The Pagoda at Yokei-ji

At the start of my second day walking the Chugoku Kannin Pilgrimage I was at Yokeiji Temple on a hilltop overlooking the Yoshii River.

The temple dates to 749 but the pagoda is much more recent. The lotus were blooming and I posted earlier on that here

There were numerous shrines and temples within the complex which was a site of Shinbutsu Shugo since the Heian Period, that is to say the kami and the buddhas were worshipped together.

Yokeiji is the third name for the temple here, having been renamed twice.

Kosanji Revisited

Kosanji

On the second day of my walk along the Shimanami Kaido I stopped in at Kosanji Temple to take some more photos. This first one is a reproduction of the Yomeimon gate at Toshugu Shrine in Nikko.

Like all the buildings at Kosanji that are based on famous historical structures, it is somewhat more colorful and embellished with more details than the original.

The remains of the temple founders mother lie beneath the five storied pagoda which is based on the pagoda at Muro-ji in Nara.

The fifteen meter tall statues of Kannon is based on a statue less than 2 meters tall in Horyu-ji, Nara.

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Pagoda at Ryugenji

Ryugenji is a small temple in the old district of the former castle town of Usuki on the coast of Oita.

The pagoda was constructed at the latter end of the Edo period, circa early 19th Century.

Other than that I can find no information about the place......

Yuzukosho (yuzu pepper) is a signature product from Usuki & Hita

Nachi Cliche

Ranking up there with a bullet train in front of Mount Fuji, a geisha in Gion, a tunnel of torii at Fushimi Inari, and sunset at the floating torii of Miyajima, the pagoda with Nachi Falls behind it is a full fledged Japan photo cliche.....

So here are a few of mine.....

Taken on the first day of my walk along the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, the first few days of which follow the Kumano Kodo....

Earlier that morning I had visited Fudarakusan Temple where monks would set of on suicide boat journeys,..... earlier today I was reading that monks used to jump off from the top of the falls as another way to quickly reach Kannons paradise...

Saba Daishi Honbon

At the end of the tenth day of my walk along the Shikoku pilgrimage I was at Saba Daishi, a small temple on the coast near Mugi. I spent the night in their tsuyado, a free room for walking pilgrims to spend the night.

The name Saba Daishi comes from a legend concerning Kobo Daishi and a mackerel seller, hence the statue of Kobo Daishi holding a mackerel.

It is one of the "bangai" temples, 20 extra temples added to the 88 to make the round figure of 108, the number of beads in a Buddhist rosary, the number of times the bell is rung at the new year, and the number of earthly desires we mortals must overcome to attain enlightenment.

The Goma-do, the hall where the goma ritual is performed in front of Fudo Myo, is underground in the hillside, and a tunnel leads to it. Lining the tunnel are 88 statues representing the 88 temple of the pilgrimage. If one steps on each of the 88 tiles it is a miniature version of the whole pilgrimage.

Hunting the Fall Color 2016 Day 6

Mid morning I reached Chomeiji temple number 31 on the pilgrimage, and it was a riot of color

A little further on in Omihachiman at Himure Hachimangu they were preparing for some kind of fire festival later that evening. Unfortunately I wouldnt be able to stay for it.

I took the ropeway up to the top of Hachimanyama and found more color among the ruins of the castle there.

I finished walking this section of the pilgrimage early and headed back to Hikone. In the grounds of the castle there this guy was obviously enjoying the view.

The Genkyuen garden next to the castle was, as expected, a blaze of color

Hunting the Fall Color 2016 Day 5

Day 5 started out with a short ferry trip across Lake Biwa to the sacred island of Chikibujima and the shrines and temples there.

Across the lake at Nagahama I visited the Keiunkan, a villa built for Emperor Meiji to stay in. It has a lovely garden.

In front of the reconstructed Nagahama Castle was a small park.

Wandering through the Kurokabe area I glimpsed some nice color along the water.

The Ando house had a very nice, compact, town garden

Hunting the Fall Color 2016 Day 2

Early on the second day I visited several temples along the base of Mount Atago in Nishi Maizuru. It was still foggy but color was to be found.

Not far away a small park/garden in the grounds of the ruins of Tanabe castle.

When I reached the top of Mount Gorodake it was still early enough to catch another autumn phenomenon, Unkai, the sea of clouds. With 360 degree views I tarried here a while until the fog/clouds had burned off.

Heading out from Higashi Maizuru I stopped in at Kongo-in, the premier fall colors spot in the maizuru area, and was not disappointed.

With the beautiful blue skies it was not surprising to find hundreds of people out enjoying the scene

A Walk Around Kyushu Day 6 Kokura to Kanda

January 4th 2013, and after spending the New Year with my wife I am back in Kyushu for the next leg of my 2,200 kilometer walk, starting where I left off a few days ago in Kokura.

I headed east to Mojiko and stopped in at a major shrine there before cutting over the mountains.

I visited two of the pilgrimage temples as well as a couple of other temples.

I also visited several more shrines. From Kanda I hopped on a train back to Kokura as I had a really good deal on a hotel room there. In Kokura I went out and enjoyed the illuminations.

The Pagoda at Yakuoji

Yakuoji, located in Hiwasa in southern Tokushima,  is temple number 23 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.

It is a Shingon temple and has a rather unusual pagoda, which may be a variation on a particularly esoteric style of pagoda called a Tahoto which is primarily found at Shingon temples.

For myself, who favors a strong geometric element to my photo compositions, pagodas of any style are fertile ground.

The details are another aspect of the world that intrigues my photo sensibilities.

Chikurinji Temple 31 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage

Located next to the Makino Botanical Gardens in the south of Kochi City, the 5 storey pagoda of Chikurinji was built in 1980 to replace a smaller three storey pagoda that was destroyed in a typhoon in 1899.

Its the onlly temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage that is dedicated to Monju Bosatsu, and legend has it that Gyogi carved the statue.

According to the legend Emperor Shomu instructed Gyoki to find a mountain that resembled a sacred mountain in China named Godaisan in Japanese which is why the hill where Chikurinji is located is called Godaisan.

Reputedly Kukai spent some time here. It is now a Shingon temple. The Temples museum contains many National Treasures.

I found the Nio statues quite atmospheric. The top photo is of miniature wooden Jizo, and the 4th photo is at the Inari Shrine in the grounds.