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YELLOW Once again events have transpired to encourage me to take things slowly but after re--visiting the advice of Takahashi-san last night by reading through these notes, I feel much better about finishing up early today. Plus it would have been very difficult to refuse todays major distraction – a trip with a Zen priest to his bangai temple so he could ‘collect’ my photograph and I could see the incredible basement he spent 5 years of his life painting. An incredibly skilful and evo/provocative Buddhist pantheon on bare concrete as well as instruction on a weird water energising copper bowl were my rewards for accepting his offer in the midst of the eccentric performance he was giving where I had lunch. So that delayed me by an hour and it would have been stupid if not impossible to get to 10 night bridge tonight so I’ve been able to chill here at the pleasant 43, including an interesting chat with a bus driver and other members of his tour. They came all the way from Ashizuri this morning which kind of shocked me. There was a different atmosphere among the group cos this was their last day of the trip as they hit the section cutoff of halfway. The lady who had her photo taken with me 3 times as if it would make the experience longer – although perhaps she was just finishing up the film. Whatever, everyone seemed to like me as usual which is not to boast – I can almost McLachlan getting carried away with how great and powerful he was because the warmth and depth of the interest and compliments is truly amazing wherever one goes. Anyway, they’re gone now ands it is very quiet. I will make my way to the riverside part described by the most careful calligrapher yet and make sure to take steps not to repeat this mornings mistake of no breakfast. I am in a place of bigness – a huge park adjacent to a huge supermarket therefore all henro needs are catered for. I am sharing this prime spot with a well-established henro from Okinawa – hes been on the road since April and gives the impression itll be a while longer yet. We jokingly compared beards as he showed me the way to the supermarket – I haven’t mentioned my increasingly junglish growth but picked up good styling tips from the way he is letting his grow from the jaw-line. He seems to be recovering from some kind of nasty fall that’s put his leg out of action and a cut across his eye. Which might have something to do with this after 5 o’clock/temple closing time drinking of that super-strong stuff in jars that men like him seem to somehow subsist on like alcoholic superheroes. He talked about begging and generally seems to be deep in the embrace of the henro lifestyle – I find it amazing that this fact and the ways it displays itself enable me to befriend and trust such a man when if I met someone of this ragged appearance and intoxicated smell in England or even another part of Japan, things would be very different. Its good to be writing with a more precise nib and generally taking steps towards being refreshed on all fronts. Onsen should complete the job tomorrow night before the last hard to 44 & 45 and then finally Matsuyama. Gonna get to bed now on what seems like un-unusally soft grass – teenage boys are playing on an infants see-saw, the sky seems like doesn’t ever want to get dark and the crusty man from Okinawa stares blankly into the fading light listening on a tiny radio to news of the typhoon that is heading for his home and not here. Lets just spend time together and throw it around into balls of laughter we can play with. Strong thoughts of MU this morning – I really should get this not-knowing nothing philosophy sorted out before the end. It is always there against any personified position I can think of, hence the need for that kind of interaction when I get back, but perhaps there should be something for me to expound as well. How would the world be different or better if less people thought they knew what they are doing?? I don’t know! Is this just Scepticism/Cynicism? Have to make it something more than that. And the answer to nihilism is that you need to practice…But perhaps Nietzsche got there at the end of the Genealogy – "man would rather will nothingness than not will" – that is my jumping off point, in a temple 73 sense… A new word for science for Tom S – suspeculation This place I’m passing through strikes me as the equivalent of Aylesbury on the Winchester/Canterbury route, some of the back streets feel like Kyoto and there is obviously a lot of history about with various signs to museums/cultural centers all over the place. But still managed to just stop in at a Pachinko place for a piss, sorry to make water as I’ve come to decide I will use from now on. It’s amazing how the older clientele put up with the relentless trance music. Something I’ve been wanting to write for a while is to consider some of the motivations for the recently retired gentlemen that have formed the bulk of my company on the road up to now. Obviously some kind of enjoyment of the freedom of time they now posses, also a religious/giving thanks/preparing for the end of their life way in an Indian fashion I remember Satish Kumar talking about. But its interesting the difference in these guys that really wanna go all out with the nojuku and everything, especially compared to the way nearly all women of a similar age go about things on the still challenging but more comfortable bus tours. Or even just staying in minshuku – I’ve come to think its something to do with peeling away layers of something in order to return to or attempt to remember the capacities of their body in its prime, which I feel they think is something like my situation. Perhaps that’s completely wrong but I admire their strength of their will to achieve an as uncomplicated/furnished existence as possible and the way in which they seem to revel in it in a very spiritual fashion. And I’m truly grateful to have spent time with such men because they are a part of Japanese society I haven’t had much contact with in my time here. They are generally pessimistic about the state of Japan but then at the same time in my opinion, forming the heart of one of its most important and ancient traditions. I have surely learnt that I should also do a pilgrimage at that age. But now back to this one, the first bookend – things have got warmed-up/re-adjusted so will get on until I have something to write in response to Reub wanting to know what I’ve been eating. So, a very tasty seafood curry just now but generally lunchtimes are the highlight of my eating pattern. And it has become very systematic – some kind of bread product for breakfast (I’m currently packing the most tasty apple&raisin variety of the imitation French series) plus mikans or excess biscuits if available. I’ve come to a point of agreement with the guy from last night that eating too much makes one unable to walk properly and this is especially true in the morning for me. Therefore its been a long time since I’ve stopped for "morning service" and I think the overly heavy ham & eggs breakfast was one of the primary causes of weirdness the other day. Therefore, minimal breakfast, followed up by some kind of 2nd stop of the morning juice – tomato or "fruity vegetable" depending on availability - & whatever biscuitage I may be carrying. At the moment its very foolish rice crackers that will undoubtedly last a while out of disinterest. But perhaps not as long as the ‘hard biscuits’ I picked up as a tip from Yamaguchi-san – they seemed to go on forever and were quite tasty as well in a digestive kind of way. The completely opposite end of the scale to his other recommendation by example – the fish sausage, 2 of which were probably the rankest things I’ve consumed in Japan. The diagram on the packaging said it all – fish, factory, product. For the country that probably does the best things in the world in terms of preparing fish to eat, completely shocking. In this area there was time last week when I couldn’t even contemplate another triangular rice ball thing but I’ve felt able to venture back there today. Undoubtedly the henro staple and a most respectable food but I’d had too much of a good thing. The sushi vinegar is somehow different in Shikoku, which has affected my enjoyment of any temaki rolls I’ve had along the way, including the very attractive looking but ultimately disappointing salmon selection from last night. The choosing of which was a noteable experience in itself in the ocean of choice that was a supermarket the most like England I’ve seen in Japan yet still the range of things I felt like I could seriously buy was very small. Subsequently, as a conclusion to these wonderings about food I’ve decided that random restaurants is the best way to go, for dinner as well as lunch, even if it is more expensive. Therefore hoping for something good in the area of 10 night bridge tonight which as the ultimate ‘everything becoming its opposite’ now seems to be an area with everything a henro could wish for – onsen, laundry, free room…I’m about half-way there so will get back to pondering whether I really could learn 1000 kanji to take JLPT 2 and try not to dirty myself too much more against the side of any more tunnels. And now I’ve treated myself to a Snickers and my favourite combini item, Lawson Deluxe Mixed Nuts, in celebration of the fact that its only another couple of Ks to go. Just witnessed an amazing performance from an impressively crazy guy along the shop front of me. As I arrived he was shaving his legs in a very extravagant fashion, made all the more noticeable by his very short shorts and huge black wellies. Then as I came out of the shop he was just finishing shaving his head, only to pull out…a massive can of hair spray! Which he then proceeded to spray all over his perfectly shaped cap before gathering his exotically bagged belongings