Visiting the first of the 88 temple pilgrimage temples
It has been a marvellous 3 day stay in Takamatsu. We really enjoy exploring new places and Takamatsu did not disappoint. We are leaving refreshed, less jet lagged and will savour the great memories we made here. We have finally figured out the route required to reach the hotel which begins on the 8th floor. It isn’t that hard, taking 2 elevators to reach the hotel and a 3rd elevator to reach our trikes.
First elevator is from our floor to the lobby on 8 and then we take a different elevator to the ground level.
Takamatsu is in Kagawa Prefecture. We will explore more of Kagawa as we depart Takamastu. From the pile of bags we have, it looks like a lot for 2 people. But one of the panniers is just camping gear. We hope to offset some of our hotel and Japanese Inn stays with some camping.
The parking solution for our trikes could not have been better. At the end of the room are rental bikes and the rest of the area is a parking area for bicycles and a couple of trikes.
This is typical look for young people, small stuffed characters hanging from their backpacks or on their clothing. They wear uniforms to school and usually wear black leather shoes
Our trikes are an endless source of fascination. These fellows had been studying our trikes trying to figure them out while we were having a snack in a Konbini (Convenience Store). When we came out they were excited to chat with us and had many questions. Teens are so easy to interact with here.
It is always good to get away from the road and cars. We are riding on a route that Barry created using Ride With GPS. The program gets us off of the busy roads and guides us to the backroads of Japan.
On a previous trip to Shikoku, we were here in the fall as well. We highly recommend it as mandarins that are grown here are delicious fresh from the tree.
We enjoy seeing these incredible traditional homes…mostly in small towns and rural areas. But what caught our eye, was the addition of the stone piece at the driveway with a face full of character.
The Canadian flag jumped out at us. Perhaps they have family in Canada, or maybe they just like Canada. The message at top right shows some images of Canada…a person being chased by a bear and a moose. The caption reads…warning….Niagara Falls.
One of the reasons we have come to Shikoku is because of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage. It is one of the few circular-shaped pilgrimages in the world.It includes 88 “official” temples and other sacred sites where the Buddhist priest Kobo Daishi is believed to have trained during the 9th century.
Shikoku is the smallest of the four Main islands in Japan. On our second trip to Japan we circumnavigated the island. On this our fifth trip we plan to ride around Shikoku in the opposite direction and perhaps change the route slightly. This all depends if Mary Ellen’s knees can handle the route.
The book is handed over to an attendant and in return for a modest fee, will be stamped with the temple’s name along with day’s date. The stamp is called a goshuin.
We visited Sanuki Kokubunji Temple which has a long and storied history. It was originally built in 741 by Emperor Shomu to pray for the peace and safety of the region. The temple was named the Flowe of the Nation symbolizing unity.
This statue of Kobo Daishi, who lived from 774 -835 isa Japanese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, poet and founder of Shingon School of Buddhism. He set up temples across Shikoku.
This temple is one of the 88 temples in Shikoku which are part of the Henro Pilgrimage. Most pilgrims are attired in a similar way with the conical hat and wooden walking stick. As we ride our trikes, we are in awe of the journey these people are taking in walking around Shikoku..over 1000 km.
Found a small bakery as we were riding. What a gem…delicious sandwiches and we wonder how apple juice can be so tasty in Japan. The flavours are so good that it feels like you are biting into a delicious apple.
We were so tired from a terrific day of exploring…primarily due to the unrelenting heat in the 30’s and the humidity. We walked to a conveyor belt sushi place for dinner which was air conditioned next door. Sushi was great…liked this plate of 3 types of prawns.
