its restorative, mineral rich waters.

Inside the Honkan are two baths -- the Kami-no-yu which is bigger and can accommodate

more people and the other is the Tama-no-yu, smaller and a bit more exclusive.

For the price of 410 yen, you can get into the Kami-no-yu and enjoy the bath for as long as you like (or for as long as you can stand the hot water).

Mid priced tickets of 840 yen allow access to Kami-no-yu and a public lounge where you can relax after the bath. The most expensive package is 1,550 yen and gives you access to both baths plus a private room of your own.

Silly me -- I thought that we could just walk up to the ticket booth to buy the high end tickets
but I was told that there was a long line and we would have to wait to get in.

However, the ticket seller did tell me that there was no queue for the 410 yen ticket and we could go
right in and enjoy the bath.

And so of course we did.

Photos are strictly prohibited inside the Honkan. This beautiful photo is from Dogo Onsen's website

https://dogo.jp/en/honkan.php. Some renovations have been made, the ticket booth is no longer at the side but stands in the middle of the room. Before you give your ticket, place your shoes inside any of the available lockers and then proceed inside.

Old photos line the walls and with the rich hues and patina of old, lovingly cared for wood, you truly feel as if you have been "spirited away" to another time.

The red noren over the doorway signifies that this is the entrance to the women's side of Kami-no-Yu.

This is the women's changing room, I had to take it on the sly since photos are strictly prohibited.

There was no one else in the room at the time so I did not really feel like a voyeur invading any

one's privacy. There are wall to wall lockers where you can put your clothes and bag. Take the key with you when you enter the bath.

The inside of Kami-No-Yu is definitely off limits for any photo taking. I would have been kicked out by all the women bathers if I had even dared to try.
This photo of the bath itself is from the Dogo Onsen website https://dogo.jp/en/honkan.php.
The hot spring water flows freely from a spout in the large pillar at one end of the bath.

The Tobe indigo and white ceramic tiles show the two cranes which are part of the origin story of Dogo Onsen. The perspective of the photo makes the bath look much smaller than it is,
in truth it is the size of a small swimming pool.

The temperature is very hot -- about 42C. I got in and out of the bath several times, to take a cold shower in between each soak.
However, the heat is also tempered by how mild and soft the water felt on the skin. The waters of
the onsen come from many different underground springs and the water quality is excellent.

Here is Jay looking refreshed after his bath. There is no season for onsen. If you think that taking

a hot soak in warm weather is crazy, the Japanese will assure you that it is very appropriate.

The heat opens your pores, makes you sweat and releases toxins. You feel light and refreshed afterwards.

Tea is usually served after the bath but in my case, nothing would beat an ice cold mug of

nama beer. We enjoyed a mid afternoon late lunch in one of the small cafes lining Haikara-dori.

The curry omurice was gigantic but there's something about a good hot soak that makes you

really hungry.

I wanted one last dip at the free foot onsen right beside the Karikuri clock but there were too many people. The water in this foot onsen comes from the same springs that feed the bath at the Honkan.

On our way back to Matsuyama Station, we decided to take the city's unique form of transport known as the Botchan Train. This is a replica of the old steam locomotives that ran in the city in
the 19th century. Named after the novel written by famous author Soseki Natsume, it travels
around the city and stops at key areas, including Matsuyama Station.

The train conductor, dressed in a uniform that would not have looked out of place when the original steam locomotives were still running, called out the stops as his predecessors probably did, many many years ago.

The train is faithfully reproduced from the exterior to the wooden interiors which have been

cleverly "distressed" to recreate the feeling of an antique locomotive.

After chugging through the streets of Matsuyama, we found ourselves back at the station, ready to board a train back to Takamatsu. The biggest city in Shikoku somewhat incongruously has a modest and quite old-fashioned looking station. It definitely has a vintage vibe.

Even the benches in the waiting area by the tracks are made of wood and are a throwback to

another age.

The Limited Express Ishizuchi however definitely belongs to Japan's ultra modern train system.

It is not a bullet train but it is the fastest way to get from Matsuyama to Takamatsu, making just a

few stops along the way.

Time for an eki-snack! This is oyaki, which I bought at Ishite-ji, temple 51. There are quite a

number of old time stores selling this delicacy around the temple. You can see the drawing of a

henro (Emon Saburo I presume) on the paper wrapper of the oyaki.

Oyaki is a glutinous rice dumpling, filled with a mildly sweet bean paste, flattened and then fried.

