Ellie Bennett's Blog: Beginnings

It’s now Monday and we are on our fifth day of pilgrimage. We arrived on Shikoku last Wednesday, having caught the overnight ferry from Wakayama. We spent Wednesday shopping and preparing for the trip before heading to the Michi-no-eki a kilometre away from Temple one which has a large expanse of grass where we could set up camp. The next morning we wandered up to the shrine called Ōasahiko Jinja. Our guidebook told us that is is believed that by many that by visiting and praying here one will be protected while on the road, and we figured we needed all the help we could get. (Shrines are associated with Shinto and temples with Buddhism. Many Japanese practice both faiths.)

(left to right) Rachel, a henro whose name I never discovered,
me, David and Mick

Day one was great – we met our friend Rachel, a former Shikoku 88 o-henro who completed the walk solo last autumn, an awesome achievement in my book. (We met Rachel last time just after we gave up cycling the route but at the time I was too downhearted/embarrassed to admit it. But we got on so well and as I wanted us to be friends I was later forced to confess the truth.)

We also met up with David Moreton author/translator of the definitive guidebook for English speakers of the Shikoku Pilgrimage: the 88 Route Guide. Although the pilgrimage is well signposted, the Route Guide has details of all the henro huts (shelters), supermarkets, convenience stores toilets etc. etc. I would not walk the pilgrimage without it. We were still clutching the copy we had used last year which by now was missing its cover (from when Mick threw it into a bamboo forest then, realising what he had done, made me dangle off the road to fish it out, the argument being he could pull me back out whereas I couldn’t pull him). David told us there was a new edition with updated information so we trotted into the shop at Temple One to buy a new copy which I insisted he sign for me.

After the four of us had consumed a fine lunch next door to the temple, Mick and I set off, accompanied by Rachel for the first three temples. Each one was as beautiful as I remembered, each one different, a constant surprise and delight. We took out time and so when we had finished at number three time was getting on. We said goodbye to Rachel and headed back to the Michi-no-eki- by train for a second night.

Most of the route is well marked

The next morning it was hammering with rain so we took a while to get going. Finally though, there was nothing for it but to head off. I put on my new kneelength Sealskinz socks, shorts and cutoff waterproof trousers. A bright yellow cape over my rucksack completed the ensmble. I looked like a cross between Billy Bunter and the hunchback of Notre Dame. Mick on the other hand was looking very suave and very Germanic in his felt hat and goatie beard. So Germanic that one passer-by commented that his English was very good! “Danke,’ Mick replied.

Temples three to six involved a meander around the wide alluvial plain behind Tokushima. It is fertile land here and we passed fields of onions and cabbages set out in orderly rows, and walked along small suburban streets of houses with immaculate gardens and grey tiled roofs. We spent the second night in tsuyado – free temple accommodation – situated in the bell tower of Temple Six, complete with the bell!

Flooding the fields ready for rice growing

The bell tower Temple Six

Our accommodation

Wisteria at Temple 8

The next morning we were feeling peckish, having uselessly forgotten to buy any food at the last shop marked on the map. All we had eaten since yesterday lunchtime was an ice-cream from the temple shop. We had set off early today, about six o’clock, and for the first couple of hours nothing was open. We visited temple seven and temple eight, where we met the first English henro we had come across – Hamish from London – and managed to find nearby a shop selling bananas. But by the time we reached temple nine we were famished and very pleased to find a small udon-ya opposite the temple. The woman showed us the menu but we were none the wiser. Another henro was tucking into a bowl of udon which looked good so we pointed to his bowl. ‘That one please’ I managed in very poor Japanese. ‘Two please.’ Soon we were tucking into two steaming bowls of udon and were given to boot, some delicious kusamochi on the house. A traditional Japanese dish in spring, we had tried this the day before and loved it.

We struggled with the menu...

...but the food was delicious

Mr Yasuchi Mori

More kindness near temple ten, where a lovely shopkeeper, Mr Yasuchi Mori, gave us tea, looked after our bags while we walked up the steep hill to the temple and then on our return sent us on our way clutching gifts of bottles of water and some advice on the best place to stay the night.

Mr Mori's shop

Awa-chuo bridge over Yoshino River

Outside our little henro house next to
Kamu no Yu Onsen

Steps at Temple Ten

Top advice as it turned out – next to an onsen (a Japanese hot spring bath) was a tiny Japanese house for henro complete with tatami mats, electric light and sockets. We unpacked our gear then went for a welcome soak in the onsen. In the bath I chatted to a woman whose English was very good, her daughter it turned out, had studied at Essex University. Afterwards she told me to wait and disappeared, returning a few minutes later with a bowl of carrot and egg salad for our supper. Awesome.

Our accommodation at the onsen

Mick and I were a little apprehensive of day four – a short walk to temple eleven then a days hike through the mountains over three peaks – a walk popularly known as ‘the pilgrim crusher’ We had intended to set off at six but as usual, by the time we had faffed around packing, brewing coffee etc we were running late and we finally left our little house at seven to tackle the mountains. I was paranoid about not having enough food after the temple six cock-up over nourishment so was staggering under the weight of countless rice balls, pot noodles, a pot of yoghurt and pastries. It was so heavy I was forced to consume most of it at Temple Eleven before we set off, which of course did not make the first steep ascent any easier as I tried not to vomit. But we soon got into our stride and although it was a bit of a climb, it was not terrible. After all we live in North Devon so steep inclines are not exactly unknown to us. The weather was perfect, slightly chilly but dry, and we had a fabulous day hiking high above the plain where we had fabulous views across to the next range of mountains. This is one of ‘the last remaining paths of Kukai’ no tarmac or modernisation on this route. Much of the Shikoku pilgrimage is on roads and we are prepared for that. But this day hiking through the forest as we climbed up and down one peak after another was truly memorable.

At the top of the third peak is Shosenji, temple twelve, set magnificently overlooking the valley below. We performed our usual temple rituals and then called into the little café to ask for some water. We were given a pot of green tea and biscuits and when we tried to pay were told nicely but firmly, ‘no, no charge’.

We had passed another, older Japanese couple on the mountain and they appeared now waving to us as they climbed the steps. We greeted then and stopped for a chat with them. They asked where we were staying and I fished out the guidebook and pointed to a spot about eight or nine kilometres away. ‘Walking?’

‘Yes,’ we said. At this the man literally roared with laughter, head back and holding his sides with mirth. Finally he wiped the tears from his eyes. ‘We are finished for today,’ he said. He pointed below the wall of the temple. ‘Taxi’.

How wise. That final section was the hardest part of the day, down a winding mountain road which went on forever. But we knew that at the end was a superb onsen and we wanted to soak our aching bones. We headed straight for it and afterwards set up camp in the little park behind the onsen building. Needless to say it was not long before we were both sound asleep.

Here are some pictures from the walk from Fujidera (11) to Shosanji (12)