Category: 88 Buddhist Temples

So Close – April 12, 2019

  • Friday, April 12, 2019, Day 30
  • Temples: #71, #72, #73, #74, #75, #76, #77, #78, and #79
  • Muroto City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-55 degrees blue skies with white clouds
  • Miles 27.3 miles (3 trains) / Total Miles 595.1

I am so close to Temple #79, the last temple in this marathon day. My guide book map and Map.me indicate I am within a couple of blocks to its location. The streets are so twisted I can’t seem to get there. Minutes tic by knowing the stamp office closes at 5:00pm. One car stops to help using their car navigation system. They are as confused as I am. The driver gets out of his car and hails another driver to explain the dilemma. No problem as the second driver is a local. I pop in his car and in minutes am at Temple #79’s Gate…it’s 4:55 pm. I got my stamp and ink drawing thanks to the generous collaborative help of these people.

  1. Temple #79 Main Temple
  2. Tonight’s Hosts
  3. Chilling out watching figure skating in preparation for Tokyo Olympics. The television seems to be on during most of my meals.

Unique – April 12, 2019

  • Friday, April 12, 2019, Day 30
  • Temples: #71, #72, #73, #74, #75, #76, #77, #78, and #79
  • Muroto City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-55 degrees blue skies with white clouds
  • Miles 27.3 miles (3 trains) / Total Miles 595.1

There is always something unique at each temple. I wish I knew the story behind these images

  1. Temple #77 Golden Figure
  2. Temple #78 Parade
  3. Temple #78 Contemporary o-henro with stamp book bag and prayer beads

Temple #75 – April 12, 2019

  • Friday, April 12, 2019, Day 30
  • Temples: #71, #72, #73, #74, #75, #76, #77, #78, and #79
  • Muroto City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-55 degrees blue skies with white clouds
  • Miles 27.3 miles (3 trains) / Total Miles 595.1

Temple #75 is colossal. It expands over two city blocks with a street bisecting it. It is the birthplace of Kūkai who posthumously is named Kōbō Daishi (774-835). It is the third most important site relating to Kōbō Daishi of the 88 Temples. I walk the Kaidan-meguri which is a 90-meter path under the Main Temple done in total darkness. Always keeping my left hand on the smooth cold stone left wall, it becomes my guide through the maze.

  1. Temple #75
  2. Temple #75 Kaidan-meguri only lit section
  3. Temple #75

Rabbit – April 12, 2019

  • Friday, April 12, 2019, Day 30
  • Temples: #71, #72, #73, #74, #75, #76, #77, #78, and #79
  • Muroto City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-55 degrees blue skies with white clouds
  • Miles 27.3 miles (3 trains) / Total Miles 595.1

At Temple #74 is a most adorable rabbit statue. I don’t know why it is a theme at this temple. I have the rabbit stamp added to the blank pages in my stamp book. I don’t think twice about buying two miniature rabbit porcelain statue to add to the load in my backpack.

  1. Rabbit
  2. Rabbit
  3. Flower

Pause – April 12, 2019

  • Friday, April 12, 2019, Day 30
  • Temples: #71, #72, #73, #74, #75, #76, #77, #78, and #79
  • Muroto City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-55 degrees blue skies with white clouds
  • Miles 27.3 miles (3 trains) / Total Miles 595.1

At Temple #73 there is a priest with a bus group. He has the most affections smile. We talk. People are kindly interested in me. “Where am I from?” “What brings me to Shikoku ‘s 88 Temples?” My days are too full as my intentions have become to visit all 88 Temples. Yet, I choose to pause, sit, and listen to the group chanting their Heart Sutra to the beat of the wooden blocks the priest strikes. I am warmed by the sun in a clear blue sky. I am most happy.

Always o-settai. At the first temple a man hands me a bottle of lemonade, at the next temple, a lady slips me an envelope with ¥2,000 I use to buy bracelets as a permanent reminder of generosity. This priest arranged to pay for me temple stamp. Best of all was three chance meetups with Akita H. who climbed Temple #60 with me.

Leaving Temple #73 I realize it sits juxtaposition with the large seaport city Tadotsu Town and I can see a bridge connecting Shikoku with mainland Japan.

  1. Priest and group of o-henros
  2. O-settia
  3. View of Tadotsu Town from Temple #73

Flashbacks – April 12, 2019

  • Friday, April 12, 2019, Day 30
  • Temples: #71, #72, #73, #74, #75, #76, #77, #78, and #79
  • Muroto City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-55 degrees blue skies with white clouds Miles 27.3 miles (3 trains) / Total Miles 595.1

Flashbacks from nine temples visited iin one day.

    Cherry Blossoms Temple #75
    Video of Bird Calls in Bamboo Forrest towards Temple #72
    Cherry Blossoms Temple #75

Standards – April 11, 2019

  • Thursday, April 11, 2019, Day 29
  • Temples: #66 #66, #68, #69, and #70
  • Muroto City, Japan
  • Weather: 45-55 degrees chilly, misty morning on mountain becoming blue skies then overcast
  • Miles 20.7 miles / Total Miles 567.8

Standard Poodles have standards. This beauty has his “doggie bag” waste transported in a Louis Vuitton shopping bag.

  1. Standard Poodle
  2. Louis Vuitton Shopping Bag
  3. Standard Poodle