I am sitting on the train heading from Koyasan back to Shinimamiya (Osaka) having made my final pilgrim’s stop. I didn’t get much sleep last night as the walls in the temple were paper thin (literally!) and there was a Japanese trio talking loudly and nonstop until 11pm. I tried to encourage them to quieten down but they just ignored me. Unfortunately, my ear plugs were back at the hotel. It wouldn’t have been so bad but they started up again at 4am and I got no further sleep after that time. Around 6am I filed in for the morning temple ritual which lasted around 1 ½ hours. It was a bit of an ordeal and I had trouble staying awake. I had to resist the temptation to leave and go back to bed.

On one side of the hall, a group of around 10 monks were chanting a Tantric version of a Perfect Wisdom Sutra, while on the other side a nun was engaged in a goma ceremony. I had little understanding of what was going on which limited my engagement. One nice touch was that the monks invited the observers (there were 8 of us) to participate in one section of the ritual. I was invited to place a water bowl on a stand and then to sprinkle some incense on a brazier.  I wasn’t sure what it all meant in the context of the ritual but I didn’t mind.

Eventually, the ritual came to an end and I had managed to sit through it. By now I had noticed that not all of the monks were Japanese; the guy orchestrating the ritual appeared European as did one of the nuns. The European monk turned out to be German and he invited all the observers for tea which was a nice touch. He was called Kurt and spoke quite a bit of English and so he explained a few elements of the ritual to me and I told him a bit about my background. A few minutes later the nun arrived who was called Sanya and was Croatian. Both spoke Japanese, English, and whose knows what else. Sanya had been translating a Shingon text into English as part of a Ph.D project. It never ceases to amaze me how adaptable some Europeans can be.

I had a more extended talk with Sanya and she explained that the goma ceremony is concerned with the purification of defilements. There is a series of visualisations that goes with the ritual, especially of the deity Fudō Myo-o, who I have mentioned previously and who is especially concerned with the eradication of spiritual obstacles. Sanya also explained that some of the sticks she throws on the ritual fire are from congregation members who hope through having these sticks offered and burnt that they themselves will also be purified. The more I talked with Sanya and Kurt I began to realise that their spiritual lives and training was not really so different from mine. Both seemed to have quite an ecumenical, inclusive attitude and had clearly studied many things. Sanya had previously practised Zen for instance. Increasingly, the Buddhist world is a global one and to be a Buddhist means to be aware of the entire legacy of the Buddhist tradition, not just one little corner.

I had mixed feelings about my temple stay. Yesterday evening I felt myself wishing I hadn’t bothered: it was cold, noisy, and very expensive. However, today having attended the ritual and learnt something of the lives of some Japanese temple priests I felt pleased to have had the encounter. I was so impressed by the dedication and sincerity of the European priests who have transplanted themselves into an alien culture in order to engage with the Buddha-Dharma.

As I now sit typing this final posting in my Osaka hotel room on the eve of my return to the UK, I am reflecting on my good fortune to have been able to visit Japan and, in particular, all the people who have helped me to get here and to find my way around while I have been here. Rather than single individuals out, I will follow the general Mahayana procedure at the end of any act that my produce benefits:

May the merit gained

In my acting thus

Go to the alleviation of the suffering of all beings.

May all be embraced and blessed by the spirit of universal compassion that is Kannon.

I haven’t posted anything for a couple of days because I have been engaged in more general sightseeing rather than pilgrimage-related activities. The day before yesterday I was in Kyoto. It was a desultory day in many respects. I awoke late – no temple to rush to – and eventually decided to go to the Kyoto National Museum to see some of its treasures. But it was closed for refurbishment. Swallowing my disappointment, I did some present shopping instead and later in the day was invited by Kiranada for a lovely dinner at her house.

Osaka CastleI left Kyoto yesterday morning. It was a strange feeling. I don’t think I was conscious of the fact that I wouldn’t be returning. The chances are I will never go there again, although of course I would like to at some point in the future. I headed for Osaka for the final leg of my journey and checked into the hotel where I have already stayed a couple of times. I then decided to make for the Osaka Aquarium which some fellow travellers had recommended. It was definitely worth the effort. Besides all manner of fish, the aquarium has penguins, otters, dolphins, and even a few sharks. It was fantastic to see marine life so close up; I don’t think I had experienced that before. After the aquarium I headed on to Osaka Castle which, besides having a very attractive castle, functions as a massive park and many parties were out picnicking with their dachshunds and other mini-dogs in tow. I was slightly disturbed to see one dachshund kitted out in dungarees. Anyway, it was a beautiful day and hanging out in the Osaka Castle park was just the way to enjoy a few hours of it.

