Situated at the southernmost point in Shikoku on top of Cape Ashizuri, Kongofukuji Temple, the 38th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage was reached after 3 days of walking from the last temple. I arrived on the 23rd day of my walk and as it turns out this was the halfway point.
According to the legend it was founded by Kobo Daishi himself who is also credited with carving the Kannon statue. Like the southern tip of Wakayama, people set off from here to reach Fudaraku, Kannon's paradise.
There is lots of statuary and the colored stones around the pond are impressive. I have heard that some may be petrified wood, but I don't know. Though relatively remote and not so easy to reach it is a surprisingly popular destination.
Its remoteness may have been one of the reasons why it wasn't damaged in the early Meiji years like so many of the other temples. Definitely worth the effort to visit. The temple does have lodgings, sometimes, but there are plenty of hotels nearby.
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This was one of my favorite stops on the pilgrimage. I stayed at a hotel on the cape to get WiFi and there was a steep trail down to the ocean. I’ll never forget this amazing rock formation- like a tunnel with water on the other side. Thanks for taking me back their at this stressful time :)
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