The so-called headland on Chigasaki Beach is a bank built to prevent sand from flowing out. It is also called T-bar because of its shape. You can enjoy the unique scenery as it sticks out into the sea. It is also a popular fishing spot, and Eboshi Rock is also visible in front of you.At dusk, many people come to enjoy Shiokaze and the view of MT.Fuji. On this day, young women, perhaps college students, were enjoying the scenery.
The temperature has dropped over the past few days, and autumn is gradually deepening. Soukou of Japanese lunisolar calendar is also close. The air has cleared up and the evening view became vivid.
The lovely seasonal flowers I met at fudasho (temples where amulets are collected) and roadsides during my pilgrimage from early summer to mid-summer were very beautiful and healed my tired body and soul. Flowers seem to have a mysterious power. The lotus flower bloomed in many temples as’ a symbol of enlightenment ‘in Buddhism.
The equinoctial week begins today. It was a clear day after the typhoon. Higanbana blooming on the bank of Koide River in Chigasaki stands out in the blue sky. The language of flowers is “You are the only one I love” and “Passion.”
While making a pilgrimage to Shikoku, Koyasan, Kyoto and Nagoya, I enjoyed great local food and sake. These healed my exhausted body on the pilgrimage and provided me with nourishment and energy for the next day. I would like to introduce to you some of the local foods that supported my pilgrimage with the Kongo walking stick.
In return for the completion vows of the 88 Shikoku sacred sites and the Bekkaku- 20 sacred sites, I visited Okunoin Temple of Mt. Koya and Toji Temple, and visited Osu Kannon Temple in Nagoya to conclude my pilgrimage. Osu kannon Temple is the Bekkaku-honzan (special head temple) of the Chizan school of the Shingon Sect and the principal image is Sho Kannon. I have a special feeling because I used to live nearby and visit the shrine almost every week. When I looked up at the sky after praying, I was surprised to see a very big and beautiful sunset. That seemed to be celebrating the end of my journey. In the evening,I had a meal after the trip. I can enjoy nostalgic dishes and sake at “Daijin”, a long-established izakaya representing Nagoya, and “Shanghai taste”, a Chinese restaurant of Shanghai couple. The next day, I had lunch at “Tenmaya” on Monzen-machi-dori Street, tasted cold kishimen noodles and dengaku, and then went home. I entered Tokushima on May 20, and my 84 days pilgrimage to this day on August 11 was finally finished. I am deeply grateful to the many people who supported me.
After Obon, there is a sign of autumn on the beach of Chigasaki. The sky rose and the wind cooled, and the color of the setting sun faded. Umbrella clouds hang on the top of Mt. Fuji and the afterglow shines. The moon rose and the light gleamed in the sea. Evening surrounded by the light of Enoshima lighthouse.
I left Kudoyama at the foot of Mt. Koya, which is Okunoin (inner sanctuary) of the 88 sacred places of Shikoku, to make a prayer for the completion of each pilgrimage. I enterd Choishi-michi Street from the precincts of Jisonin Temple. Choishi-michi Street was one of the most beautiful and stately pilgrimage routes that Kobo Daishi has walked on since he opened Mt. Koya. On the way, I felt dizzy because of the heat, and I had to go around the cliff because a group of pit vipers were winding in the middle of the road, but I managed to climb the 22 km slope. I was deeply moved when I prayed at Okunoin surrounded by solemn air. I was healed by the ancient lotus flowers in Rengein.
This year’s Risshu is August 7. This day is regarded as the day when summer reaches its peak and signs of autumn begin to appear in China’s 24 seasons, and the heat after that becomes the lingering summer heat. After Risshu, the sky at Chigasaki Beach today was high and the wind was refreshing, and there was a hint of autumn somewhere.
The summer beach of Chigasaki is decorated with Hamayu, which is now in season. The view of the sea beyond the gorgeous white petals spreading on the large green leaves is a Chigasaki tradition of summer. Hamayu is a tropical plant that grows wild in the coastal area facing the Kuroshio Current, and is often seen in the Boso Peninsula, Miura Peninsula and Izu Peninsula in the Kanto area. The language of flowers is’ Somewhere far away. ‘
