I have now worked out how to get to all 33 temples on the Saigoku route. There is a fantastic train timetable service available via Hyperdia, which has enabled me to determine how long it will take me to get to each temple and how much it will cost. I am currently working out the most time/money efficient route to cover all of the temples.

I have realised that my travel costs are going to be as much as my accommodation costs and this is making me think about revising my budget. I may have to consider staying in dormitory rooms in hostels at least for part of the time.

As I continue my research, bits of knowledge about Japan keeps floating up: geishas, origami, capsule hotels, and vending machines that sell used girls' knickers (I swear I read about this once - I will verify but not purchase).

I am also considering what other things I want to do in Japan besides the 33 temples. Buddha by Osama TezukaI have discovered that in Takarazuka, not too far from Osaka, there is a museum dedicated to the god of Manga, Osamu Tezuka. I am currently reading his series of books about the life of the Buddha and so hope that I might make it to the museum.

I will probably follow an itinerary that orbits Kyoto and returns there two or three times over the course of the month with stays in Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and possibly Nagahama in between. Once I have more or less settled my itinerary, I want to engage in more cultural research into Japanese history.