Short post today and not many pictures. We’re heading back to Ryozenji (Temple 1), but at 40 kilometers it would have been difficult to do it in one day. I also had some business with the pilgrim shop Sumotoriya Asano located just below Kirihataji (Temple 10). After I get the final stamp on my scroll from the stamp office at Koya-san, I will be mailing my scroll back to Sumotoriya Asano to have it mounted. I went to meet the proprietor and choose a design for the mounting. Connor also had to get his stamp book stamped at Temple 10 as he works his way back to Temple 1.
So it was basically 3 hours and 20 minutes of walking to the pilgrim shop, meeting with the shop owner, and finally getting lunch and checking in to our hotel.
Connor and I will be splitting up tomorrow as I walk the last 4 hours to Temple 1 and he works out getting his stamp book completed. I expect to take the 2 hour ferry ride from Tokushima to Wakayama either tomorrow evening or early the next morning and arrive on Koya-san sometime early/late Tuesday morning. Connor hopes to make it there by that evening. We’ll be keeping in touch using the Signal app on our phones.
2023 Shikoku Henro 