Yakuō-ji is temple No. 23 on the Shikoku pilgrimage or Henro. Yakuō-ji offers a beautiful view of Hiwasa Bay and Hiwasa Castle from the viewing area around the modern pagoda, while the pagoda can be seen from a considerable distance away. What to see From the town, the temple rises steeply up the hill with…
Byōdō-ji is temple No. 22 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, or Henro. It stands at the foot of a low range of mountains in Anan near the Kuwano River. What to see A two-storey Niō Gate flanked by stone lanterns stands atop a dozen steps up from the road. There’s a belfry on the left, then…
Tairyū-ji is temple No. 21 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. Located at 610 m above sea level, it’s one of the “nansho”, the difficult temples to reach on foot. Nevertheless, the climb isn’t particularly arduous. Whether you walk or take the cable car, Tairyū-ji is one of the most rewarding of the eighty-eight locations to…
Kakurin-ji is temple No. 20 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. Located 490 m above sea level, the path up to it is rated among the “pilgrim-killers”. It stands across the Naka River from Temple No. 21, Tairyū-ji, another mountain-top temple. From Kakurin-ji, you can see as far as Awaji Island and the Pacific Ocean….
Gokuraku-ji is temple No. 2 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, or Henro. It stands in the foothills of the Sanuki Mountains in the Tokushima rift valley, and the temple is surrounded by wooded mountains on three sides. The temple is next to a dairy farm, and you can hear the cows mooing. What to see From…
Tatsue-ji is temple No. 19 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. It stands in an old neighbourhood near an inlet in the port town of Komatsushima. In the Edo period, travel was regulated by gated checkpoints called ‘sekisho’. On the pilgrimage, there are ‘sekishodera’ in each of the provinces, and these temples are considered spiritual…
Onzan-ji is temple No. 18 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. It stands in a side valley on the northern edge of the Tokushima rift valley. What to see The little temple gate is located a good distance from the temple itself. It stands athwart the pilgrim’s trail beside a red bridge over the main…
Ido-ji is temple No. 17 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. It stands in a residential area in Tokushima city next to a Shintō shrine. What to see The Niō Gate stands in isolation from the other buildings. Painted vermilion red, it’s a large gate in the style of samurai architecture. It was relocated from…
Kan’on-ji is temple No. 16 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. It’s quite a small temple within Tokushima city. It shouldn’t be confused with Kannon-ji Temple in Kan’on-ji, Kagawa. What to see The main gate is a majestic two-storied gate of Japanese style, giving an air of solemnity to this very small temple. Nevertheless, the…
Awa Kokubun-ji is temple No. 15 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, or Henro. It stands among rice fields on the floor of the Tokushima rift valley, not far from Tokushima city. Awa Kokubun-ji is one of only three Zen temples on the pilgrimage. The other two are Temple 11 Fujii-dera and Temple 33 Sekkei-ji. What to…