Monthly Archives: January 2017

  Kuniko–san, a good friend to walk with (temples 28 – 33)   On my pilgrimage, occasionally I met women who did the pilgrimage alone.  One of them was Kuniko-san, a Japanese woman who could talk English well enough to … Continue reading →

  Beauty of Impermanence (temples 25 – 27)       Along the shore of the Pacific Ocean, weather can be severe.  When I left Cape Muroto, for miles I walked in heavy rain. It did not bother me, because … Continue reading →

  Kochi Prefecture, Place of Ascetic Training, temples 24 – 39   Great Sky, Great Ocean – Cape Muroto and Hotsumasakiji (temple 24) The path along the shore of the Pacific Ocean on road 55 to Cape Muroto is a … Continue reading →

  Arriving at the Pacific Ocean (temple 23)     This day was the last day in the Tokushima Prefecture.           The day I arrived at the Pacific Ocean, I stayed overnight at the Minshuku Yuki-so, … Continue reading →

  Daigongen Shrine or Shrine for the Cat God (temples 20 – 22)     Kakurinji (temple 20) and Taiyūji (temple 21) are two mountain temples separated by a valley and with the Naka River flowing through them.  Huge cedar … Continue reading →

  Meeting Old Japan (temple 19) Throughout the entire pilgrimage I received gifts of all kinds. It is an old custom to give Osettai (gifts) to the pilgrims and expected that these will not be rejected. In return, the Ohenro … Continue reading →

  Walking with Kōbō Daishi (temple 13 – 18)   Without my Japanese friends, who had now gone back to Tokyo, I was on my own.  But for some reason, although there were so many uncertainties in front of me, … Continue reading →

    Hiking up to Shōsanji, temple 12   Shōsanji was the first real mountain temple (7000 feet) on the pilgrimage.  When Kōbō Daishi founded a training place for his teachings on this mountain, there was a legend that told … Continue reading →

  Tokushima Prefecture, Place of Spiritual Awakening, Temples 1 – 23   The start of my pilgrimage at Ryōzenji (temple 1 – 11)   Although my Japanese friends were with me at the start of my pilgrimage (they left after … Continue reading →

We are very fortunate to share Garyo’s travelogue with her beautiful pictures again as repeatedly before – this time Shikoku, Four States, located in the south of Japan, a completely new world with new language, living, living systems and situations. … Continue reading →