We woke up after a good sleep in our comfortable beds, yet still tired from yesterday’s exertions. The staff found us a room for a second night, and they kindly moved our luggage to the new room.
We really like this hotel. The staff are very professional and we enjoy the thoughtful amenities and policies that are geared to make cyclists feel welcome.
The Tourist office next door helped us make a plan for the day…the Imabari Castle, possibly a visit to the Imabari towel shop and most importantly seeking out some temples here that are included in the 88 temples featured on Shikoku’s Pilgrimage trail.
We visited one of the temples today… Nankobo Temple, sacred sight #55 of 88. We were able to buy the special book that will contain the stamps and calligraphy that a monk on-site will put in our book for us. This temple features a magnificent gate at the entrance with four fierce guardians adorned with gold leaf protecting the Temple.
We also visited the Imabari Castle which is noteworthy for being one of 3 castles in Japan which have a salt water moat surrounding it. It was built facing the Seto Inland Sea by master castle builder, Todo Takatora, with construction completed in 1608. The moat averages 180 feet in length and is intended to neutralize arrows.
Convenience Stores never cease to impress us with their innovative creations. Here is a bun with jam and butter inside. How do they do it….with a syringe? (when you get the bun, it has not been cut open)
Pilgrims typical wear a traditional woven conical hat, wear white garments and walk with a special stick. There is always a metal stand to hold your stick while you pay your respects.
The statue of the Japanese Buddhist monk Kukai ( known as Kobo Daishi after his death). He was a monk, calligrapher, poet and the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism.
This animated sign directs us to the office where a Buddhist monk will personalize our book with stamps and calligraphy on a page to denote this temple. It is a beautiful thing to watch him write calligraphy on the page.
Pilgrims who follow in the footsteps of Kobo Daishi around Shikoku record their journey by collecting stamps and calligraphy at each temple. We are going to visit as many of the 88 temples as we can and collect the stamps and calligraphy for each temple
