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- Tuesday 19 November, 2013
- Weather: Freezing, 3⁰C
- Temples: Koyasan, 31km
- Accommodation: Muryokoin Temple, Koyasan, ¥5,000 including ‘Shojin Ryori’ Buddhist Vegetarian dinner & breakfast
- Total distance walked: 1,362km
My day started at 2am with a taxi booked for 2:15am to take me to the Tokushima Ferry terminal. I took the 3am ferry to Wakayama (on the mainland), arrived at 5:10am, had reserved a taxi to meet me at the terminal (no busses or trains running yet), the taxi took me to Wakayama station where I took two trains to arrive at Kudoyama station at 7:33am. From here it was a 24km hike to the summit of Koyasan, the mountain top headquarters of the Shingon school of Buddhism that Kobo Daishi founded in 819.
Taxi to Tokushima port
The ferry to Wakayama
The ferry to Wakayama
Train from Wakayama to Hashimoto
Train from Hashimoto to Kudoyama
The path is called the ‘Choishi Michi’ and is a Unesco World Heritage path because of the stone markers – some 1200 years old. I was told the walk would take 7 hours and that was why I decided to take the first ferry from Tokushima, I really didn’t want to be walking along a bear path in the dark!! I passed so many bear warning signs that every noise I heard (birds, wind, planes, me standing on a stick…) made me jump with fright! … But alas, no bears! It was absolutely freezing and I wasn’t surprised to see snow along the path. I was wearing my beanie for the first time; it was the only remaining item in my bag to be unused.
Beware of bears!
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
Beware of bears!
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
The choishimichi path to Koyasan
Beware of bears!
Japanese Hornet (Vespa)
The path really did look 1200 years old in parts, and was quite the Henro Korogashi (fall down) path, but it was absolutely beautiful and serene and peaceful. After about 3 hours of walking I caught up with a Japanese man called Noritake San and we walked together chatting and laughing and telling our Shikoku stories. He was such a jolly man and had me laughing for the next 3 hours!
We arrived at Koyasan where the electronic temperature sign said 3.2⁰C at 2pm! We walked the 3km to Okunoin – the inner temple where Kobo Daishi is said to be in eternal meditation – via the largest and oldest cemetery in Japan – and chanted the Heart Sutra one last time, thanked Kobo Daishi for protecting and providing for us throughout the pilgrimage, then received our final stamp. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling but it had been such a challenging walk and I really couldn’t believe I’d made it to the end… The question of what next terrified me even more…
Daimon (big gate), Koyasan
Kongobuji, Koyasan
Kongobuji, Koyasan
Getting my last stamp at Okunoin in Koyasan
Okunoin cemetery
Okunoin cemetery
Okunoin cemetery
Okunoin cemetery
Okunoin cemetery
As we were walking to the temple where we were both staying the night, we decided we should celebrate our ‘completion’ over a drink or two, so we popped into the first restaurant and had a hot sake first to warm up, then a beer to say ‘well done.’
Celebrating completing the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, with Noritake san
We arrived at the temple and dinner was served shortly after in our rooms. My room was stunning with gold painted sliding doors with cranes and ducks and mountain scenes… Dinner was a delicious Buddhist vegetarian meal of sesame tofu, soup, rice, pickles, tempura and sweet red beans.
45 days. 1,362 kilometres. A million memories and acts of kindness received. Thank you Kobo Daishi and the people of Shikoku.
Having tea at Muryokoin temple with Noritake san and Matthias (a German priest)
On Koyasan (mainland) at Muryokoin Temple, ¥5000 incl dinner and breakfast, communal bath
On Koyasan (mainland) at Muryokoin Temple, ¥5000 incl dinner and breakfast, communal bath
On Koyasan (mainland) at Muryokoin Temple, ¥5000, communal bath
Dinner at Muryokoin Temple, in Koyasan
Day 45, Choishimichi to Koyasan
Breakfast at Muryokoin Temple, in Koyasan
Muryokoin Temple
Muryokoin Temple
followingthearrows 
wow – this was really cool to read. I’ve not heard of this path but it is now something I must do one day! Thanks for the descriptions and the lovely photos!
Kendra
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Glad you liked it 🙂
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I so enjoyed reading your blog on tgev88 temples. Am planning to do this with two others but they can only do it in June/July. I’m a bit worried about the weather at that time, do you think it will be too difficult then? The walking is obviously harder than the Camino Francais or Norte, how would you compare it.
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Hi Marilyn,
June/July might pose a few more challenges with the rain and high humidity so if there’s no other time you can go, just make sure to stay hydrated and watch your step on the trails as they might be more slippery than normal. (June is the rainy season in Japan and summer is very humid). When the route is on the road it’s generally very flat but when it’s in the mountains expect steep ascents and descents, for this reason I found it much more challenging than the Camino Frances but I haven’t walked the Norte so I can’t compare it to that one. I’ve included the elevation profiles on my blog, this might give you an idea of how it compares to the caminos.
I hope you have a wonderful time!
Happy Trails 🙂
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