Myotokuji Temple, Toyo Daishi

At the end of my 11th day walking the Shikoku Pilgrimage I had crossed the border from Tokushima into Kochi and was about bto start the long stretch down the coast to the cape. Myotokuji Temple, lo9cally known as Toyo Daishi, is not one of the 88 temples of the pilgrimage, nor is it one of the twenty extra Bangai temples on the route, yet it is well known to walking pilgrims.

Between the temple and a nearby shrine is a small waterfall for practicing purification by cold water. There was evidence of recent use.

The temple had a kind of hand-made feel to it, with not a lot of money spent on it, but lots of effort. It felt more like a "working temple" rather than a tourist attraction. I was particularly taken by a small statue of the 7 Lucky Gods in their treasure boat that had a glass sphere that caught the setting sun.

I spent the night here in my first experience of a tsuyado, a place to stay for pilgrims provided free by a temple. The priest seemed to hesitate before giving me permission, and later asked if I wanted any food.

Before the sun was up loud drumming and chanting came from the small main hall as the priest began the days rituals.

Horaisan Chokyuji Temple

Chokyuji Temple is at the base of a small hill called Horaisan in Miyazaki City. I visited it on the 22nd day of my walk along the Kyushu 108 temple pilgrimage of which it is the 38th temple.

I also visited more recently on my 14th day of walking the Kyushu Fudo Myo `pilgrimage. It's the 12th temple of that pilgrimage. It was founded in the late 16th Century.

Horaisan, the small hill behind the temple once had a small castle on top of it. The main hall of the temple is modern and made of concrete with a large Kannon statue in front.

This temple also had a miniature 88 temple pilgrimage of statues in its grounds. As always I was please to find several Fudo Myo statues.

Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage Temple 4 Anrakuji

The sun was close to setting at the end of my second day walking the Iwami Kannon Pilgrimage when I arrived at Anrakuji.

I did not expect to see many grand temples on this pilgrimage as it is just around my local area, but the Nio here impressed me.

The temple is located on a hillside outside of Oda City, not far from the sea. It is a Shingon temple and was founded at the end of the 10th Century.

It was a pleasant temple with enough statues to keep me interested......

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.

Kyushu Pilgrimage Temple 18 Tokusenji

Tokusenji is a small temple in a residential district of Kokura. Its not a very old temple, and as far as I can make out there is absolutely no connection to Kobo Daishi, so I don't knoiw why it is on the pilgrimage.

There was a small Inari Shrine in the compact grounds, and quite a few nice statues.

The gohonzon, main statue, is a jizo, but there is also a small Jizo hall with another Jizo, an Okakae Jizo which is meant to be picked up and held. If you have a choice to make and are undecided then wether the Jizo feels light or heavy is an indication.

Next post will be some photos of some of the statuary.

Kyushu Pilgrimage temple 17 Amida-In

Located on a hillside along a narrow lane in the hills south of Kokura, Amida-In was a bit of a surprise.

It was relocated here from the big temple complex of Daigo-Ji south of Kyoto in the late 19th Century, but its not clear if that was any buildings or just the main statue.

Strangely being called after Amida, the main deity enshrined is Fudo MyoO, of whom there are several stone statues in the grounds as well as numerous other Buddhas and bodhsattvas.

As well as the Shingon style Pagoda, there was also a small shrine in the grounds. Just inside the priests quarters was this large, complex carving of a dragon.

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.

Kofukuji, Nogata

Just across the road from Saikyo-In was a much bigger temple so I stopped in to have an explore. It was not one of the pilgrimage temples but I consider those just way points on a journey, and all the things inbetween are just as much a part of the pilgrimage.

There was no-one around and also no signboard so I could find out nothing about it other than its name.

I am guessing it is a Shingon temple, 2 clues being that there were a couple of Fudo Myo statues, and he is particularly popular with Shingon, and the structure in the photo below is I believe a Shingon style pagoda.

I could be wrong, of course!

Kyushu Pilgrimage Temple 15 Saikyo-in

Day 4 of my Kyushu pilgrimage was overcast and threatening to rain. From Iizuka I headed north up the wide valley towards Nogata.

The first temple of the day was Saikyo-in, just south of Nogata, and quite a small establishment.

According to the legend, Kobo daishi stopped here on his way back from China, and in a similar story repeated hundreds of times across the country he struck the ground with his staff and caused a spring to be established.

It is believed the temple was established in 950 and the honzon is an 11-faced Kannon, though it was all locked up when I was there.

Kyushu Pilgrimage Temple 13 Hozenji

The final pilgrimage temple of my third day walking around Kyushu was Hozenji, like the previous two earlier in the afternoon located in Iizuka.

It's a very small, urban temple. The honzon is an 11 headed, thousand armed Kannon, but it is only shown once a year.

It was a very small, urban temple, with not a lot to see othere than a couple of onigawara.