4)Friday, September 23, 2005 Pilgrmage in Bando Fudasho (Part XII) Weather : Cloudy then sunny

• The Sixteenth Fudasho : Mizusawadera Temple (Ikaho-cho, Kitagunma-gun, Gunma Pref.)
  
  
  • I couldn't have a chance to visit the Fudasho lately since I had been busy privately and officially.
  • Then I decided to go to the 16th Fudasho.
  • I left home at 5:30 AM. It was cloudy in the morning.
  • Anyway, I could catch the train bound for Takasaki at Akabane Station at 6:40 AM.
  • I arrived in Takasaki Station at 8:13 AM. I immediately went to the bus stop in front of the station to check the bus for Mizusawa Kannon.
  • However, unfortunately, I found that the first bus would leave the station at 9:55 AM. Alas!! I had to wait almost 2 hours there. The guidebook says the bus is available every one or one and half an hours. I could not wait for 2 hours!
  • Then I went back to the station to check the train bound for Shibukawa.
  • I found that the train would leave at 8:50 and I took on the train. I could see a lot of amateur cameramen were standing alongside the railway while I took on the train to Shibukawa Station. They might try to shoot a steam locomotive there.
  • I reached Shibukawa around 9:15. The Shibukawa Station was a local and small station. Luckily I could get on the bus bound for the Ikaho Spa as soon as I got out of the station.
  • It was getting sunny and I could see blue sky there.
  • It took almost 20 minutes to the Mizusawa-guchi bus stop. The bus fee was Yen 550. I think it's too expensive.
  • There stood the display saying "3 km to the Mizusaka Kannon". There was a visitor center there and I got several brochures.
  • The bus to the 16th Fudasho was available from there, however, the number of buses was very few. It was only 3 km and thus I decided to walk to the Fudasho. However, there was no sidewalk and I felt dangerous every time the car passed.
  • I could see Mt. Bukken in the mist. With 30-minute walk, I arrived in spacious parking lot of the Mizusawa Kannon.
  • A lot of cars were already there. And many visitors were in the Fudasho.
  • The fudasho is one of famous sightseeing area together with the Ikaho Spa. I felt that this Fudasho was too worldly compared with other common Fudashos. I was surprised that soft cream was sold in the Fudasho. I love soft cream, however, I did not want to buy such a thing in the Fudasho.
  • Anyway, I worshipped the main temple. The main temple was not so large. The main Kannon is an eleven-headed Kannon that I could not see. Instead, I could worship the golden-colored substitute Kannon.
  • I got red stamp on the stamp book. (I was the only person to have got stamp while I was in the Fudasho. This means almost all visitors were not pilgrims, but tourists.)
  • Then I strolled around the precinct. Since I entered into the Fudasho from the parking lot as almost all visitors did, I had not passed the Deva gate. So later I passed the Deva gate from the approach, where no one was there and thus it was so quiet.
  • It is said that if the prayer rotates the hexagonal temple where six Jizos (guardian deity of children) are enshrined (Important cultural property) three times, he would get his wish. Of course, I immediately carried out.
  • You have to pay Yen 100 to toll a bell.
  • Finally I visited the Buddha temple (Treasure room) to see the images of Buddha and hanging scrolls, etc. since every body could enter exceptionally free of charge. (Usually you have to pay Yen 500.) I was much impressed by the images of Kannons and especially the wooden Amidabha Buddha simply chiseled by Enku (The priest of 17th century). It is worth seeing them.
  • I took breakfast in the early morning and thus I felt hungry around 11:00 AM.
  • I decided to go to the Udon noodle restaurant where the guidebook introduces. The Mizusawa Udon is one of three famous Udon noodles in Japan. Other two are Sanuki Udon of Kagawa Pref. and Inaniwa Udon of Akita Pref.
  • There exists a lot of Udon restaurants alongside the road near the Fudasho. I entered into the "Osawa-ya" restaurant.
  • I ordered one beer and one big "Zaru Udon". (It seemed the prices were a little bit expensive.) The Unod noodles were glutinous and delicious. I bought the box of Udon noodles as souvenir.
  • The restaurant was prosperous since a lot of guests were coming into at noon.
  • The parking lots of other restaurants were also crowded.
  • Originally I had a plan to visit the Ikaho Spa and take a hot bath, however, I found it was very difficult to go there by bus. The number of buses from the Fudasho to the Ikaho Spa was very few. I did not want to walk any more and thus I took on the bus for Takasaki Station at 12:39 from the bus stop of the Fudasho.
  • It took almost 1 hour to Takasaki Station. I managed to get on the train bound for Ueno at 13:54.
  • I could get home around 16:30. It was earlier than I expected.
    
