Temples 49-53 and receiving osettai

 Up at 3:30 am due to the non-adjusted body clock. Jet lag is a real thing! Today we said farewell to our new friend Wilson and resumed the journey on foot. The morning started in the city of Matsuyama which is a huge city with a castle on a hilltop.

Temple 49: Jodoji: "The temple of the pure land" 

This temple was founded during the Tenpyo era (729-749) but was totally destroyed in the 14th century and then rebuilt.

Part of visiting the temples is getting your noukyo (calligraphy stamp).

As avid gardeners, the temple grounds are always a great inspiration to us!

Temple 50: Hantaji: Temple of Great Prosperity 

Founded in 750. It is said to be associated with having a prosperous business, warding off misfortune and harmonious relationship between husband and wife. 

Temple 51: Ishiteji (Rock Hand Temple)

This was a busy temple with lots of visitors and side shops. A huge statue of Kukai (Kobo Daishi) sits upon a hilltop overlooking the temple and the city.

Beautiful buildings and gardens abound.

 As we walked through Matsuyama city it was wonderful to see the cherry blossoms starting to bloom.

We had to make a few kilometers deviation to find a sports store to purchase new waterproof backpack covers. It has been raining for the past 2 days and my backpack cover is perished and not so waterproof anymore. The first store didn't have what we were looking for but the shop owner was very friendly and helpful, had been to Hawaii and when we left his parting words were " aloha and mahalo" (goodbye and thank you).

We found what we were looking for at "Outdoor Compass" sports store. One of the clerks gave us two brocade name slips from a customer who had done the pilgrimage 163 times. We're only doing it once and have simple white paper nameslips. The more times you complete the pilgrimage your slips become more colorful and fancy. The function of the nameslips is to write your name, date, address and wish on it and deposit it into the nameslips box at both the main hall and the Daishi hall of each temple.

Temple 52: Taisanji: Temple of the Big Mountain 

Located on the outskirts of Matsuyama there are spectacular views of the Shikoku mountains from the temple. We met a couple from New York, Cathy and Stas who had also returned to Shikoku to complete the Henro.

Temple 53: Enmyoji: Temple of the Ring of light

We arrived at the same time as a bus tour group of people and were able to hear the chanting of their practice which was enjoyable.

After 1868 the temple fell into disuse because of the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism and then restored.

We then made our way to the town of Onishi to try to find a place to sleep. It is the main shipbuilding town in all of Japan. The only hotel available was a speedy place near the docks. When we opened the door it was dark and dingy with no one around. I peeked through a door and saw an old lady slumped in a chair. I really felt that it was far too Twin Peakish for my liking and so we made the decision to walk an extra 1 hour and 45 minutes to the next town Imabari at dusk, knowing it would be after dark once we arrived.

Along the journey a wonderful man pulled up next to us and jumped out of his car with two bottles of hot tea that he just bought obviously specifically for us from a vending machine. We were so delighted and touched by this wonderful "osettai".

We continued walking and just before we reached the city center another car pulled up alongside us and the driver called out " do you want a ride". We accepted his "osettai" graciously and  discovered that he had visited Hawaii a couple of years ago. Wow, we are blown away by the kindness of people.