Category: 88 Buddhist Temples

Heirlooms – April 14, 2019

  • Sunday, April 14, 2019, Day 32
  • Temples: #83 & #84
  • Takamatsu City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-50 degrees light rain on and off
  • Miles 20.8 miles (walk & train) / Total Miles 630.2

This incredible 88 Temple scroll was done by my host’s mother in 1959. His mother took him to visit the 88 Temples as a cure. He describes himself as being very weak as child. He said this was extremely hard for him was 10-years old. A can’t image any child doing this pilgrimage as it is so arduous.

The loose Temple stamp and ink pages were done by his great-grandmother in 1884. What an heirloom.

I already cherish my book and it’s only a month old.

  1. Temple Scroll done by mother and host in 1959
  2. Great-Grandmother’s book, 1883
  3. Host
  4. Linda with host mother’s scold, 1959

Plunge – April 14, 2019

  • Sunday, April 14, 2019, Day 32
  • Temples: #83 & #84
  • Takamatsu City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-50 degrees light rain on and off
  • Miles 20.8 miles (walk & train) / Total Miles 630.2

Stunning view leaving Temple #84. Gentle rain created an incredibly slippery plunge to sea level. Rope hand rails helped brace the downward journey.

  1. View leaving Temple #84
  2. View leaving Temple #84
  3. View leaving Temple #84

Too Good – April 14, 2019

  • Sunday, April 14, 2019, Day 32
  • Temples: #83 & #84
  • Takamatsu City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-50 degrees light rain on and off
  • Miles 20.8 miles (walk & train) / Total Miles 630.2

Too good to be true. At Temple #83, I run into the Good Samaritan o-henro who helped me sort out being lost.

Too good to be true is this whimsical stuffed character tucked beneath the religious statue.

  1. Good Samaritan and Linda
  2. Whimsical Character
  3. Whimsical Character and Statue

Point Me – April 14, 2019

  • Sunday, April 14, 2019, Day 32
  • Temples: #83 & #84
  • Takamatsu City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-50 degrees light rain on and off
  • Miles 20.8 miles (walk & train) / Total Miles 630.2

Just point me in the right direction and I’m good to go. Last night’s Ryokan’s hostess by Temple #80 points me towards the next temple. Unfortunately she sends me off to Temple #81 which I did out of sequence yesterday.

Minor correction with the help of Watson, the dog, and Sherlock, the owner. By now I’ve crossed referenced my location with guide and map and I am good to go. Sherlock insist that he’s taking me on a short cut. I’m to stay with him. Being willing to give up ownership of my own plan is tough. I’m working on patients so I go with the flow. We take his plan. Fifteen minutes later I am exactly where I need to be.

  1. Watson
  2. Sherlock and Watson
  3. Sherlock and Linda

Because – April 13, 2019

  • Saturday, April 13, 2019, Day 31
  • Temples: #79, #81, #82, and #80
  • Takamatsu City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-55 degrees blue skies becoming overcast
  • Miles 14.3 miles (walk & train) / Total Miles 609.4

Because of blooming Cherry Trees, I chose to visit Japan in March and April.

  1. Stunning forest path between Temples #81 and #82
  2. Temple #82’s statues. This pattern fills four hallways.
  3. Cherry Trees at Temple #82

Temple Offerings – April 13, 2019

  • Saturday, April 13, 2019, Day 31
  • Temples: #79, #81, #82, and #80
  • Takamatsu City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-55 degrees blue skies becoming overcast
  • Miles 14.3 miles (walk & train) / Total Miles 609.4

Fortune Cat has places of honor at Temple #81. A lady tending to shrine flowers along the road gave me this flower o-settai which I offered to the temple.

  1. Fortune Cat
  2. Garden Flower at Temple #81
  3. Re-gifted Flower

Daunting – April 13, 2019

  • Saturday, April 13, 2019, Day 31
  • Temples: #79, #81, #82, and #80
  • Takamatsu City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-55 degrees blue skies becoming overcast
  • Miles 14.3 miles (walk & train) / Total Miles 609.4

Seen from this perspective, accomplishing a visit to 88 Temples thus circling the island seems daunting. Today’s walk is off Google’s GPS and Map.me. I’m relying on my guide book maps and sparsely posted directional decals.

Who to ask when help is needed? Choose a high school student as it is likely he will be studying English. Pick someone wearing a track club jacket (albeit written in Japanese) so you will have a common topic for conversation. He likes the 100-meter distance best. This kind fellow pushed his bike 10-minutes to make sure I was where I wanted to be.

  1. View of Takamatsu City, Pacific Ocean, and bridges from the main land to Shikoku
  2. Track Star, a Good Samaritan
  3. Track Star’s Running Jacket.