    
    Mizusawa-guchi Stone Buddha Mt. Bukken
    
    
    Washbasin Deva gate God of thunder
    
    
    Dragon drawn at ceiling Entrance from Park Lot Main temple
    
    
    Main temple Hexagonal temple
    
    
    Six Jizo Bell Benzaiten
    
    
    Stone Kannon Buddha temple Udon restaurants
    
    
    
  • Although I said that the 16th Fudasho is worldly, it was nice to visit. Anyway, it was fine and hot like summer.

  3)Wednesday, July 27, 2005 Pilgrmage in Saigoku Fudasho (Part III) �@ Weather : Sunny & Hot
  
  
  

• The 10th Fudasho : Mimurodo-ji Temple (Uji City, Kyoto City)
  
  
  • I took off at Kyoto again on the way back to home from Okayama to visit the Fudasho again.
  • I rode on the Nozomi to be left Okayama at 9:17 AM. The car was crowded more than I expected.
  • I arrived in Kyoto past 10:00 AM. I changed the train of JR Nara Line to Uji Station.
  • I started to walk to the 10th Fudasho from Uji Station. It was too hot.
  • I was charged \500 at the entrance of the temple. Too expensive!!
  • I could see the marvelous garden in the right side of the approach to the main temple. Passing the red temple gate and climbing up the stone steps, you can see the main temple.
  • Many lotus flowers were just in full bloom in front of the main temple. It seemed as if I were in the paradise.
  • The main temple was marvelous. The view of three-storied pagoda with lotus flowers was also good.
  • The main Kannon could not be seen. I could worship the substitute Kannon.
  • I was satisfied with the atmosphere of the temple. However, I was disappointed when I got the red stamp since the attitude of the bonze was so arrogant although most of the Fudashoes welcome the visitors!!
    
    
    Entrance Temple Gate Stone Buddha
    
    
    Stone Steps Main Temple Lotus
    
    
    Lotus Lotus Pagoda
    
    
    
  • After visiting the 10th Fudasho, I went to the Byodo-in Temple, which was designated as the world heritage after more than 40 years.
  • The building of "Hoo-do", which was once colored red, was faded. I deeply felt a long lapse of time.
  • I wanted to see Amidabha Buddha, however, unfortunately, it was under repair and I could not see it. All I could see was big halo!!
    
    
    Hoo-do
    
    
    
  • I had a plan to visit one more Fudasho, however, I gave up since I got tired .
  • I took on the Shinkansen around 2:00 PM and reached Tokyo 4:30 PM. I came back home around 6:00 PM. Anyway, I could visit totally 8 Fudashoes this time.

3)Monday, July 25, 2005 Pilgrmage in Saigoku Fudasho (Part II) Weather : Sunny & Hot

• The 26th Fudasho : Ichijoji Temple (821-17 Sakamoto-cho, Kasai City, Hyogo Pref.)
  