This morning I left most of my baggage at the hotel and headed for my final pilgrimage destination: Koyasan. Koyasan is the mountain headquarters of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, which is Japanese tantra or esoteric Buddhism. Koyasan is more or less a monastic town which comprises numerous temples affiliated to the sect. The ascent to Koyasan is quite dramatic. The lower slopes are climbed via a regular train which snakes its way around the mountain puffing and rattling its way higher and higher. At the terminus, one transfers to a cable car which seems to rise almost vertically up the mountainside. On exiting the cable car, it is possible to take a bus into Koyasan town but I chose to walk – it was only 3K. Although along a road, it was actually  quite a pleasant walk since there was no traffic and it was a warm morning. I eventually I arrived at the Daimon, or main gate, which is a very impressive edifice, through which I stepped reverentially after being suitably warned by its colossal guardians. From there, I walked down into Koyasan proper and began to explore the temples.

A Monk on KoyasanMy first impressions of Koyasan were that I was a little disappointed. I think it is partly a result of having seen so many temples already, I was suffering ‘temple fatigue’. After a disjointed beginning, I started to find my focus and went to the main temple, known as Kongobuji. It is a very beautiful complex although it didn’t seem especially welcoming. A highlight was the painted screens that adorned many of the temple’s rooms; these included paintings of Japanese cranes and some very elegant ink-trace sketches of people. The temple also had a very attracted dry garden. While at Kongobuji I took the chance to get the temple’s goshuin or stamp. I had been told that Koyasan is a bangai temple for the Saigoku pilgrimage. This means that it is an extra, unnumbered temple that may be added to one’s nokyōchō. So I had the goshuin inscribed on a spare page of Saigoku notebook. And that will be the final entry.

After the temple, I headed for the museum which houses some of the sect’s artistic treasures. There were some beautiful images inside, both sculptures and paintings. I was especially struck by several sculpted images of Dainichi Nyorai (Vairochana). There were also many images of wrathful Buddha figures, including the almost ubiquitous Fudō Myo-o who looks very fierce indeed, brandishing a sword in his right hand and some kind of lasso in his left. I have not come across this figure in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, although there are other figures who express similar energies and characteristics. The Japanese have clearly been very attracted to these belligerent-looking figures since their likenesses are commonly seen in temples. Not only this but it is also very common to place images of protectors in temples, either two, four or twelve.

After the museum I entered the Garan, another temple precinct filled with thatched buildings and Garden at Kongobujinotably the Konpon daitō, which is a pagoda housing a 3-d mandala of Dainichi surrounded by four other Buddhas, then various bodhisattvas painted on to surrounding pillars. Mandalas are central to Shingon, as they are to Tibetan Buddhism, and function as expressions of both reality and Awakening. According to one temple leaflet that I picked up, Kukai (also known as Kobo Daishi) – the founder of Shingon in the 9^th century – ‘taught that the universe is itself a vast Buddha, personified as the cosmic Buddha, Mahavairochana [Dainichi]. All beings are inherently identical with Mahavairochana, and so also inherently equal to one another. The deep wisdom and realization of the Buddha Vairochana is always immediately accessible to all, because it is the very nature of all being.’ So there you have it.

After contemplating this Buddha that is reality, and so also me and all other beings, I headed for the cemetery, known as Okunoin, another notable site on the mountain. Actually, it’s huge and I ended up having two visits – one before checking into my shakubo, or temple lodging, and one after. By now I was feeling pretty tired and it was also check-in time so I headed for Muryokoin which is one of many temples on Koyasan which offer lodging. Be warned though, they are not cheap. In fact, it is the most expensive place I have stayed while in Japan.

Dinner at MuryokoinI am sitting typing this in my rather lovely, Japanese-style room with tatami matting underfoot, shoji-style sliding doors, and painted friezes of cranes on the walls. Around 5.30pm a monk brought me my vegetarian dinner, which consisted in a mountain of all kinds of different foods including sesame tofu, tempura, various vegetables, rice, and whatnot. It really was a feast.



The Ferry to ChikubushimaI woke early once again and after a quick breakfast I packed up my things ready to head for the ferry to Chikubushima Island. I had planned to get a taxi but in the end felt I could walk it and save the money. So I did. After depositing my backpack in a locker at the train station, I headed for the ferry terminal and boarded the first crossing of the day. There were not many other passengers as it is still pretty out of season.