and walking off like Johnny Depp playing Hunter S Thompson while smoking a Popeye-esque pipe unlike any I’ve seen in Japan. A quality bit of life film and this afternoon has been generally impressive. A continuation of the well-preserved wooden houses from this morning, set amongst atmospheric old streets leading to a superb vista of a castle set against a bend in a surprisingly unspoiled river. Which gives me high hopes for the onsen which I am in critical need of. A few nuts and then I will get on with bringing the satiating of my skins desire to be cleansed a little nearer. This place is indeed everything a henro could ask for and to reverse the legend I think I could quite happily spend 10 nights here, not least to visit the terrific onsen across the road. Emerging into the air of a sublime sunset sky was a tingly experience on all fronts, having just discovered the ultimate in onsen luxury – a ‘cool wind’ drying room. Damn it was good and then went to push my washing in the dryer after picking up excellent onigiri sushi in another ridiculously un-Japanese sized supermarket. So that one line in Kukais diary so many years ago has had a significant effect – haven’t taken a peek under the bridge yet but will be sure to in the morning as well as trying to sample a few of the other sights Ozu has to offer. Another interesting ‘past guests’ book has just been flicked through but I have become badly distracted writing this through involvement with the next stage of skin development on my feet. Which is to say, picking after-bath loose skin; not very glamourous and therefore I will comment no more. Which explains this functional shitness. Apologies to the pen, the paper and of course all possible readers, including myself. One intro W: you are by far the funniest and most interesting person I’ve ever met M: well, I’m sure that cant be true W: what do you mean? Why not? M: well, what about when you look in the mirror? Complementary flip-flops and cute frogs all over the toilet block Waves of rice Bundled into feelings of Peaks of human existence Wonderfully grassy, almost English but of a path just now. But of course it wasn’t England because it led through the kind of carefully carved out terraced rice paddies that I think will always seem exotic to me. The going seems particularly hot this morning as witnessed by the sweat smudges all over the place. Didn’t sleep spectacularly well after rejecting the offered futon in return for a lack of sneeziness. But somehow my body keeps plodding on – the last couple of days have been well under regulation distance so I guess that helps but my mind is almost crying out to reach Matsuyama. The last sign was under 50k, which is something after starting in Kochi at about 250. From the look of the map on the wall last night this is the last of the more than consecutive days without a temple stretches and the descriptions of 44 & 45 are very alluring with their mountain setting. But that means a lot of work to get there so I hope the path continues in this vein of pleasantness for a while. Ah, the joy of sweat… Another impressive historic town is Uchiko though I cant understand the Kanji seeming to literally mean ‘inside child’. I think its something about the cumulative depth of colour on the intricate old wooden house fronts that creates the slightly hushed atmosphere of a long time past passed. Thankfully before heading back onto the mountain highways there was a heartening Sunday farmers market accompanied by an at first glance rather functional udon restaurant. I don’t think I ever got round to mentioning how Fujii-san credits Kukai with the introduction of udon along with the all the other things he brought from China but there was definitely something special about the meal I just enjoyed. Also I’ve decided it would be interesting to do experiments with old Japanese women in order to see how much more genki they become in a noodle-serving environment. Continuing a general trend, the lady masterfully handling the green meal number tags positively sparkled in everything she did, with some of the angel dust undoubtedly making its way onto my refreshing tray. Now I feel fully powered and ready to end up wherever my feet and time takes me after too long worrying about distance/staying places permutations this morning. I made sure to eat enough to keep me going for a while so now its time to walk on the air put beneath my feet by those kind hard-working ladies and the way they can raise spirits by the arrangement of two flowers of carrot and a maple leaf. Forgot to mention the rather weathered looking henro begging at the market – he was deep in conversation so I didn’t disturb but I guess it’s a good spot to pick up the odd mikan. And while I’m post-noting things like this – must mention the beautiful bold crests on all the houses hereabouts…even this bus stop I’m sat in has a samurai feel to its construction… Uhh, another bus stop, another break that perhaps the body doesn’t really need but the mind wants to do something different. I was truly thinking before the last tunnel that I am even becoming blank to beauty – the eyes and that bit of my brain knows it is looking at banks and swathes of lush green forest just beginning to acquire an orange tinge but that doesn’t feel like anything special anymore. I’m sure I’m allowing myself to think too much of home and that is part of the reason for my thoughts not being completely in step. Also it is interesting how the numerical fact of still not begin halfway weighs increasingly as well. I must be more like 2/3 distance but it just doesn’t seem possible that all those remaining will be done in a flash of just over 2 weeks. But no option other than to continue, perhaps I am feeling some tiredness and a nap may help so I will attempt to rest these eyes while they see the world this weak way. I’ve almost had enough Of not giving up And just continuing It feels good to be finally properly stopped after never really getting going all day. Today has probably been the most pathetic so far, there have been shoulder problems caused by onsen softening like before but the main obstacle has been motivation or lack of it. But thankfully some change in the surroundings of the last hour or so walking made me think of Fukuoka-san and something of his stubborn spirit got me here to this little park in the first hamlet of the picturesquely secluded town of Oda (little rice field). The wood of the houses got darker, the green of the dense trees also (and it wasn’t just the light fading?) and generally the mystique beginning to fill the air around me spurred me on, though not as far as the shrine I was planning to stay at and I hope isn’t too amazing when I pass it tomorrow. The view up the valley should be superb in the morning light and I’ve already amply enjoyed it augmented by wafts of smoke and the acrobatics of what I think was a huge flock of ravens, more than I’ve ever seen together before. So I am within a days distance of the next temple and tomorrow promises to be enchanting. Hopefully a proper tents night sleep will get my head right after the distractions of attempting to understand salaryman magazines kept me up too long last night. A concluding handful of rice twirls to finish my very flawed but still OK dinner and then interior crawling I go. skiing Silver mountain mist Clouds majesty While creating it Have just accomplished the steepest vertical climb I can remember so am sweating in little streams like the countless riverlets I have passed this morning. Its good to be up amongst the peaks I was only side-stepping before and the air is positively delicious. A few times this morning I wanted use of the smell-recording machine that someone must get round to inventing one day. There was one moment in particular when I was so bombarded with nasal pleasure that my mind couldn’t keep up in thinking of all the things it was reminded of and I was a joyful confused blank for minutes afterwards. So as you can tell, everything is better today – shoulders feel square and strong and an elongated rest has put my mind at peace with itself. My progress was undoubtedly greatly assisted by the hearty full noodle with which I started the day while being able to look at a map that showed that perhaps I was almost half-way through Ehime, even if it doesn’t feel like it in terms of temples. 44 certainly likes to be kept at a distance, feeling like it will never come through all these winding valleys but once I pass through the tunnel next to this rest area I will be on the last stretch. I hope, I feel like I’ve been using those words a lot – nevermind, all is good for now and I will tuck into the good-looking onigiri I was fortunately able to pick up along this mornings way. The butterfly I saw whose wings were so big and thick it had to do fully circular huge flaps to get anywhere. The greater than usual frequency of road-side graves yesterday, conspicuous amid new concrete construction and the resulting effects (some kind of sympathy) on my feelings. A proper philosophical treatment of robin hood… I’ve been meaning to consider in writing for a while what it is about some of the mountain villages I’ve passed through that reminds me of Nepal but on a completely different train of thought this place is pure Hobbiton. A perfect human space filled with patchworks of food, all grown in such a way that it doesn’t look as if it’ll travel very far before its eaten. All sorts of things drying where it is possible to perch them in a v-shape and every building padded with carefully chopped firewood for what must undoubtedly be cold winters in this little snow-shaker bubble. Although the forest I just walked through to get here was horribly decimated, even the path seemed abused amidst the silence I’ve come to know is not that of a living place. And looking again at the fields around me it is all straight lines rather than