Japan 88 Temple Pilgrimage. A New Emperor:

Yesterday was the beginning of Golden Week in Japan. This is a week with some sort of remembrance each day, ie.; Childrens Day, Greenery Day, Constitution Day, and Showa Day which commemorates the birthday of Emperor Hirohito who reigned from 1926 to 1989. Also, this is a big travel week for the Japanese so we had to book accommodations a few days ago. Furthermore, on May 1, Hirohito’s son, Emperor Akihito, is retiring and his son Naruhito will be crowned as the 126th Monarch of Japan. Their lineage dates back to 660 B.C., which is staggering. The current English Monarchy only dates back a few hundred years though they are descendants of King Alfred The Great who reigned in 871.  

Emperor Akihito’s retirement ceremony on TV

April 28, 2019 Day 16  

Enough history. The early walking was pleasant today as the weather cooled. Just after a lunch of peanuts and chocolate, we passed a house with a sign, “Everyone welcome”. Very nice guy who provided bottled tea for me and coffee for Mika and snacks and cake and told us he welcomed anyone to stay the night and he cooked as well. Unfortunately, with this being Golden Week we made a reservation already for tonight. Hopefully next time.  

The sign says “Ever yone Welcome” but close enough.
Wonderful Osettai stop with friendly and generous Gardener.

Leaving there we ran into 2 girls who were picking fruit and gave us 6 of those small yellow oranges, konatsu.

Receiving Osettai of konatsus

Late in the day we came across an Octopus Dumpling shop, that also serves ice cream which the Japanese seem to love as much as everybody else. The elderly woman, 83, running the place was most friendly and we had a great time engaging when her 3 friends stopped for ice cream. Fantastic Takoyaki Octopus Dumplings.

Our host in front with her 2 buddies in back
Fabulous Octopus dumplings
Good octopus dumplings are topped with bonito (tuna) flakes. with a bit of mayonnaise and brown sauce

Got to Okinohama hostel and had fantastic dinner of Auxis (tuna) sashimi, minestrone soup, pasta, wild grass, cooked whitefish. After dinner we discussed our strategy for Golden Week. Hate to get out of a day to day flow but necessary I suppose.  34k  

29/4:  

Breakfast was excellent. We left at 7:20 and ran into young French guy and chatted a bit and then took a wonderful “ancient” path through mountain forest. Stopped at rest house with another mixed couple, Pedro from near Madrid and his Japanese fiance.  

Made it to Temple 39 about 12. Enjoyed John Manjiro statue who was first Japanese in America. He wasn’t a tourist or diplomat, or explorer. He was a 14 year old boy in 1841 out fishing with his 4 buddies and they were stranded on an island. They were later picked up by an American whaler who brought them to Honolulu.  

Mika and John Manjiro, the first Japanese person in America
Temple 37
Lighthouse near Temple 37 at far southwest corner of Shikoku Island

Another great dinner with mahi mahi sashima. Though the highlight for me was the sweet woman sushi chef who I asked if I could take a picture. She nodded yes as the Japanese have a hard time saying “No” I think. I kept moving taking 3 photos from different angles but she would move the fish to block my view of her face. 20k  

Lots of fun trying to take photo of sushi chef

  30/4:

After breakfast we caught bus out front at 8:23 for Nakamura where we left our packs in tourist office and walked to $1 store and picked up a few things and rested and watched emperor’s retirement ceremony before having teas.  

Bamboo forest

Then took single car train to Temple 39 where I washed my eyes in special healing water.  

Our Ryokan, Shimaya which had some bad reports turned out to be comfortable and enjoyable with 12 tatami mats and they let us in early at 1:30 with a hot bath. Great dinner of delicious and huge bonito sashimi. 6k  

“I sure hope this helps”
Story and instruction for the healing waters
rice picking machine. Probably a good thing as I hate seeing all the little old Japanese women hunched over from many years of picking rice
Wonderful old patch on the way to Temple 37
Temple 37
Gate to Temple 37

Share to Social Media

1 thought on “Japan 88 Temple Pilgrimage. A New Emperor:”

Happy to answer any questions and help in any way.

%d bloggers like this: