Hello Hyogonians! We have come to the end of the temples with which I have any direct experience; I’d like to leave you with an overview of those temples that remain.  All ten of these temples were out of my reach either for timing or travel reasons. Some of them beckon spectacularly, and I…
If you’re looking for a beautiful and challenging hike this summer, take a trip to Kyoto’s Kami Daigo-ji, which is temple number 11 of our 33 temple pilgrimage. Daigo-ji temple grounds is expansive, one of the largest temple complexes in Kyoto; it has three separate sections (each with its own admission): Sanbonin (former…
Continuing on the Wakayama-ken portion of the pilgrim trail, we arrive next at the temple numbered 3 of 33: Kokawadera. This temple is not too far from our previous temple, Kimiidera, and the two make a good combination trip. The image enshrined in Kokawadera is a truly secret image and never put on display,…
Our travels are taking us further and further afield, this time down the coast to Wakayama-ken! Kimii-dera is temple number two on our pilgrim quest. The only temple farther south on our list than Kimii-dera is temple number one, Seiganto-ji, deep in Wakayama. Getting to Kimii-dera takes some doing, but in cherry blossom season it’s…
Our journey takes us next to Souji-ji, a temple on the north east side of Osaka-fu and the 22nd temple on the route if you go in numerical order. There is a forest walking trail connecting this temple to last month’s Katsuo-ji. Souji-ji is the size of an unassuming city temple, but once inside, you’ll…
I’ve saved a special temple for January – temple 23 of our 33, the temple dedicated to winning. 「ã™ã¹ã¦ã¯è‡ªåˆ†ã«å‹ã¤ãŸã‚ã«ã€â€Everything you do is to win against yourself.†Now spelledå‹å°¾å¯º (win, tail, temple), formerlyå‹çŽ‹å¯º (win, monarch, temple), it is said that the characters were changed when Emperor Seiwa regained his health after the offering of fervent prayers…
Ishiyama-dera, temple number 13 on the route, and Mii-dera, number 14, are both located along the southern edges of Lake Biwa. We’ll take them on in numerical order. Ishiyama-dera is a beautiful temple upon a mountainside overlooking the lake; it is built on and amongst wollastonite rock formations that give it a different look from…
Our next stop along the pilgrim trail is in Nara, temple number nine, known as Nan’endo. Nan’endo is a small octagonal space (in fact, its name means “southern round/octagonal templeâ€), part of the more massive and influential Kofuku-ji complex. Kofuku-ji has been one of the most influential temples in Japanese Buddhism, and Nan’endo has always…
Temple 8 of the pilgrimage is Hasedera, called the Flower Temple, a beautiful site in Nara Prefecture. My own trip to Hasedera was unique along my helter-skelter pilgrimage route: rather than simply wander around taking pictures and reading information off my phone, I actually spent the night in a ryokan in the monzen machi (the…