HogonjiI was already beginning to feel that my decision to postpone Hogonji until today was a good one as there was no rain and the weather was fair. Chikibushima Island is in the middle of a vast lake called Biwa. The crossing took half an hour. I had thought that it was possible to walk around the whole island but in the event there was only a small part of it that was accessible. Hogonji was more or less right next to the ferry terminal up several flights of very steep steps – you can’t get away from those steps when visiting temples it seems. Before long I had made my offering, got my stamp and there was little else to do accept watch the herons and ospreys wheeling overhead and wait for the return ferry. Hogonji was not an especially notable temple, except for its location of course. The hondō was quite attractive I guess, having a thatched roof.

Soon I was heading back to shore and when I arrived there I returned to the train station and caught the next service for Maibara where I changed for Ogaki. I knew that my destination station was quite a small one so I looked into leaving my luggage at Ogaki. But there were only a few lockers and all were in use. I would have to carry my pack – again. At Ogaki, I transferred to a Trumption-stype railway called the Tarumi line. The train had only one carriage and travelled at about 20 miles an hour, stopping at stations that were no larger than regular bus stops on the way. We were heading out into the countryside and I found it hard to remain confident that I was going on anything other than a wild goose chase. I should have had more faith.

A Train on the Tarumi RailwayEventually we arrived at the tongue-twisting Tanigumiguchi station – just a bus shelter really – where my information said it was a 3.5K walk to the temple. This is what I was worried about with my pack. But when I arrived at the station, there was a bus waiting that took me to within 500m of the temple. I quickly approached, made my offering and went to get my final stamp. I was expecting some kind of congratulation or at least some show of interest but the monks didn’t seem remotely diverted by the completion of my little odyssey. The only thing different here was that at Kegonji one receives three stamps (and, of course, pays 3 stamp fees too!). It all felt rather an anti-climax. I was expecting Kegonji to be a super-temple proclaiming its identity as the final of the 33 temples on the pilgrimage but actually it was just a fairly small and not very remarkable provincial temple. It may well be that because few people now do the pilgrimage in order of the temple numbers the fact that Kegonji is the last of the 33 is less important than it once was.

The Main Gate at KegonjiBefore long, I was heading back to the station wondering what it was all about: what I have I spent the last four weeks doing? And why? Rather than feeling a sense of spiritual uplift, I felt a little deflated. This is probably not surprising. Have I been engaged in an extended ritual or simply a lot of sightseeing? It’s really hard to distinguish these, as I suggested in an earlier post. What I will say though is that the pilgrimage was not really in the destinations but in the spaces between, in the travelling, in the shared smile, the generosity offered and taken, the impromptu chat on the train, the calling to mind of friends back home. It was in these liminal moments that the pilgrimage came alive as I committed myself to the unknown future, and opened myself to the uncertainty of encountering new experiences and people. In a sense, as it always must me, the pilgrimage was a journey of inner at least as much as outer discovery. In this process, I found new resources within, a well of resilience, and a higher degree of self-containment than I thought I was capable of. Mostly, I enjoyed being me, on my own, witnessing - and at times participating in - an alien world free of the obligations of smalltalk and the familiar that masks the otherness that resists our attempts to take it into ourselves.

Soon I was heading back to Ogaki where I conceived the plan to catch the shinkansen (bullet train) back to Kyoto. One of my many subgoals on this trip was to ride the shinkansen and I thought I had missed my chance when I didn’t take it to Himeji. However, there is a shinkansen line through Maibara, where I had to get a connection after Ogaki. So I bought my ticket at Ogaki, hopped on the next train to Maibara, and then caught an immediate shinkansen connection to Kyoto. We were almost there before I had finished my coffee. It was a very satisfying travel experience, although I do think that the Spanish Ave is comparable. Although I must say the shinkansen does have huge amounts of leg room and the ride is very smooth.

I was back in Kyoto before 5.30pm and at my hotel before 6pm. All done and dusted. I now have a free day in Kyoto tomorrow, although I am sure I will find some temples that I feel a need to go visit…

After a mad dash to make my connection at Osaka – I didn’t even get time to buy a coffee - I am now heading towards Lake Biwa where I hope to visit two further temples before staying on the shore of the lake at Nagahama. My schedule is very tight today and there is a good chance that I will not arrive in Nagahama early enough to catch the boat to Chikubushima Island; let’s see. I remain a day ahead of schedule and so do have some leeway but I would like to complete all my temple visits by tomorrow evening and then head back to Kyoto for an extra day there.

When I left Milind’s house it was raining hard and for the second time on my trip I have lost my umbrella. There must be tens of thousands of lost umbrellas in Japan! Outside some shops I think they allow you to take umbrellas that others have left. I am hoping that the weather clears up, especially for my visit to the island.

