Day 46: Bekkaku Temple 16, Main Temples 67, 68, and 69

Unpenji under the moon at 4:30 a.m. It was very dark at the temple overnight. The only lights being a vending machine and telephone booth next to the restroom building and the moon. Having emerged from the tsuyado to use the restroom, I had the brief temptation to wonder around the temple taking pictures under the moon, but it was cold and I was only in my long underwear and sandals. Back to my newly purchased sleeping bag I went instead. Even though it was not the most comfortable night (hard floors), we recommend the temple stay.
Descending back to the city and the coast from the mountain temple.
Hondo – Hagiwaraji (Bekkaku Temple 16 – “Field of Bush Clover Temple”)
Daishido – Hagiwaraji
Hagiwaraji
Hagiwaraji
Temple Bell – Hagiwaraji
Hagiwaraji
Hondo – Daikoji/Komatsuji (Temple 67 – “Temple of the Great Growth”/“Temple of the Small Pine Trees Tail”
Daishido – Daikoji
Daikoji
Daikoji
Giant Sandal – Daikoji
Little House on the Prairie
Henro path marker
On top of the distant mountain is Unpenji, where we started this morning.
Lunch at Okita. I once AGAIN received compliments on my chopstick skills. I got skills, man. I. GOT. SKILLS.
Hondo – Jinnein (Temple 68 – “Temple of God’s Grace”)
Interior of the Hondo – Jinnein
Daishido – Jinnein
Hondo – Kannonji (Temple 69 – “Temple of Kannon”)
Daishido – Kannonji
This section of the game has not been unlocked yet.
Kan-ei-tsuho – A 100 meter wide sand sculpture of the 17th Century Edo-period coin.
Kan-ei-tsuho
Dinner at Fujikawa Ryokan. Cooking in the pots are strips of meat from a wild boar hunted and prepared by the owners.

4 thoughts on “Day 46: Bekkaku Temple 16, Main Temples 67, 68, and 69

  1. Hey mate, been enjoying reading your blogs as they come out and they’ve been a pretty consistent part of my schedule for the last few weeks while I prep for my own Henro in October. What kind of Japanese did you take into Japan with you?

    Cheers

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    1. If I’m understanding your question correctly, I studied Japanese in a classroom setting for about a year-and-a-half. I passed the JPLT (Japanese Proficiency Language Test) at the lowest level (Level 5) about a decade ago (when it was still Level 4). I can sound out hiragana and katakana and recognize/understand about 400 kanji. If anyone talks to me in anything but the simplest Japanese, I get lost pretty quickly. Actually, I think my listening skills have improved since being here. That was always one of my weakest points. Does that help?

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      1. Yeah helps perfectly mate. Sounds about the same level I’m at at the moment. Glad to hear you’re starting to adapt, my partner who lived in Imabari(!) A couple of years ago said it’s probably the best thing to learn.

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