November 12: Miyoshi to Kanonji Temple 66: Unpenji Temple 67: Daikōji Ryokan Kotohikiso
Walking The Henro: Day 11
Walking The Henro: Day 10
November 11,2017. Mishima to Miyoshi City Temple 65: Sankakuji Ryokan Awanoshō
Walking The Henro: Day 6
November 5, 2017: Hōjō to Imabari City Temple 54: Enmeiji Temple 55: Nankōbō
Walking The Henro: Day 4
November 2, 2017. From Kuma-kōgen to Matsuyama via six temples and a bowling pin. Temple 46: Jōroruji Temple 47: Yakakaji Temple 48: Sairinji Temple 49: Jōdoji Temple 50: Hantaji Temple 51: Ishiteji
Walking The Henro: Day 3
November 1, 2017. Kuma-kōgen to Temple 45, Iwayiji, and return.
Miyajima: Island of the Gods
The gods may be in hiding this week. It’s a brief train and ferry ride from downtown Hiroshima to the small island of Itsukushima, more popularly known as Miyajima or, perhaps, Miyashima. And popular it is. The ten-minute ferry ride is jam-packed with tourists, Westerners like us but primarily Japanese nationals. As we pour off... Continue Reading →
Shikoku: Last Steps
April 22, 2017 Today's walk will be bittersweet. An easy 20 kilometers from now we will reach Ōzu, the endpoint of our springtime walk along the Henro-michi. After a good Japanese-style breakfast, Gail and I set off from Matsu-ya, our business hotel in Unomachi. Budget-conscious Simon has foregone the expense of a hotel meal and... Continue Reading →
Shikoku: Three Temples and an Izakaya
April 21, 2017 Walking a pilgrimage can be a solitary activity. Gail and I have each other for company, but many travel solo. On occasion our paths mesh for just a moment, loosely intertwining on the trail or at a temple. We exchange pleasantries as best we can, considering we speak only English and they,... Continue Reading →
Shikoku: Temples
April 17, 2017 A slight drizzle accompanies our way out of Sukumo. Light enough to pack our rain coats away, letting the cool dew dampen our clothes and drip off the brows of our conical hats. We head inland, away from the sea and up into the hills, following small roads and forest trails, cutting... Continue Reading →
Shikoku: Minshuku Micchan
April 8, 2017 It would be a hard day. We knew this before setting off from Haruna Spa. Comfortable beds, refreshing hot baths, filling meals are all fine reasons to spend the night here. But it is off the henro path and, at the outset, adds two kilometres to this day’s trek. We had originally... Continue Reading →