Milind was a very kind host and cooked me a tasty Indian meal and also made chai. This was all very welcome as I had been surviving on convenience meals for some time. I am so impressed at the cultural adjustment that he has made in moving to Japan from India. They really couldn’t be more different places.

In my haste to get to my first destination, I ended up requesting the wrong ticket at JR Osaka but the one I had purchased was still good enough to get me to Omihachiman, where I arrived with no problem, picking up an abandoned umbrella on the way. However, my trip gave the lie the truism that Japanese trains are never late: mine was fifteen minutes behind schedule. Having rushed from the Osaka ticket office to the platform to make it with a minute to spare, I then spent 10 or so minutes waiting for the train to come! And it got still later en route; I felt like I was back home again.

Chomeji in the RainAfter dropping off my luggage at a locker, I easily found the bus to Chomeji (T31) temple. When I arrived at the terminus it was still raining hard and I had a steep walk uphill for 1.5K to reach the compound. Chomeji is a small temple and there is nothing exceptional about it, except perhaps the view over Lake Biwa (although I couldn’t really see it owing to the weather conditions). When I arrived at the hondō, I was the only visitor and I quickly made my offerings and got my stamp. After a visit to the bell tower to give the main temple bell a sound clang, I was off down the hill again. Rather than take the road, I went down a very steep flight of steps which descended all the way to the base of the hill. Before long, I was back at Omihachiman station.

In the meantime, my mind had been working overtime. My original plan to visit the island on the lake seemed both ambitious and also ill-timed owing the weather conditions. I conceived an alternative plan, which was to head for Kannonshoji (T32), a temple reached from Notogawa, further up the track. On arriving at Notogawa, I looked for a locker to secure my luggage before heading for the temple. It turned out there were none. This was the first train station I had been to thus far that did not have lockers. I asked if I could leave my bag in the ticket office but there was nothing doing so I had to carry it with me. I judged that I might be able to leave it at a shop en route to the temple.

I found the correct bus immediately and it set off after a couple of minutes, dropping me off at the requisite stop with all my gear in the pouring rain. After a certain amount of wandering around, I was eventually pointed towards the temple. No one told me I was to walk up a steep mountain path, through the middle of a wood, while it was pouring with rain. I had a walk of some 3K, with my backpack and computer bag, to the top. Thinking about it now, it all seems rather comical but at that time I was being soaked by both the rain and my own sweat. It was a tough walk! I reasoned that there really must be another route to the temple. I eventually reached the end of the climb to see a bus load of pilgrims calming sauntering towards their bus. There was a road up after all.

KannonshojiKannonshoji seemed rather unremarkable too. However, it seemed as though the hondō had recently been renewed and there was a large, seated 1000-armed Kannon installed in it. It was carved from wood and also seemed to be new. It wasn’t great picture taking weather so after getting my temple stamp I headed down the road. It was much easier going than the path on the way up and before long I arrived at the base of the mountain, except that I didn’t know which way to go. Eventually, I guessed and after a short walk came across a shop. I asked the sales assistant about the bus to Notogawa and he pointed me to a stop about 50 yards away. As I approached the stop the bus arrived and my backpack carrying nightmare was over.

I then headed towards Nagahama where I had booked a hotel for the night. It was still raining heavily and I really had had enough of walking so I took a taxi to my hotel. Taking a taxi in Japan is a bit like cutting into an artery then hoping you won’t bleed to death before you reach your destination. They really are very expensive. No one at the hotel speaks any English but this doesn’t bother me: I have a bath, internet access, and can begin to dry out all my wet clothes and luggage.

All being well, I will complete the 33 temple circuit tomorrow, then head back to Kyoto.

Itinerary: Ikeda to Umeda (Hankyu line) – walk to JR Osaka (five mins.) – JR Special Rapid to Omihachiman – Bus to Chomeji – 1.5 walk to temple – walk and bus back to Omihachiman – train to Notogawa – bus to Kannonshoji-guchi – 3K walk to temple (with backpack!) – walk via road to bus stop – bus to Notogawa – train to Nagahama – taxi to Nagahama Business Hotel



After a frustrating time in an Internet café trying to upload my previous post, I gave up and went back to the capsule hotel. After no doubt appearing to be the most stupid guest ever to visit the hotel, I eventually worked out that I needed to change into a hotel gown in order to enter the sauna and massage space. After changing, I went to check out a foot massage and, around 10pm in the evening, received a high quality massage from a delightful young Japanese woman. She spoke no English and, as you know, I speak no Japanese so the small talk didn’t go far. I am amazed how good the massage practitioners are here, even in just an ordinary place.