the nature as teacher force harnessed by Fukuoka-san not far from here. So, I don’t know – theres a lovely smell where I’m sitting so I will enjoy that a while before finally on the road to the temple…and there was lots of rambling wild stuff as well… Rich rewards upon finally reaching this numerical halfway. The guy whose been chanting since I arrived, the dragon fountain that gurgles like it has a voice, the hannya-shingo scarfed ‘seven dwarfess’ ladies from Gifu – I cant decide which is best. The setting is extremely special – perceptions of height all thrown by numerous gates and flying roofs interspersed by trunks of trees so thick one can never be sure about the top or the bottom of any other. The ladies were a revelation and I felt privileged to observe their ritual and take their picture. Their collective chant was the most powerful I’ve heard yet, rushing from one sutra into the next with different people taking the lead as if the next part were a song they really wanted to sing given the slightest chance in some kind of devotional contest. And of course I shouldn’t forget the electric nokyocho man who pointed and spat out all sorts of things I didn’t fully understand but still allowed me to leave with a feeling of approval. I felt so grateful coming through the gate at the very bottom of the climb and thoughts of Jay and why I might be doing this in a global sense made me strike my staff down all the firmer. Just need to find a good spot in one of the multiple nearby parks and then I can sleep with feelings of immense satisfaction. Above all things I will want to see The performances of mountains A sad sky curtain descends A dog barked boo As I tingled Like shocked life wire Mind just maintaining memories Pilgrimage of preparing To be loud again My new relationship with/understanding of plants and insects Last nights rain has truly ignited the autumn smell I love so much and subsequently things are feeling so good that I’m taking a break out of enjoyment rather than bodily necessity. Sophys e-mail telling of ale, potato and fire party upon my return has also contributed to this finest of moods. To be over the final conceivable hump of numerical half-ness as well is also an important point and now I should get on with revelling in the enlightenment I am supposedly in the middle of… Rain like an orange frog Occasionally leaping upon Leaves fallen like rain A superb bit of wild mountain religion has distracted me from my temple and lunch goals. A trail of 36 Fudo statues scattered around this steep cliff-face, forming an amazing view as I sit here between massive cedar trees. Just before I saw my first significant wild mammal – some kind of racoon perhaps and what with all the frogs this morning I’ve become very aware of the leaves and twigs I sometimes kick up and have had many beautiful moments of catching them float back to earth. So I am very much part of the forest just now but close enough to the temple to hear the bell so will pay my final respects to this marvellous little religious adventure playground and set about quieting my growling stomach. Daishi be praised – just as I finished writing, a clap of thunder and then a gradual build-up to the full-on cloudburst downpour I am now sat under the roof of the nokyocho enjoying instead of cursing. This has gotta be one of the best temples possible to witness such an event, though a group of henro in unusually dark robes are still going about business as usual, adding to this incredible cliff-top atmosphere, made all the better by the delightful garden filling up with wet in front of me. Now I will tuck into my wisely picked up onigiri and enjoy the show…>the fantastic recycling of forgotten umbrellas Gotta stop for some more stunned comments on Iwadaji, the fully glory of which I only fully realised on the quite magical descent. If I had to bring someone anywhere to demonstrate the power of the pilgrimage, this would definitely be my choice up to now. On a day like today, when now after the rain the trees seem to breathe clouds like a visual perfume – this valley only reachable through tunnels is just incredibly enchanting. The status of the temple itself was confirmed by the little run of shops at the base, set on a path that reminded me of the Potala, where I had a slice of grapefruit in a hardcore henro culture shop lined with photos of the owners with 100-time pilgrims. And up at the temple itself – the not insignificantly high ladder to the eagles nest above the roof of the main building, built as it was into the cliff face with just an amazing view of the properly Chinese classical landscape painting crazy peaks, that look almost as good from below. Perhaps my mind was overly sweetened by the apple and trio of chocolates I received as settai instead of an umbrella from the temple lady who seemed to understand that I was quite happy to sit the rain out. Apparently there is an onsen round the corner with converted bus nojuku opportunities and I’m not sure if I should finish the day ridiculously early to sample what could be delights beyond even akagawa given the quality of everything in the vicinity so far. Will probably have to avoid mountains paths anyway cos by the look of the frantic rivers they might be mighty slippy. So I will take a peek and see what direction I drift in… Mariza miyagawa – new start, slow walk Shikoku88 And so the day ends not so far from where it began. But what a detour its been – the onsen receommendation was one of those strangely frequent bits of advice that came to nothing out of either a mutual lack of understanding or completely visual incapacity so I continued back the way I had come but with much greater enjoyment in the mist. Some of the views were truly heartbreaking –the most alluring little paths possible leading through autumn rainbow trees to some strangely shaped cliff of magnificence. But I managed to resist the pull of staying there forever and eventually came back to the Midori Udon restaurant that was shut next to where I camped last night. Subsequently very delighted to have a second chance at their unique noodle creations and also see another fine collection of centurion osamefuda. However the lady said that one frame was cards from a person who had been round a ridiculous 600 times. That’s a serious habit they got there and obviously raises questions about peoples ability to get addicted to anything, even journeys of non-attachment. I think once in this walking state will be enough for me and here I am finally on the road to matsuyama. Camped next a roaring river amidst some ceremonial stones that I hope aren’t particularly important ruins. Grateful of an opportunity for dryness cos at one stage my hands were pickled just from the open air and as for my recently released and resurfaced feet…eyes weigh heavy ready to be stuck together strongly as they seem to in these sleeping conditions so I will say "please rest"… Just shiny wet ravens Eyeing gutter confetti flowers Running in rain off the road Ah, the rain is finally something like stopped so here I am also stopped next to a big boulder that the Daishi once gave a bit of a shove. I suppose its been about time for the rain challenge and I’m pleased that my braveness found fortune in taking the mountain path in spite of slippiness. I was rewarded by seeing my biggest snake yet and also a toad of unbelievable proportions. I honestly thought it was a chicken or a rat or something at first but no, a toad enjoying a shower. The path was a great one and there was amount amongst the mist and pine trees that ‘was’ the cover of Dissolvingpath. But as I’ve been thinking for a while now, there are some things one shouldn’t want to take pictures of so I made sure to store the experience in another more proper way for future inspiration. I’m very excited about only being 3k from the first of the Matsuyama temples and time might be tight getting to the Tsuyado of 51 (and onsen) before 5 so I will indulge in a little snack before getting my wet legs moving once again…>waterproof trousers, why did people ever only think of jackets Well, I was almost laughing at the experience of minutes instead of days between temples but then the heavy rain started again so this will be written with wider emotions. And I feel its important not to let speed get in the way of appreciation of the temples and first of all the two nokyocho ladies have respectively been absolute radiant treasures – extremely concerned about my damp state and taking extra care over their best wishes. The temples themselves have been well suited to the weather with interestingly kept grounds framing nice but unremarkable buildings. The view from the graveyard here at 48 over the city is probably a grand one without all the cloud but nevermind, the faint lumps of bigger buildings than I’ve seen for a while still excites me. So I will head in that direction in the hope of finding something to put in my stomach along the way. After such a busy day with little time for writing there is a lot to catch up on. But perhaps the most important thing is that I made it, not only in terms of todays plan but the place where I’m staying exudes some kind of confirmation of having arrived in a different sense, at a place I’ve been wanting to get to for a long long time. Here I am sat in the comfy smoking chair with my own pair of funky turquoise towelling slippers about the spend the night in the hugest of rooms that is the 2nd floor of how I don’t know how many spatially impressive old buildings at this the Stone Hand Temple, 51. The thing I like the most is the way I can feel like I’m a monk, with the two booths adjacent to mine seemingly more permanently occupied by people of such position. (>>>almost painfully polite guy). The room itself reminds me of China and just the fact that I feel so comfortable in this dusty, decomposing building of however many hundred years and