It's chewy, soft and delicious. They have been making these sweets for generations.

Rice farmers would offer it at the temple, in thanksgiving for a good harvest.

As the train sped towards Takamatsu, the sunset over the Inland Sea was a gentle, picturesque

good-bye gift from Matsuyama. Domo arigato gozaimashita, we had a memorable visit.

P.S

The Honkan will close for renovation and repair in January 2019 for a period of two to three years.

I am so happy we were able to visit when we did. However, there are two more modern baths

behind the Honkan, the Asuka-no-Yu and the Tsubaki-no-Yu. You can continue to enjoy the waters of Dogo Onsen even after the temporary closure of the Honkan,

The final segment of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage is in Kagawa Prefecture where temples 66 to 88 can be found. Two of the temples in Kagawa are very significant -- temple 75 which is where Kobo Daishi was born and of course temple 88, the final stop of the pilgrimage.

We were based in Takamatsu City in Kagawa for this leg of our pilgrimage. The friendly looking Takamatsu station (notice the smiling face?) was our jump off point as we headed out to visit

Zentsu-ji.

We saw this Anpanman Train, very popular and available only in Shikoku parked at the tracks, waiting for its lucky passengers. It travels across the island but reservations are hard to come by

as it is always fully booked by families with children. The interiors are fully decorated with Anpanman stuff and even includes toys and special bento boxes -- a dream come true for fans of

all ages.

Jay and I took the Marine Liner to Sakaide where we had a 15 minute wait to catch the connecting train that would take us to Zentsuji. When taking trains in Japan, we try as much as possible to

travel during off peak times, to avoid the rush hour crowds.

The whole train ride is less than an hour, Zentsuji is only 40 kilometres away from Takamatsu.

From the station, cross the road and just keep walking. The temple is a pleasant 1.5 kilometre

walk away.

Zentsuji the town evolved from Zentsu-ji, the temple. Through the centuries, so many pilgrims would visit the temple who required lodging, provisions and other services. All these pilgrim establishments gave birth to the town.

This building with a photo studio looks like it's straight out of the 1950s. Even the photos displayed in their windows were so dated.

There is a top ranked university in Zentsuji -- Shikoku Gakuin. I saw the entrance to the campus along the way to the temple. Aside from being a temple town, Zentsuji is also then a university town. It must have been be off term since I did not see any students around.

This is the Daimon gate, the main entrance to Zentsu-ji. As the birthplace of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism and"patron"of the pilgrimage, Zentsu-ji is one of the three most important places directly associated with him.

The other two are To-ji in Kyoto and Mt Koya or Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture in Kansai.

The 5 story, thousand year old wooden pagoda of Zentsu-ji is the first thing you'll see from afar and also the first major structure that greets you when you enter the temple grounds. It's grand and imposing -- very appropriate for such an important temple as this.

This sprawling camphor tree stands across the pagoda and it is said that the tree was planted by the Daishi himself. Beside it is a marker that reads "May peace prevail on earth" written in english, Japanese and other languages. This marker is present not just along the pilgrimage but is a common feature in temples all over Japan.

There is a vast expanse of space between the entrance gate and the Hondo or main hall.

Zentsu-ji is the largest among all the temples in the pilgrimage and there are numerous buildings spread out over nearly 5 hectares of land.

It is so big that the grounds have been divided into two areas -- the East Academy (To-in) and the West Academy (Sai-in). The older portion is Sai-in and Kobo Daishi himself established the temple in the To-in.

The Hondo, the pagoda and the centuries-old camphor tree are located in the To-in.

Outside the Hondo is the temizuya, a stone urn for burning incense and a statue of Kobo Daishi

with a child in his arms.

Inside the Hondo is a statue of the Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Light and Life. I think the the Hondo's holy and serene atmosphere makes pilgrims stay just a bit longer at their prayers.

To the left of the Hondo is a path that leads you out of the To-in and towards the Sai-in.

The low mountains in the background provide a spectacular backdrop to Zentsu-ji.

As we exited the gate, I got a closer look at these stone statues, standing three deep, lining the inner walls from end to end. I looked closely and it seemed that each one had a unique and distinctive facial expression.

There are many sub temples within Zentsu-ji. One is Kanchi-in, built by Kobo Daishi himself.

In Kanchi-in's grounds is a statue of the Daishi atop a flight of stone steps.

Around the Daishi's statue are stone figures of the deities from each of the 88 temples of the pilgrimage. Underneath each stone statue is some sand from the actual temple.

By going around the base of the structure, you will have "symbolically" completed the pilgrimage.

If you do not have the time or the energy to do the entire pilgrimage, this would be an acceptable "shortcut".

Many versions of this mini pilgrimage can be found in different places in Japan. They vary in

length from a few steps to several kilometres.

Underneath is a crypt where anyone's ashes, regardless of race or religion can be interred.

Cross a small public road to reach the Niomon gate that officially marks the entrance to the Sai-in

or West Academy.

A long wooden corridor with intricate carvings and paintings leads to the Mieido, the building that now stands on the location of the house where Kobo Daishi was born in 774.

This is a view of the Mieido with the temple bell in the foreground. There were just a few tourists

and henro -- there were no crowds to mar the calm serenity of the place.

The Mieido may look deceptively small but underneath it is a 100 meter tunnel that is pitch black.

Pilgrims are encouraged to walk through the tunnel in total darkness. This is a Buddhist practice called the Kaidan Meguri. As you walk through the narrow passageway you are literally blind and you guide yourself by running your hand along the left wall.

Somewhere in the middle of the tunnel, we emerged onto a small room where there was an altar.

This is the exact spot where the Daishi was born.

When we emerged from the tunnel, the attendant directed us to the Treasure House and Museum

where the temple's most important properties are kept, including calligraphy done by the Daishi himself.

Jay and I had done the Kaidan Meguri before at Tocho-ji in Fukuoka. Coincidentally, Tocho-ji

also belongs to the Shingon Buddhism sect and was established by Kobo Daishi in 806.

If you have a chance to do the Kaidan Meguri, don't hesitate to do it as it is an amazing experience.

Back outside, there are so many things to see in the grounds such as this small temple with life

sized jizo surrounding it.

There is another hall at the end of this gravel driveway. Statues of various deities line the path.

A golden stuppa looks very much Indian inspired. It is a reminder that Buddhism started in

India before it moved to the east.

There is an arched stone bridge -- does it lead to the mountains in the background?

Well, yes and no. The bridge is the way to cross to the temple's massive parking lot.

Beyond it is a red torii that marks the entrance to a Shinto shrine.

This is the view of the back portion of the Sai-in as taken from the top of the stone bridge.

There is a small graveyard on the right side, just inside the walls.

Here is a map to show you just how big Zentsu-ji is. I have marked with green circles the important structures in the East or To-in area : B. the thousand year old 5 story wooden pagoda; C. the camphor tree that Kobo Daishi is said to have planted; D. the Hondo or Main Hall and E. a small shop selling souvenirs and Buddhist items

I marked in yellow circles the key places in the Sai-in or the West area : B. the Mieido which stands on the spot where Kobo Daishi was born; C. the Museum and Treasure House D. the back gate;

E. the bell tower and F. the nokyocho office.

P.S.

I cannot put into words just how much this visit to Zentsu-ji means to me. I have been a huge fan

(irreverent as that sounds) of Kobo Daishi since I first read his teachings many many years ago.

I feel that I have come full circle ... I have visited To-ji where he was an abbot, and the Okunoin where he lies in eternal sleep. To visit his birthplace and have the seal of the temple in my

nokyocho is priceless beyond measure.

Banaue Bound Part 5 - Our Bangaan Moment

Visiting Kobo Daishi at Sojiji Temple, Tokyo

A Gentle Wind blew me to the Annual Furin Market in Sojiji Temple, Tokyo

Cordova's sa Naga City. Sa wakas, kinalas!

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 1 - What does it take to be a Henro?

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 2 - The Henro to-do List

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 3 - Ryozen-ji, temple number one

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 4 - Gokuraku-ji, temple number 2

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 5 - Konsen-ji, temple number 3

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 6 - Dainichi-ji, temple number 4

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 7 - Jizo-ji, temple number 5

Enjoying Tokushima style ramen at Menou, Tokushima Eki-mae

A Convivial Evening at Robata Ichiba Champion, Tokushima City

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 8 - Anraku-ji, temple number 6

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 9 - Jurakuji, temple number 7

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 10 - Chikurin-ji, Temple 31 in Kochi Prefecture

Tonkatsu Matsunoya - More filling for less yen

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 11 - Ishite-ji, temple 51 in Ehime Prefecture

A Dip at Dogo Onsen

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 12 - Zentsu-ji, temple 75, Kagawa Prefecture