I began to realise that capsule hotels function as some kind of male pleasure parlour – a kind of Japanese version of a gentleman’s club; no women are allowed to stay here. There are all kinds of lounge chairs and beds to chill out in, a sauna, Jacuzzi, showers, TVs etc. The only downside is that people can smoke here – well, and everything’s in Japanese. After my massage, I checked out the Jacuzzi and spent a pleasant hour there. The hotel provides soap, towels, razors, shaving cream, and pretty much everything a man might need to use to smarten himself up; you can even buy underpants, socks, and vests from the vending machine. I did find the environment complicated to interact with though; I seemed to be constantly changing from one form of clothing to another – or none at all –putting stuff in one locker or another, exchanging one key for another, and so on. Eventually, I began to get the hang of it all. As everything, it’s all very logical.

My main concern about the capsule was whether I would be able to sleep in what is effectively a large coffin with a whole at one end. Actually, once you are inside the capsule feels quite roomy – it’s a bit like being in a tent. Mine was kitted out with a TV, although naturally all the channels were Japanese. I began to think I could sleep well here until I lay down and the drilling began, which lasted most of the night. There must have been a major building project going on immediately outside the hotel since workmen were drilling, grinding, and generally making a massive racket. Eventually, I went back to my locker and retrieved some ear plugs, which I had thoughtfully brought for such occasions. After that I was fine, although I was pretty hot all night; if there was an air conditioning system I couldn’t find it.

I woke fairly early and decided to make an early start back to Osaka to head towards my next temple, hoping to capitalise on the fact that I am ahead of schedule. I got to Himeji station before 8am and bought a ticket. As I arrived on the platform, I realised that I left the Danish pastry and croissant that I had just bought at the ticket office. I found myself wondering if the ticket officer would notice and maybe come and bring it to me – he did! It wasn’t a deliberate test but further confirms my high opinion of Japanese courtesy.

The Pond at KatsuojiThe temple that I am visiting today, Katsuoji (T23) is not one of the easiest to reach – according to my information there are only 3 buses a day. I had hoped to catch the early bus but in the event by the time I had got to Osaka to change for a subway to catch the bus (if you follow), it was already too late so I decided to pause, gather my fractured thoughts, have a coffee, and write a little update.

Although I had a bit of waiting around for the bus at Senrichuo, my connections worked out fine. As is usual with bus approaches to temples, the ride was uphill around winding narrow roads. When I arrived at Katsuoji the sun was out and it was developing into a lovely day. The temple immediately gave me a good feeling as I could hear chanting and drumming being broadcast over loudspeakers throughout the temple complex. As I entered the compound, a large pond was throwing up a veil of mist and, for a moment, it all seemed rather mystical.

Daruma Dolls at KatsuojiKatsuoji was pleasantly laid out with a number of terraces sheltering its complex of buildings. One thing I immediately noticed was a large number of Daruma dolls around the temple. These are loosely based on the semi-legendary Zen figure of Bodhidharma. Only later did I learn that Katsuoji is specifically linked to bringing good fortune and people buy the dolls in order to attract it. Once I had found the hondō, I followed my usual procedure and got my book stamped. Only four more temples to go!

At the Noodle MuseumHaving reached Katsuoji I felt considerable relief and the rest of my day unfolded in a relaxed way. I found my way back to Osaka and then went on to Ikeda where I had arranged to meet Milind, the Indian guy with whom I had visited Daigoji. Milind had offered to put me up for the night on my travels and it seemed polite to accept. On our way to Milind’s house, he took me to a noodle museum, which celebrates the introduction of the instant noodle. I even got to make my own ‘Cup Noodle’ drawing on it my own design and selecting the ingredients.

Milind is a very personable and generous host – as Indian people often are. He has clearly done remarkably well in establishing himself here. Japan could not be more different from India! Like many other Indians I know, he has already established for himself a wide-ranging network here.

After eating, I pondered to consider my next move. I am still a day ahead of schedule but my next four temples are each quite distant and some may prove tricky – one of them is on an island in the middle of a lake. I am going to try to reach two of them tomorrow and then the final two the following day. If I accomplish this then I will have a day in hand. Let’s see how I do.

Itinerary: train from Himeji to Osaka – transfer to Mitsuoji subway to Senrichuo – bus to Katsuoji -return to Senrichuo by bus - subway to Osaka - transfer to Hankyu Umeda to Ikeda.