religious uses says a lot to me. But it took some reaching – there were times in the rain and the dark up there with the toughest so far…The girl who ran away from me when I desperately asked her way, saying she didn’t know anything to whatever I said, the rain making my pack heavier and heavier until now that I am worried about some serious permanent shoulder damage that I hope I might be able to relieve with onsen in the morning. There was also the building pressure of the city, combined with being somewhat against the clock, what with so many small roads to possibly miss or mistake, thousands of competing signs throwing ones concentration and then traffic, both automobile and pedestrian, which is something I have just been so far from having to deal with for so long. But finally I made it to the 6th temple of the day, after enjoying but not especially remembering much about the others, where I was shown to this special place by a kind but interesting character through a maze of amazing sights. I had to get him to accompany me back into the world in order to get something to eat and he made to point me in the direction of a particularly tasty Chinese restaurant that used old doors for tables. So I am satisfied on all levels, my futon is prepared and a room-mate just showed up so I will go and be more polite than I was just now. The guy asking me if this was my first time staying here and then me just laughing upon seeing the room itself… Slept beautifully in the beautiful big room but that’s not the only reason I like this place so much this morning. Sat here in the main courtyard there is all sorts of bustle – packs of pilgrims obviously, hoards of schoolchildren, be-suited ranks of businessman – and a religious intensity and atmosphere that makes me think of the Jokang in Lhasa. Or perhaps its just the way the sun us in the voluminous incense smoke – I don’t know. Certainly many impressive buildings about and lots of people wanting to see them. My ritual at the certain hondo because an almost humourous attempting to join in with two competing groups of henro with leaders of very different character. Spiritually and physically I was on the side of the more eccentric old man wearing something like a brown felt fez and he seemed to have a special sutra to say to the re-splendent cockerel strutting around in front of us at the end so I felt as if I’d chosen the more skilful practicioner. So obviously stimulation all about, teams of cats and many bright Indian style paintings also feature and I’ve just realised I’m sat almost rudely in front of a peace crane making stall that has obviously been busy what with the multi-coloured streamers everywhere. So perhaps I will stay to absorb a while longer before beginning to traverse the city while searching for another encounter with the internet. I must be becoming a more elderly generation of Japanese because instead of the internet I have been distracted by onsen. An inquiring glance quickly became ‘one adult please’ but it was undoubtedly the right thing to do, for the atmosphere of this establishment as much as the greatly required wash. The bathing itself was nothing spectacular, just an almost Roman style pool but the quality of everything around makes the difference. The changing room like a colonial post office, populated with dapper old men (and one mythically bearded gentleman) enjoying being able to take their time over what feels like one of lifes most important luxuries – getting really clean. One could almost sit there for days in that wonderful post-steaminess exhaustion as I almost did pondering the possibility of any historical alliances of my fellow bathers between the East & West baths. Pleased that I had unconsciously chosen West, reflecting my Kyushu heritage, I then discovered a magnificent 2nd floor unisex lounging room with tea, yukata and ample cushions. But I have to get on and am spending too long in this corridor wondering at the history of this place depicted in fragments on the walls and admiring the fact that all signs are in the bathing language of German as well as other languages. But its finally time for specially-saved individual toe socks to go on and to leave this place where I would one day love to return for at least a week. So the Matsuyama temples are over almost as soon as they had begun – depending on how far I can get to a reasonable camping spot before it gets dark I should hopefully be amongst the next batch by the end of tomorrow. But its already been a satisfying day what with onsen & internet missions accomplished on top of the allotment of temples. Once again the internet did that weird sucking thing but I guess it is just a symptom of nervousness about going home and testing myself against realities that have always bent to imagination in all planning while I’ve been at a great distance in time as well as space. And the experience of Matsuyama has shown that returning to urban life will be quite a shock as well, especially with the Grand Slam – Tokyo/New York/London combo I will be attempting. All very far from the heart-warming outbreak of laughter amidst the last group of the days chanting. 52 & 53 have seemed averagely charming in the wake of 51…Just had a pleasant conversation with the very stylishly robed priest of the giggling group and he told me the most important thing as always was to take care of my body so I will take his advice and get closer to finishing the day so everything, my right shoulder especially, can rest… Back to the roadside in a place I am probably only able to even countenance because today marks the beginning of the 6th week of my living this way. On the one side I have the road and a train track but on the other, the reason for the previous unfortunalities, is the Inland Sea, which has already provided views worth any noise discomfort during the night. A painted slender crescent moon in a sky sweeping all shades of red over the banks of cloud-like islands. And when the automated world is quiet, the sound of gentle waves so different to any I’ve experienced seaside camping so far. So that was the clinching factor and also the grass on this little bit of wasteland next to a bankrupt ice-cream drive-thru is so thick as to be almost mattress-like. Indeed the only major unpleasantness I feel able to report is the dog turdage I discovered in the worst possible way just as what I’m sure was the responsible hound and owner shied away in surprise at my presence in their shitting spot. Nevermind, perhaps that’s why the grass grows so well. The next apparently available camping spot was another 5k yonder what with it being cliff-side road from here on so I will begin to take advantage of laying up earlier and rest myself horizontally like… Just as I was about to comment on the nature of being somewhat out of the wildness the path took an unexpected turn from the uniformly populated shore towards the interesting lumps one couldn’t quite call mountains that it looks like I will bisect soon. Thankfully the rain got itself done while I was doing my washing for perhaps the penultimate time and now its nicely hot and breezy. What I was gonna say about being out of the wildness is that its made me reflect on the end coming, which makes for interesting walking thoughts – trying to grasp various elusive memories from the last 5 weeks, wondering what happened to other henro I met along the way. I hope there is still a chance I might catch Yamaguchi-san up again before the end now that I’ve got a decent pace together again. Perhaps the proximity of his home just across the water might have led him to take a break but he was clearly a stronger pilgrim than I in those though early 40s. I’ve yet to comment on the festival-ness going on around me here in Matsuyama – people hanging lanterns and a general annual airing of movable community shrines. Passed a great scene this morning of about 50 men doing, or rather watching being done, something inexplicably difficult with their shrine and a forklift truck. They all seemed to be a bit old for what looked like the main even which I caught on TV over a yakisoba lunch – shrine battling that became something like a push-of-war. It looked impressively lively and dangerous and its almost a shame I was a day early in the place it was being held near Dogo Onsen. But it undoubtedly would have delayed me quite a bit and having worked out that I should be just about precise finishing on the 21st, its gonna have to be fairly hardcore at least 25k days from now on. Therefore I should get going from under this refreshing bridge – a bead round of Daishis and then off. There are few things that please this henros heart more than a quality camping spot and this definitely qualifies as such. Thick grass under a tree, even a whole canopy nearby to go under if I wanted to, toilet close by, a choice of 3 drinks machines for a morning juice, even the possibility of a properly timed café breakfast if I’m feeling generous in a stomach direction. The nearby traffic is quite calmed and I feel sure I will sleep well and I need to after a long day. My capacity to still be completely exhausted after a certain number of hours is very much intact. But today feels like the first time in a while I’ve reached my primary target rather than laying up short at a convenient opportunity. The only real impediment now is shoulders and the way they feel like they are being slowly torn apart by hot tongs after 40 or 50 mins. It will be interesting to weigh my pack at one point and see just how ridiculous the cumulative weight of my stuff is and whether its that or some deficiency in my shoulders that’s the cause of these problems. Probably a bit of both – parts of my left forearm have been numb for a long while now and perhaps it’ll take a lot of time or massage to get it back. Maybe it’s a sign that I should the tattoo I was planning for exactly that place done