  
  • From my parental house in Okayama, I visited two Fudashoes in Himeji City, Hyogo Pre.
  • I left home at 5:45 AM and took on the local train from Niwase Station at 6:07 bound for Himeji.
  • I arrived in Himeji Station at 7:41. Then I took on the bus bound for "Yashiro" from bus terminal.
  • It took 40 minutes to the bus stop of the entrance of Hokkezan. It was so rustic there. I checked the timetable of bus for coming back to Himeji. I was surprised to learn that the time of next available bus would be at 4:00 PM!
  • Anyway, I started to walk to the Fudasho. It was so hot. Soon the road became upward and went into the forest. I could see a temple gate at the top of the slope.
  • Shortly I reached the entrance of the temple. I paid the entrance fee of Yen 300.
  • Climbing the steep stone steps leads to the "Nokyosho". Unfortunately, the main temple was under re-construction. The main Kannon was put into the tentative main temple. I could not see the main Kannon, but could worship the substitute Kannon in front of the small shrine.
  • The main building was covered with white cloth and could not be seen. However, it seemed to be very big building. I wish I could see the restored main temple.
  • Three-storied pagoda was built in 1174. It was very old and solemn.
  • Furthermore, I visited the Kaizan-do and the Children's Limbo. No one was there and it was so quiet. I could not even hear the buzz of cicadas.
  • I rested at the teahouse in front of the temple for a while. I was happy to learn that some buses were available in daytime from the bus stop in front of the temple. I could take on the bus at 11:09 bound for Himeji.
    
    
    Display Rural scenery Jizo
    
    
    Temple Gate Stone Buddha Stone Monument
    
    
    Tentative main temple Three-storied pagoda
    
    
    Kaizan-do Children's Limbo
    
    
    
• The 27th Fudasho : Enkyoji Temple (2968 Shosha, Himeji City, Hyogo Pref.)
  
  
  • After having lunch at Himeji, I took on the bus to the station of Shoshazan Ropeway. It took 25 minutes to the terminal.
  • I took on the ropeway after a long interval. Round trip fee was Yen 900. It took approx. 4 minutes from the foot to the Mt. Shoshazan.
  • With a few minutes walk, there exists the entrance of the approach to the main temple. The entrance fee was Yen 300. Shuttle bus was available to the main temple. I walked to the main temple. On the way, there was a lookout where Himaji City could be seen. I could not see the Seto Inland Sea owing to mist.
  • Finally I reached the 27th Fudasho after a long walk. A method of constructing the main temple is similar to that of Kiyomizu Temple of Kyoto. When viewing the temple from the below, one must be overwhelmed. The inside of the main temple was also marvelous. The main Kannon could not be seen.
  • After visiting the main temple, I strolled around the precinct. The Enkyoji Temple is said as "Western Mt. Hiei". Thus the precinct is vast. There are many large buildings.
  • Especially, three large buildings:"Dai-kodo", "Jiki-do", "Jogyo-do", are famous.
  • After visiting 27th Fudasho, I returned to Himaji Station. It was around 4:00 PM.
  • I arrived in Okayama Station at 6:00 PM. It was hot all day and I was exhausted.
    
    
    Ropeway Himeji City Temple Gate
    
    
    Stone Monument Stone Buddha
    
    
    
    
    
    Stone Steps Main Temple Main Temple
    
    
    Main Temple Dai-kodo
    
    
    
  
  
  

2)Saturday, July 23, 2005 Pilgrmage in Saigoku Fudasho (Part I) Weather : Cloudy

• The fifteenth Fudasho : Imakumano Kannonji Temple (32 Yamauchi-cho, Sennyuji, Higasjiyama-Ku, Kyoto City)
  
