I took the pilgrimage route to Hojo, Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, which I visited two years ago. You can see Kashima Island that actor Kiyoshi Atsumi loved and islands in the Kutsuna Islands. It was raining a little.I heard the gentle sound of the sea.
That is the 80 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.The principal image is 11 faces and 1000 hands of Kanzeon Bosatsu. It was founded by Gyoki under the orders of Emperor Shomu. This area used to be the center of Sanuki Province. It is about 7 kilometers from the Tennoji. I reached the countryside looking up at the 5-color table with beautiful green trees. I finally entered Takamatsu City. The approach from the Niomon gate to the main hall is a long, deep temple. The pine trees in the precincts are beautiful.
That is the 79 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.The principal image is the 11 faced Kanzeon Bosatsu. It is said to have been founded by Gyoki. The temple precinct is adjacent to the Shiramine-gu Shrine where Retired Emperor Sutoku used to be enshrined, and the temple is a mysterious union of the shrine and temple. It is called Tennoji Temple for historical reasons. It is about 6 kilometers from Goshoji Temple. On the way, I was relieved to find a Sanuki dialect guide called “You’re almost there. Hang in there.”. I washed my hands with fresh water from the famous spring Yasoba just before this temple. Next to it is the tokoroten-ya (gelidium jelly shop), which dates back to the Edo period.
That is the 78 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.The principal image is Amida Nyorai.This temple is a rare temple in the 88 sacred places of Shikoku where different sects of Ji sect and Shingon sect coexist. From Kaiganji I walked through Tadotsu and Marugame streets towards Takamatsu. I miss Marugame Castle. Beyond the Seto Inland Sea, I could see the mountains of my hometown, Kurashiki, and was filled with emotion.
That is the 18th temple of Shikoku exceptional Sacred Sites.Its principal image is Seikanzeonbosatsu and its founder was Kobo Daishi. According to temple legend, this temple is the birthplace of Tamayori Gozen, Kobo Daishi’s mother. Behind the main hall is the Seto Inland Sea. I was comforted for a while by the calm view of the sea after a long time. At the temple gate, local sumo wrestlers greeted me instead of Nio statues. From the main hall to Daishi-do called Oku-no-in, cross the JR Yosan Line. Hydrangeas float on the chozubachi in Okunoin and it is beautiful.
That is the 77 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.The principal image is Yakushi Nyorai.That is the head temple of Daigo school of Shingon sect.From Konzoji Temple, I walkIed about four kilometers through Tadotsu’s rural area toward the Seto Inland Sea. The pilgrimage goods store in front of the gate of Niomon creates an atmosphere of pilgrimage. There are many small hokora (small shrines) in the precincts of the shrine.
That is the 76 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.I walked about four kilometers toward the Seto Inland Sea from Zentsuji. The principal image is Yakushi Nyorai.The temple belongs to the Tendaijimon sect, which is rare among the 88 sacred places, and this temple is known as the birthplace of Enchin, the founder of the sect. It is also said that Maresuke NOGI lived temporarily for three years while he was a divisional commander of the Zentsuji division of the Army. Due to the layout of the temple, the precincts of the temple have a spacious and clean impression.
That is the 17th temple of Shikoku exceptional Sacred Sites.Its principal image is Yakushi Nyorai and its founder was Kobo Daishi. It is said to have been built by Kobo Daishi with the reward he received when he renovated the Manno-ike pond on the order of Emperor Saga. It is about 25 kilometers from Hagiwara-ji Temple, which is the 16 temple of the special sacred ground. Although it is a small temple, it is surrounded by greenery and has a charm. A statue of this temple Kobo Daishi on a small hill watched over the Manno-ike Pond in the rain. The Manno-ike, which I visited after a long time, was still beautiful and large. It is surprising that the flood control system that Kobo Daishi devised 1,200 years ago still exists today. I ate udon with healthy vegetables while looking at the pond at ‘Karintei’ near Mannoike. From the bank of the pond you can see the streets of Tadotsu and the Seto Inland Sea.
That is the 75 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.After Kobo Daishi returned to Japan from Tang, he built the temple on the land donated by his father, SAEKI no Yoshimichi, imitating the Qinglong Temple in Changan, China, where his master, Keika Osho, lived. The head temple of the Zentsuji School of the Shingon Sect is said to be the birthplace of Kobo Daishi and the principal image is Yakushi Nyorai. The monastery is huge with majestic buildings and trees such as the Kondo, the five-storied pagoda, and the Nandaimon gate, and is about 1.5 kilometers away from Kozan-ji Temple. I stayed at this temple’s temple lodgings for two nights and attended the morning service every day. The view of the sunset from the shukubo(temple lodgings) is wonderful. It is quite different from other fudasho temples.
That is the 74 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.This temple was founded by Kobo Daishi. The principal image is the Yakushi Nyorai.I walked about two kilometers through the countryside from Shusshakaji.Located at the foot of Mount Kabutoyama, which is covered with thick forest of trees, this temple has a clean and neat impression. The next temple is Zentsuji.