sooner rather than later… Unfortunately the 3 amusing ladies doing their extreme walking evening exercise haven’t been round again so perhaps I will head to bed. There is another lady who just went past who more scuffs and stumbles and has subsequently won my final affection of the day. So on that happy note I retire. >depictions of the Buddha with a forward bald spot like mine first temple successfully reached with only one break so feel confidence about completing todays 6 temple allotment as well as getting a good way onto the next one. A good sleep as predicted and then the natural wake-up call of a heavy burst of rain that lasted just as long as it took me to get everything under the big top. Threatening clouds come and go so perhaps I should get on but wanna comment further on the change of feeling since reaching Matsuyama. From what I can read there are only 2 more significant challenges to go – the climb to 60 tomorrow and then the stretch across to 64, from where its just a week on the final rundown. I feel this has been reflected in the way people are treating me with more an awed respect of having completed the hard part rather than giving me settai for helping along the way. Although there was the lady who so wanted to practice her English in the shop yesterday but generally significant settai frequency has decreased. Though did just get given a refreshing cup of tea from a lady who was almost in a physical fight with another woman over trying to give her something for free that the other lady wanted to pay for. Also just encountered some very kind henro from Kyushu, including a lady from my hood of Gojo, who deeply wished me well. So this is the mood I walk with now, one of some accomplishment, perhaps symbolised by finally having a hole in the front of my left shoe. But my smelly feet friends should see me to the end, as should the tent – which feel apart a little bit more yesterday. So I will get back to enjoying walking on this satisfaction and allowing it to power me to the end of the 50s – I was so long in the 40s it feels incredible to be going so fast through my nokyocho and incense/candle supplies.
halfway-ish so time for a stop in one of the noticeably frequent Chinese-style restaurants. The morning has been good, feeling very calm and somehow effective - hopefully the well-punctuated sequence of walking and temples will continue with ease. I wanted to say more about this feeling of calm being like my pre-moving, un-reflective childhood halcyon and the first bus party I took a dislike to at 55 with their extremely Christian churchesque chanting and generally following-the-priest too muchness. But then my food arrived and now I should get going cos it might be a push to make 59 by 5 as required for all other plans to fall into place. Another digesting-time glass of water and then… Ahhh, made it with minutes to spare - a Neil-world record of 7k in just over an hour was required but extremely happy with my ability to put in that sort of speed, thus enabling me to shift my focus on to the challenge of 60 tomorrow. Unfortunately I had to refuse the offer of conversation with a Christian who pulled up in a car just now to talk to me and I’m sure in other circumstances I would have spent a lot longer at 58 and perhaps even bought one of their excellent ‘namu/faith’ t-shirts. Lots impressive carving today, 57 as well had amazingly detailed dragons worked into the wood. Wow, a real outbreak of lusty singing among this group saying their last prayers of the day here at 59. the contrast in groups is fascinating – I like the chaotic ones with people running around like chickens trying to pray at as many religious significant things as possible in the time outside the group rituals. But the elite team of gifu grannies has yet to be equalled in character or power of religious devotion. My happiness has just been completed by perhaps the most unexpected settai yet – a towel with my name embroidered in katakana. I’d better go and say fuller thank-yous than I could to the two excited girls who rushed here to find me after our having met along with their father on my approach to the temple when I received another beautifully soft towel from him. So more writing later, perhaps after onsen if I’m lucky. Dancing characters of meaning Only incidental happenings Of a brushes playful glide Managed to be up extra early this morning, so much so that it feels a bit chilly as I’m writing this. Have just said "make power" to my latest friend, a dieting henro from Hiroshima doing some special 36 temple Fudo pilgrimage. Part of the deal is collecting these finely carved red beads which are then made into a prayer chain at the end. He was a very humble chap packing extremely tasty morning mochi, we are aiming to end up in a similar place so I look forward to seeing him again. Didn’t have the energy to climb the hill to the onsen where my friend inadvertently dozed for 4 hours last night. But feeling genki this morning and will get on with walking and thinking about more poetry in the wake of Lees encounraging e-mail. I don’t wanna do too much fate-tempting but it has been almost miraculous that there has been no rain about me in the last 24 hours. Constant dark hulks of damp cloud have made their way across the sky above me, blown by gusty "I’m gonna get you" winds yet still my not entirely effective poncho stays in my bag. These confusing sky happenings have made for some amazing moments of light – I had to stop to fully experience a particular luminous pinkness during last nights dusk and there have been incredible yellows and greys during the first stint this morning. Unfortunately I overtook my camping partner sooner than I expected so I may not see him again given our contrasting pace. The challenge for the day arises ahead of me, solidly darker than anything else in the sky and promising many daunting but beautiful episodes to come. So I go to these mountains after enjoying very welcome rice-cracker settai – my supplies were almost exhausted so perhaps I will write next from a supermarket. Woodlice attempting the impossible What can eat A pilgrims faithful companion Grain shells blown about An empty crossroads Of four cranes Whichever direction I go The wind is always Blowing behind me And so I’m about to enter the rocky beast that has been looming over me all day. Have gotta say that this is definitely the most intimidating approach yet, the huge blank plains giving way to rugged peaks and thoughts of a completely different world. An effect undoubtedly increased by todays blanket cloud, which I think is disguising the true nature of the task ahead of me. But I have 4 hours to do 8k – it cant be that bad and there are various huts along the way. I am well-stocked with favourite foodage and water and will now finally reconsider buying some kind of tape for the hole in my shoe which has been beginning to have blister consequences. Ha! To completely the anticipatory atmosphere some drums have just started in the distance… Partly on the advice of the man in the patchwork bonsai café just below and partly because this feels like some kind of chance to stay somewhat deep in the mountains I have decided to leave the last climb for the morning. This hut is clearly a well-frequented place, both by henro and the amazing stream of people coming to fill up on tasty mountain water. But this is also the site a ‘once in a 100 year’ flood that happened last year and there are still signs of damage everywhere, not least the mud all over the last henro guestbook. Therefore picking my way through possibly extra dangerous paths in the dark doesn’t seem particularly wise, even if it is very difficult to finish this early (3;30) having walked especially fast/got up early to get here. Nevermind, when the people with their car fulls of empty plastic bottles desist this should be a nicely quite place with the sound of the stream and there is even futon and a blanket to make the possibly cold night go more easily. And perhaps there is even a chance my Fudo worshipping friend might make it this far today, which would be nice. Plus I now have a tub of gum from the water collectors I just spoke to go with the beer and other settais I picked up from the drunk-in-the-afternoon villagers in the middle of a festival on the way up. So I will stop conjuncting and take this opportunity to do some study while its light and then try to think about how I can get the futon to fit in the tent. The beginning Of the end Is the middle When movement is stillness Rocks fall to flow And water is their constant path Gotta take some time to note the completely destroyed nature of the path so far this morning. Incredible scenes of the force of "nature", trees, boulders, littered everywhere around what is now a gentle stream but what must have become a roaring torrential dragon. Countless slightly dodgy two log bridges across places where the old path has been completely ripped away, concrete bridges stranded mid-stream where now only a well-placed log handrail suggests the way to jump across a gauntlet of slippery stepping stones. A truly amazing demonstration that finally leaves me in no doubt that when the oil runs out to restrict means of repair, all the dams will burst, the mountains will break free of the enclosures that have been put around them and they will go back to being places where you have to travel light and nimble, literally and philosophically in order to reach them. Not far to go to this mornings future hermitage where hopefully I will once again see fudo-san, who turned up in the back of a truck late last night and was gone at 6 this morning. I wanna interrogate him more about the nature of Fudo after my rewarding Gods research at the end of yesterday but our conversations never seem to flow very well. So as well as providing water so tasty that people come at 5 in the morning to collect it, the air of