  
  • Saigoku Fudasho (Pilgrimage) refers to a trail of 33 holy sites dotted around the Kansai District (Kyoto, Osaka, etc.) dedicated to Kannon.
  • I visited some Saigoku Fudashoes last summer. I decided to visit some Fudashoes as well during this summer vacation on the way back to Okayama, my home country.
  • I took on the first train from Higashi-kurume Station in the morning, then I changed to "Nozomi" from Tokyo Station bound for Hiroshima at 6:20 AM. The bullet train arrived in Kyoto at 8:40.
  • I deposited my baggage at the coin locker of the station and took on the local train of JR Nara Line.
  • I took off the train at Tofukuji Station, next to Kyoto Station. It was around 9:00 AM. I started to walk to the 15th Fudasho from there.
  • Soon I entered Sennyuji Temple Street and later reached the gate of Sennyuji Temple. The road to the Fudasho was filled with greens and cicadas were noisely singing. It was cloudy, however, the summer of Kyoto was too hot.
  • It took approx. 20 minutes on foot to the entrance of the Fudasho. To my joy, there were lots of greens.
  • I almost sweated to the skin when I arrived in the temple after crossing the red bridge at the entrance.
  • The precinct was spacious and full of greens and I was relived. Only I was there when I visited ns it was so quiet and I could not believe that I was in the temple of Kyoto at that time.
  • The main Kannon (the eleven-headed kannon) was in the small shrine and I could not worship, however, I could worship the substitute Kannon in front of the small shrine.
  • I bought the Nohkyo-cho (Red-stamp book for pilgrimage) at Yen 1,000 and had red-stamp put on the book.
  • Then I strolled around the precinct with bamboo trees. It was so quiet and I had a very sacred time.
    
    
    Temple Gate Stone Monument Bridge
    
    
    Main Temple Main Temple Taishi Temple
    
    
    Pagoda Stone Buddha
    
    
    
  • At the entrance of Sennyuji Temple Street, I dropped in the beans cake shop named Aoyama-mameju-honpo and bought the specialty, five-colored beans sweet.
  • Then I aimed the seventeenth Fudasho, however, I decided to visit Sanjusangen-doh famous for 1001 Kannons.
  • A lot of tourists were there. The entrance fee was Yen 600. Expensive!
  • I was happy to meet the 1001 Kannons at a time.
    
    
    Sanjusangen-do
    
    
    
• The seventeenth Fudasho : Rokuharamitsuji Temple
  
  
  • After visiting Sanjusangen-do, I left for the 17th Fudasho, where I visited last summer, walking northward the Yamatoji Street.
  • I lost my way last time and it took much time to reach there. However, I could arrive in with ease.
  • I got red stamp this time on the stamp note. I also visited the treasure house, where famous figure of "Kuya" is exhibited. (Fee : Yen 500)
  
  
• The sixteenth Fudasho : Kiyomizudera Temple
  
  
  • Then I headed Kiyomizudera Temple via Yasaka Pagoda and Three-year slope. On the way, I happened to see the Maikoes (Apprentice geishas) worshipping the Jizo. That's just like Kyoto!
    
    
    Yasaka Pagoda Maikoes
    
    
    
  • Kiyomizudera Temple was clowded with tourists just like I visited last summer.
  • As soon as I got red stamp this time, I left for the 19th Fudasho.
  • I bought a cayenne pepper as souvenir at a famous spice shop "Shichimi-ya" located in the corner of Three-year slope.
  
  
• The nineteenth Fudasho : Gyoganji Temple (17 Gyoganji Monzenmachi, Takeyamachi Noboru, Teramachidori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City)
  
  
  • I walked from Kiyomizu Temple to the Keihan Gojo Station, and I took on the train to Marutamachi Station.
  • I finally reached the 19th Fudacho very close to the Gosho.
  • I found the size of temple was as small as that of Rokkakudo.
  • I got stamp there and strolled around the small precinct. My next destination was Rokkakudo.
    
