Saikokuji, Onomichi

Saikoku-ji is a major temple complex in Onomichi, and along with Senko-ji and Jodo-ji it is one of the three temples that shouldn't be missed among the dozens found along the temple walk.

It is approached up a long slope that ends with the impressive Niomon with its huge straw sandals. Then there are steps to climb up to the temple complex itself on several levels.

According to the founding legend it was founded by Gyoki sometime around 739. Now it is a Shingon temple. The Daishi Hall has some nice Fudo statues inside and out.

The temple burned down, along with Gyokis Honzon, in the early 11th Century, but Emperor Shirakawa ordered it rebuilt in 1081. The main hall and three storey pagoda are both Important Cultural properties.

Inari Shrine at Tamatsukuriyu Shrine

The biggest shrine in Tamatsukuri is Tamatsukuriyu Shrine, and within its grounds is a small Inari Shrine.

Guarded by a pair of fox statues, the fox being the messengers of Inari.

It is fairly common to find beheaded statues with missing heads replaced by a  head-shaped rock. Ive seen that with jizo statues a lot but never before with a fox statue.

Behind the shrine shelves have been made is a small overhang in the rock and several lines of miniature fox statues have been left by worshipers/petitioners.

Iwami Mandala Kannon Pilgrimage Temple 2 Sofukuji

A few of the temples on the Iwami Kannon Pigrimages are likely to be quite large and important, but I expect most to be like this one, Sofukuji, officially temple number 2.

Its a small village temple of the Soto Zen sect located in Ikeda at the base of Mount Sanbe. There was no-one home so I could not get into the main hall and see the main Kannon statue, the honzon.

However you never know what you are going to find, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover this collection of statues which seem to be rakan, the 500 disciples of the Buddha.

One of the intriguing things about the rakan is the diversity of faces and poses. It is said that you can always find a statue that reminds you of someone you know.

Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage Temple 33 Seiganji

The 33rd and final temple on the Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is Seiganji, located in the north of Tamatsukuri Onsen.

It is a Rinzai Zen temple and the honzon is a Kannon, but it is not the Kannon of the pilgrimage.

It is located in the small Kannon Hall next to the main hall. It was built originally in 1702 and was located in the mountains at a temple called Iwayadera. It was moved here in 1873.

Staffs left by pilgrims who have completed the pilgrimage. I have never seen another walking pilgrim while I walked the pilgrimage, and I suspect most of the staffs were carried by car pilgrims.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable pilgrimage for me. I will post a couple of more posts of shrines I visited on my way from here to the station, and then I will concentrate my posts on my Kyushu pilgrimage.

More Shrine Masks

Continuing with some photos of masks I found in shrines while walking along the Iwami coast this past spring. In a small shrine in a remote fishing cove near Orii were this pair of Ebisu and Daikoku, 2 of the 7 Lucky Gods, and often paired together.

At the Kasuga Shrine in Sufu was this pairing of, I think, Shoki and Oni. These are much older, wooden masks.

At the Itsukushima Shrine in Matsubara another Ebisu-Daikoku pair. They look as if they may have been made out of plaster. I have a small pair made out of plaster at home.

At Ikan Shrine in Shimokou, a demon mask with some variations that I hadnt seen before leading me to believe it is from a mask maker I have not encountered before. The use of curved fangs is unusual and something I had been thinking of incorporating into my own masks.

Finally, at the Hekireki Shrine next to the site of the former Kokubunji, yet another Ebisu- Daikoku pair

Inside Tamatsukuri Public Onsen

A good half of the public onsen in Tamatsukuri is a wedge-shaped concrete structure that in reality serves no purpose at all.

But it looks good, and makes for some nice photographs...... :)

It was designed by Shimane born architect Shin Takamatsu and opened in 1996.

Shrine masks

While walking along the Shimane coast in the spring I stopped in at as many shrines as I could. One of the things I seek out at shrines are masks. many shrines will have masks on display in the main hall  to ward off evil or to attract good fortune. Sometimes they will be regular kagura masks vworn by dancers, but sometimes they will be large and non-functional as masks. This first one was an older, wooden demon mask at Kakihime Shrine in Kushiro near Masuda.

Not far away at the Hachimangu in Tsuda there were a lot of masks on display, the most intriguing being this large demon mask, also wooden and old.

Masks will often come in pairs, the left one is certainly a Karasu Tengu, which would usually be paired with a long-nosed Tengu, but I am not sure if that is what the right hand mask is.

There was also a pair of Tengu in the normal coloring and style.....

And there was a Shoki mask. Shoki, a daoist demon-queller is conflated with Susano in Japan and the two masks are often interchangeble.

Tamatsukuri Public Onsen

Tamatsukuri Onsen is among the oldest in recorded history in Japan. Located on the Tamayu River near Lake Shinji it has numerous ryokan and guest houses as well as many large resort style hotels.

In the river itself are several small pools that can be used for free and the main street also has a free foot bath, but the town had no public onsen until 1996.

The architecvt chosen to design the new public onsen was local boy Shin Takamatsu.

His design is ditinctive and uses one of his trademarks, geometric solids.

Sunset at Kiki

As the ninth day of my walk along the Shikoku Pilgrimage was drawing to an end it was time to seek out a place to spend the night.

After passing through the fishing village of Tainohama I passed through Kiki in a small bay. Outside of the village I settled in on the narrow beach.

It was quiet and with a great view but the high water mark was almost as high as the sea wall and I didn't fancy waking up in the middle of the night with the water lapping at my feet, so I packed up and headed back towards the village.

Back at the edge of the village I had passed a small, wooden observation tower. It had a roof, wide benches, a toilet right next door, and a vending machine, as well as views, so this would be my spot to spend the night. It was not an official rest hut for pilgrims, but it was already dark and I woud be gone by first light and there was no-one around. Stealth camping.

Cherry Blossoms at Tamatsukuri Onsen

Now that several months have passed since the cherry blossom viewing season its time for me to post on the subject.

I am not a huge fan of Ohanami,.... seems to be more of a city thing. I like the mountainsides with their wild sakura as they appear and fade like slow motion fireworks. but the overkill of white that has mostly been planted in the modern, urban Japan don't do anything for me.

However, as I walked through Tamatsukuri Onsen on my way to the final temple on the Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the river that runs through the town and down into lake Shinji was lined with cherry tree in full bloom.

It helped that there were no blue tarps under the trees filled with people drinking and eating....