these here peaks is absolutely sensationally delicious. Words cannot describe the pleasure of every breath that makes one almost melt into the world. Had a good bit of meditation of the way up and feeling wonderfully balanced just now – happy to be here, sad that its perhaps the penultimate climbing challenge but then happy again cos that’s means going home…and on and on. Finally had the conversation I was hoping for with my friend who helped me experience the great irony of being woken by snoring in the middle of nowhere. I managed to give him a mikan and kaki as a contribution to his future sustenance, which will undoubtedly be severely tested by what he is planning. He has made himself completely homeless and is just beginning on a slow first 108 temple circuit, plus places he can pick up Fudo beads, and will then go round again seemingly visiting every vaguely religious spot on the map, once his belly is gone and he has a full necklace of red Sanskrit stones. I sometimes have great difficulty working out his words but manner is incredibly soft and almost beyond childish whilst obviously possessing an iron will behind all he is doing. He only started in matsuyama so I guess this was his shoosanji – he just left saying that the fruit gave him "superpower". So I will tuck into a mikan myself before beginning to head down this mountain I’m not even anywhere near the top of. The views up into the infinite trees above the last section of path were completely awe-inspiring and I’ve undoubtedly learnt a great deal about the possibilities of mountain worship this morning. The air is even cold now the clouds are descending so before I become unwarmed up… Not quite the satisfaction of the proper hot meal I was hoping for but still blessings to circle K cos it looks like the best I’m gonna get today what with everywhere continuing the shutness of yesterday. The holiday probably explains why there were so many young families at 62 – one girl was really enjoying learning the hand and mouth washing technique. The temple itself surpassed all expectations in its concreteness – a fabulous bit of design and maintaining of atmosphere across building styles. Just the right level of imposing impressiveness set against an openness and feeling of comfortable use. 10/10 and many fingers up in the direction of ERH… I am finally on the road to Takamatsu and didn’t mention yesterday that there was even a sign to tokushima on the highway. The climb and subsequent coming off the mountain have tired me somewhere in the midst of hungriness so am grateful for the short distances between temples ahead and then a short flop to a park. That’s if I don’t get on one of the 5 buses a day that go to Kobe & Osaka from in front of where I’m sitting. Truly back in the world, now just need some energy to see it in the better way I feel I should now be able to. An almost life-saving onsen has finally got me here to rest for the night. Perhaps I spent longer than I thought being disturbed by snoring last night or maybe it was just cumulative tiredness but it was a very hard afternoon, made all the more difficult by my stomachs rejection of the circle K lunch my mind trumpeted before. Therefore I was delighted to discover the presence of onsen upon a closer look at the map at 64 and was also able to eat a top quality meal there as well as relieve my body of however many days dirt. The bath itself seemed to be a re-run of people I had met at various points during the day – I should at least mention the guy who not only knew where I was from but also had remembered my name from my entry in a tsuyado guestbook somewhere along the way. Generally people seemed to pick up on my low spirits during the afternoon and kindly did all they could to rouse me, especially the couple who gave me 1000 while marvelling at my coming up and down the typhoon destroyed path. Which seems a long time ago so I will head to my slightly rocky bed and sleep until I wake… Have just emerged from possibly the most chaotic supermarket in the world – managed to escape with just a net of mikans before buying untold things out of confusion. Today is proving to be the perfect last blank day – rose late into the midst of some elderly ladies park cleaning committee and there hasn’t been much of note since. Clouds continue to threaten to rain without doing so and this once again magically numbered route 11 parallel to the mountains occasionally gives glimpses of perfectly formed valleys and buttresses, like legs of an unimaginable beast through the mist. Managed to get some suitable tape for my shoes but don’t think it will last long. For some reason the left foot wears especially fast and that is where I am having not inconsiderable new toe pain this morning. But the fatigue of yesterday was somewhat lifted by a sleep of the depth that it didn’t matter how uncomfortable the ground was. Which was very but nevermind, I’ve become almost immune to the effects of such things in any lasting way. So hopefully another hours walking and a tasty place will appear on the horizon where perhaps I will write something a bit more general and interesting….the bug that’s been dying next to me as I was writing this has finally stopped moving… It is on days like this that the nature of what I’m doing strikes me as being particularly unspecial. Which is in no way negative, merely a reflection of the uncomplicated nature of the routine of walking, eating, drinking and sleeping I have been following for almost 6 weeks now. The only vaguely difficult thing is the speaking Japanese, which anyone can do with time and effort, but apart from that this experience seems to be as available to anyone else as myself (>>>other gaijin thoughts/changes). Therefore, what is it that power the feelings of something like invincibility that I feel like I will be taking home with me as a result of this experience? Its hard to find words but I think its something like comfort with nothingness and being able to continue these simplest of practices of living with nothing to cling to but this vague faith in the institution of the pilgrimage. The physical challenges are merely markers of the larger mental test of being able to just keep going for no good reason cos that makes one realise there is no good reason to do anything else. Therefore this ability to stick to something is perhaps the muscle I feel I will returned with strengthened to be applied to whatever happens. And now my stomach wants it used to lunch so that’s enough speculation in nothingness for now… Finally for what feels like the first time in days a few rays of sunshine to complete the revival of spirits from their almost ironical after-lunch slump. One of those slightly too long combini dwellings provided just the kind of test of motivation I was talking about but events transpired to get me here, just a couple of up and down frustrating highway crossings from my bodily park for the night. The path gradually changed from the monotony of garages and beauty salons (what does that say about modern japan?) that was getting me down, even taking in a stuck in the 70s arcade until finally I am amongst pleasant mountains, still edging out into the coastal plain in waves of some geological phenomena I must one day find out about. Perhaps the most remarkable event of the day was the man who seemed to be waiting for me outside his house to give me 500 yen settai. Perhaps he had seen me eating a mikan just up the road before but there was something very uncanny about our meeting. And just now I was very happy to find a somehow ready-made rock pendant to go on a necklace to be made at the time of my choosing. I will never be sure if it came into its perfect zen-garden esque form through an accident of highway construction or deliberate human design but I guess that’s the nature of religion and I will wear it in that spirit. A final MU push before it gets too dark and then another very welcome sleep. > film of end of summer/autumn deaths of Japanese insects >> if illicits any emotional sympathy then what consequences for morality even as far as rocks …as my main experience of death on the pilgrimage. And not negative, things dying in time > relationship with other insects countless lessons of insects ceasing to twitch timefully then dragged away by others this very dead man keeps writing reality everywhere and always born again actually had to find a bit of shade in which to write this and stop myself getting after-eating exercise weirdness to go with the general early afternoon energy slump I’ve been experiencing recently. An unprecedently long search for somewhere to eat and finally ended up in a not hugely tasty ‘welcome café’ karaoke place. Another fairly non-descript morning along this thin strip of coast but now it is finally time to enter the spine of mountains that have been a constant curtain to my right for the last 2 days. I will be glad of the change and of reaching the milestone of the last temple in Ehime. By the distance signs to tokushima I really should be done in a week as long as I can keep putting one foot in front of the other. Everything is very blank just now so I will go back to digesting and looking at the cooling towers in the distance. So there I was expecting a tough final trial up to the temple but once again the worst of the climbing had been done without my knowing it and the last stretch was even downhill. 