    
    Temple Gate Main Temple Main Temple
    
    
    Stone Monument Stone Buddha
    
    
    
• The eighteenth Fudasho : Rokkakudo
  
  
  • Rokkakudo is surrounded with the buildings. A lot of worshippers were visiting there. The same situation as I visited last summer.
  • Finally I walked to Kyoto Station alongside Kawaramachi Street. It was so hot that I wet to the skin when I arrived in Kyoto Station.
  • Anyway, I could visit 5 Fudashoes this time. The walking distance was approx. 16 km,
  • In the evening, I took on the Shinkansen bound for Okayama where is my home country. The non-reserved seat of "Nozomi" train was full of passengers.
  
  
  

1)Saturday, July 16, 2005 Weather : Cloudy Pilgrmage in Bando Fudasho (Part XI)

• The Fiftennth Fudasho : Chokokuji Temple (448 Shiraiwa, Haruna-cho, Gumma-gun, Gmma Pref.)
  
  
  • I left home at 5:30 AM. It was cloudy and hot.
  • Via Ikebukuro, I took on the local train at Akabane Station bound for Takasaki at 6:40.
  • I arrived in Takasaki at 8:13. I immediately started to walk to the temple.
  • I took off at Takasaki for the first time, but I found the Takasaki City is considerably big city.
  • I continued to walk on the Route 29 road. It was still cloudy, but so hot and humid and I started to sweat.
  • The Route 29 outside the Takasaki City was so narrow and no sidewalk, I felt so dangerous while walking since the traffic was considerably heavy.
  • If it was sunny, the reflected heat from the pavement was so scorching. Anyway, I was annoyed by the exhaust gas.
  • Anyway, I had to continue to walk under bad condition. Besides, the scenery was monotonous and I was almost disgusted.
  • I felt relived when I could see rice fields when I entered Haruna-cho.
  • Finally I reached the bus stop "Dodomeki" (I do not know the meaning!) where the entrance route to the fudasho. The distance from Takasaki was 10 km and it took almost 2 hours and I sweated from every pore.
  • I still had to walk more than 2 km to the fudasho. The road became upward.
  • I reached the fudasho at 10:30 AM. I walked almost 12 km.
  • The 15th fudasho was not so large scale with main temple and precinct. The appearance of main temple was red. It's unique. There were no stone steps which are common to the fudasho. This may be one reason that the temple seems to be not so large.
  • You can see the inside of the main temple by paying the fee of Yen 200. However, I was forced to wait more than 20 minutes to enter, because the prayer had just started.
  • The main Kannon of the temple is the eleven-faced Goddess of Mercy. However, it was put inside the small shrine. However, instead, I could worship the Omaedachi Kannon (Substitute Kannon) in front of the shrine. The Kannon was gold glittering with 2 meter tall. Facing the Kannon, I felt solemn and was irresistibly forced to join my hands together. I spent quiet and happy moment in the main temple alone.
  • I happened to talk with a middle-aged lady in the precinct. She said she had visited many Fudashos and decided to be a devotee of 15th Fudasho. Thus she always visits here to worship the Kannon from metropolitan area.
  • According to her, the main Kannon is open to the public every New Year's Eve. (The quidebook says it is every 12 years.) The Kannon is made of white wood and marvelous.
  • I did not want to walk back alongside dangerous Route 29. and thus I waited the bus which is operated only one per hour to go bak to Takasaki Station.
  • I reached Takasaki Station at 13:00. I had a plan to buy famous Daruma Bento (a Dharma-shaped lunch box only sold at the Takasaki station) . However, I did not have a time to find and buy since the train of Shonan-shinjuku Line was almost to leave. I could managed to buy a canned beer and rice balls to have in the train.
  • I could not worship the main Kannon this time, but I was happy to see the great subsutitute Kannon. I wish I could worship the main Kannon in the future.
    
    
    Stone Guide at bus-stop Stone Pole Temple Gate
    
    
    Dewa King Main Temple Main Temple
    
    
    Angel painted on the ceiling StonPlate Stone Buddha
    
    
    
  • I went hoeme around 15:00. The tatal waliking distance was 14 km.
    
    
    
  
  

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