65 is a no-more than but still very pleasant place that seemingly hasn’t had many visitors today. My candle and incense sticks were lonesome and the nokyocho guy was extremely eager to chat, leading to my longest such conversation yet. He did the same three years ago and made a beautiful point of expressing how happy the red signs made him feel. Also took the opportunity to find out about the Kukai painting in calligraphy I have admired in various places for so long now. It seems to be some kind of special gift to the temples but I at least have the details of the place where it was made, though of course I really should make my own in English. It seems like I’ve occupied this seat long enough and couldn’t quite muster the momentum for writing about my temple ritual as I must do sometime soon. Very grateful to be spending the night on the porch of another temple, not only for the happy memories of incredible kindness at 13. this time its bangai 14, tucked away in a slopey little valley which was making the chances of any random camping spots worryingly slim. Picked up a companion as I was leaving 65 who is now eating and writing in the light of the entrance light with me. Mishima-san speaks as fast as he walks (and does most things) which is extremely so conversation is quite difficult and I think I hurt his feelings by rather blatantly over-resting at our first failed sleeping spot so I could be alone to enjoy the wonderful sunset as I felt strangely compelled to. Obviously I didn’t mean to be rude, its just that my mind was too blank for conversation and even a silent walking partner is some kind of distraction from really getting into what is going on all around. But we seem to have made up now and will soon be heading across this somehow new but old courtyard to sleep under the watch of Fudo-san. Big day tomorrow what with the highest temple and entering the last prefecture so I will go and make sure I’m as beautiful as possible. My favourite kind of spacious verge at a bend in the path resting-place to note that I find myself making strange panting noises so that must have been quite a tough climb back there. Progress to the hovering clouds temple does well after a minor delay for artificial orange drink stomach ache. It was settai so I couldn’t refuse and perhaps the various other junky things I was forced to stock up on played a part as well. But the best of spring water has brought me round and now I am deep in nature once more admiring the colour spectrum in a somehow square spiders web and enjoying the opportunity to really sweat once more. Ehime is now behind so I’m in the weird limbo state of nirvana back in tokushima before finally getting there upon reaching kagawa. Feeling surprisingly good given that the wooden floor hardness and neighbourhood of rowdy dogs didn’t afford me too great a nights sleep and will now take advantage of whatever energy this is to get a bit nearer to this peak. But just to note the cheesy final magazine-esque questions I’ve been thinking of Favourite piece of equipment; (prayer beads) Defining moment; (getting the e-mail before 88) Favourite regular practice; (lighting incense) Most regular annoyance; (jarring shoulder pain from getting stick caught) Most true henro; (all of them) Most developed bodily part; (beard) Favourite temple; (45) Recommendations for reub; (namu daishi henjo kongo) Best/worst moment; ( Hovering clouds going in different directions!!! Once again it’s the air like best about this final mountain temple but its nice to enjoy being that little bit closer to the sun as well. Just met a lovely couple of old blokes, one of whom gave me the last of his chocolate to go with their warm handshakes. The climb wasn’t as bad as I was expecting and it seems I will have time for another today before a possibly long evening mission to a service that would put me in prime position for tomorrow return to familiar territory from 71. which I’m sure will feel very strange but as all part of drawing near the end, very welcome. The way the circle is closing on the whole shikoku maps I occasionally see is a very slow but profound medium of satisfaction. So now to draw a bit more of that line Enjoying brief wings so beautifully Patterns carved by a knife Through butter that flew Toes finally broken through Touching the dirty path To being clean
ah, all sorts of pain all over the place due to the effort to get here to 67 before 5, with negative side effects multiplied by my heaviest fall yet on the last section down the mountain. Moments before I had seen my biggest, fattest snake (connection?) and then just went completely up in the air on some mossy rock, with my left elbow once again taking most of the damage. The general bodily shock/jarring thing has made my shoulders hurt to a new degree and it looks like there is nowhere to stay or eat for another 2 hours. But all this has been somewhat soothed by the compliment I’ve been eternally hoping for of one of the temple assistants saying how beautiful my chant was. Aside from the kind chap, the most noteworthy thing here is the very atmospheric nokyocho set into the first bay of the hondo. A somehow deepening darkness and oldness of things scattered around combined with the obvious resulting openness to the altar itself make the whole calligraphy certification process that much more weighty. But it does nothing for the pain in my shoulders but perhaps that is just a barrier I will have to see the other side of. Off to an uncertain future I go… …the gardening guy even offered me a lift, ouch! Of course I should have know that it would be alright – the map outside the temple promising destination onsen and a pretty seaside park was the clinching motivation but since then the wealth of my situation has become abundantly clear. I’m walking towards a city named after my ‘home temple’ I left however long ago now back in Daizaifu. Tomorrow I will arrive at the location of one of the defining experiences of my life, the reason why I’m here in the first place. Which in itself is there because I am within a day of the Daishis birthplace and finally for the first time I feel his real presence around. Perhaps it was at a temple earlier I heard someone say "daishi-san" as if theyd seen him yesterday but also there are shrines, temples and statues everywhere in this mystical flat landscape I have entered. Which has the practical effect of being in a domain of heart-warming henro sign overkill so there is no need to worry about what was a fairly easy path ahead anyway. There is also something extra empowering about looking around the 360 degree horizon and knowing that you have climbed to, worshipped at and fallen but survived descending the highest point that can be seen. The light is finally running out as I come to the end of this so I will go back to featuring in the evening bark conversations of the vocally-acrobatic dogs of Kagawa-ken . and I finish happy to know that finally, amazingly, my shoulders hurt less with the pack on then off. Now that’s enlightenment… Feel like would struggle to find a more religious place in the world… Test of moose/mouse, qualify for horns. A glass lake Magnifies and worships Feathers across spectral sunset sky I forgot to mention the ultimate special motivation of last nights mission – namely the fact that temples 68 & 69 are in the same place where I am now sitting. So 2 for the walking price of 1 but I didn’t make it this far until this morning after being happily diverted in staying at my new friend Shinji-sans restaurant. The name ‘tanoshiya/enjoyable shop’ was enough to invite me in and then within minutes it was like being adopted into a family. To start with the yakisoba was great, with lots of tasty ‘services’ on the side and then shinji suggested I sleep on the tatami . his regular customer and fish supplier, satomi-san went out and bought me 2 pairs of new socks (which feel amazing this morning) upon seeing the state of mine as I prepared for my restaurant cushion bed and then there were their respective daughters, Risa in particular who I enjoyed talking to as she enjoyed practicising her English learned on homestay in Australia. Shinji was an interesting character I couldn’t quite work out beyond a slight air of melancholy that pervaded his otherwise totally cheerful exterior. He heaped further kindness upon me with breakfast this morning but generally seemed happy to have some internationalness around, reminding him of his youth as a bell-boy speaking Spanish at a hotel in Kyoto. We had a good conversation about the universality of music this morning and generally it was a real pleasure to spend time in such easy and enjoyable company, having not done so for a while. Eventually slept very well and fully refreshed for the delights of this heavily religious feeling town where the air is wild with drums this morning. They clearly enjoy bashing shrines together here as well and there was a great ‘calm before the storm’ atmosphere on the streets on the way here with gangs of slightly dodgy looking crews in front of more respectable gentlemen strutting around with their well-padded and decorated thrones of pride causing traffic chaos. But I must get on with my own religious purpose for being here, reminded of by the monk from Achi I just spoke to after only nodding yesterday with his glowing yellow robe. So here goes for what should be an enjoyable double whammy. This is my most interesting lunchtime stop for a while – almost really classy with touches of grandeur in the tasteful selection of professional photos on the wall and the ridiculous length of the bar but then let down by the electric blue upholstery and various cheesy old coffee posters left around the place. But the food came extremely quickly and was plenty tasty so I should get back on the road to ensure getting to Zentsuji by 5. unfortunately it seems time and distance wont coincide well enough to stay at Mandala once again to see if they remember me & Reub. Intrigued about what the effect of returning to the crossroads of 72/73 will be the general phenomenon of being in places I’ve been before. I already feel like I recognise the mountain skyline and looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere of 71 once again. One major thing to note is the extremely noticeable amount of large irrigiation ponds/lakes since entering Kagawa – seems like Kukai started quite a trend with his Manno dam and could perhaps even be interestingly juxtaposed with the rampant dam building of the concrete industrial complex of the last 30 something years. So that’s a thought to take on the road after a little further break to watch the magicians on TV that everyone is the place is transfixed by. If I were a magician I would definitely come to japan just to experience the sounds people make in response to the tricks. EEeeeeeeee…… So here I am at something like the site of my road to Damascus/beginning to understand religious symbolism and faith moment. I find it hard to understand how I felt so helpless before – perhaps it was something to do with not having a map (>) but was my Japanese really that bad? Of course a lot has changed since then, both in terms of me and here where now there are all sorts of restaurants and more vending machines than I remember. The jumping off peak looks much more impressive than I remember though obviously it meant very little to me then. Memories of 71 and the section of bamboo forest path came back strongly – the impressiveness of the cave altars in particular but now I am able to find it remarkable that you have to take off your shoes unlike anywhere else to date. The Kannon statue was even better with a body to go with the heard I’ve been remembering her by but generally I now feel pleased to be able to say that the whole place is not a patch on 45, or even the Great Drgaon in terms of true hermit mountainness. Of course, lots of steps are always a struggle but the measurement of how powerful a walker I’ve become remembering the desperate exhaustion of last time was a pleasing one. Anyway, gonna go and say special prayers/pay attention at the place that completed my leap of faith and then try to get to somewhere near Zentsuji to camp, hopefully on the way breaking the daily temple record by reaching 7. Well, my mind is finally blown out and away. It seems there is no passing 6 as the quota for a days temples but I couldn’t be happier with where I’ve ended up in a very roundabout way as a result. I was so close to camping on the verge of the car park at 74, which would have meant missing the evenings thrilling experience to here in the house of the translator of the Shiba Ryotaro book on kukai I must have read 3 times during the year. I guess takahashi-san tried to warn me all that time ago saying it was possible to meet her but I didn’t realise that meant enjoying her kindness to this extent of having a whole house to myself that is undoubtedly a treasure trove of henro culture. The ‘long-enjoy’ calligraphy incorporating an 88 is my particular favourite but there are countless things and the house itself is the oldest I’ve been in within Japan. It was wonderful, if a little strange to speak to speak in English to Takemoto-san on the phone so old I had to actually dial the numbers to arrange our meeting in the morning. I think I will prepare to take advantage of the available shower and attempt to be-friend my shy white feline companion. But first must fully recall the kindness of the glowingly beautiful nun who I asked about camping in the Temple park and ended up getting me here with 4 apples previously offered to the Buddha. I have a date to say the Hannya Shingyo with her tomorrow at 10 as part of some special festival. Ah, and even greater praise to her cos it sound like it just started properly raining. With only 4 or 5 days left it really cant get any better than this in so many ways but somehow I still feel sure that it will… The copy of Ulysses Flirting with old nuns That look like My most beautiful friend A welcome break for laundry to catch up on the type of morning that is perhaps to be expected here where it all began. Perhaps it is right to start at breakfast with Takemoto-san – the longest and most interesting conversation I’ve had in a while and with possibly the most important consequences of any I can think of. Her story about how her father upped everything to move to the house after feeling something special here during his pilgrimage and her fond recollections of her time in the NE of England were charming but what was aid when we got onto big philosophy/history/politics topics will probably stay with me the longest and the deepest. The result of which is that I now have complete faith in my mission and also my ability to accomplish after such strong encouragement (the world needs your book!) from so highly qualified in the universal thing we are both trying to do by way of Kukai. Deeply moving and we bowed at each other so much when saying good I’m sure there will be lots more specialness to come in the future, not least a package of books she is kindly planning to send. So this start to the day gave me full confidence to take part in the ceremony that was my appointment with the nun, Sara Dodo, who is undoubtedly one of the most alive people I’ve ever met. The interior of the temple and the ritual were powerfully instructive experiences in themselves but I was even more greatly affected by the tea afterwards with a selection of worshippers helping me through a severe examination from sara-san. Incredibly she got everyone to sit around me by starting whip round as soon as the service had finished, along with various other settais to go with my Buddha apples from last night. I was very reluctant to leave and the momentum has clearly gone out of me today. But it feels right to be pausing to prepare for the end in this way and somehow my faith in my pilgrims ability has strengthened to the point where I feel able not to retrace my steps to 74 where I was too late for the stamps last night and also to change my usual temple process at Zentsuji itself. My over-riding rationale for missing 74 is that it will enable me to have exactly 108 stamps including Koya-san and its good to be able to take advantage of getting the calligraphy from before. So now just waiting for the dryer and then some lunch before leaving this amazing town, which feels like and effectively is just an extension of the temple – around which I wandered aimlessly for minutes without a thought of what I was doing or the time of the future. Takemoto-san invited me back to stay whenever I liked and I feel sure that I will. But now to look at the map to consider leaving… Have decided to respect the intentions of the foul weather and follow up Reubs suggestion about this being a good place for writing by staying at the Mandala for old times sake. I guess it is also my clinging to the last opportunities of experiencing hot-spots of henro culture, which this certainly is. Unsuccessfully looking through their collected guestbooks for our entry from 3 years ago was still a rewarding experience for the sheer volume and variety of messages. A truly incredible force leaps from the pages and I guess my stopping here also reflects part of the pausing before the end/coming to terms with this mornings empowerment I was talking about earlier. I feel like I could sit watching the puddles forever as thoughts come and go in the freest fashion. And as the ultimate confirmation I will perform a ceremony at the altar here where 3 years ago I only watched the watermelon loving centurion priest. That I know what to do to the satisfaction of any Japanese person who may walk in through my experiences with Tatsumi and that I now have the confidence to do so really says a lot. So I will set about getting myself to the supermarket to make all necessary preparations for this evenings performance. Its been a day of such various nourishment I’ve hardly eaten but I guess my legs will need some corporeal fuel for tomorrow. Its interesting how this new feeling, pretty much starting in the evening after Temple 70 coincides with being the places I’ve visited before – something about knowing the difference as a result of the experiences in between, not least this 6 week walk, has really laid down a fresh layer of self-belief over the old one. Although of course it is completely selfless – perhaps the most penetrating thing Takemoto-san said this morning was instilling in me that wonderful Chinese view that "that there is a huge history behind you that brings you here to this moment, doing what you are supposed to do in the determined course of all time." Which coming from her, simultaneously saying the same thing about herself meeting me just put my ambitions and achievements on a totally new level. She is one of the major people in the world bringing Kukai to the language of English if the status of Shiba Ryotaro is to be in anyway accepted and therefore sitting in her house, having her bring me breakfast and saying she feels honoured to have my ask for her help is almost cosmic certification that things are going in the right way to succeed in my intentions. That Taoist realisation of ones entire ancestry in a single moment is such a huge idea – like the loop of the Eternal Recurrence released to being a directable force whereby the collapsing of time to that single focus of understanding everything is present and malleable. One simply has to allow oneself to swim/be swum in that stream and then the universal takes over, the pinnacle of that creative gettingout-out-of-the-way of how things want to be in the world that I’ve been thinking about so much. I am greatly looking forward to the opportunity to make music with this power, though perhaps the break from giving out has enabled things to settle within me in this way. I don’t think the world has ever been clearer to me and now I’m very happy to be writing such things at the final stage of the red to blue to yellow and now finally to white notebook process that has taken place in just the right balance of design and accident. Before I write anything in the purity of white I will take the opportunity to review all I have written so far, then make my service before sleeping to be ready for the end.
Last Modified 11/10/05 5:03 AM |
