Shikoku– category –

Ishizuchi-Jinja Shrine is located on Mount Ishizuchi, one of the Seven Sacred Mountains of Japan. We had the experience of copying out Shinto prayers. It is said that by purifying the heart, one can draw closer to KAMI (DIVINE BEING). Morning worship was held at the main hall. At the end, we received a shrine amulet.

On the first day of the pilgrimage, I stayed at a shukubo. The large 12 tatami mat room was equipped with a TV set and a restroom. Although it was not shojin vegetarian cuisine, the meals were tasty home cooking. The morning service lasts for about 15 minutes from 6:00. You are free to participate.

The room was a six tatami mat room equipped with air conditioning, a TV and a washbasin. The bath is a hot spring bath with sodium bicarbonate water (containing solid acid carbonate and calcium). After dinner, there was a religious service. Textbooks were distributed and everyone chanted a sutra together.

Syosan-ji temple is located on the top of a mountain and is a tough point called “Henro Korogashi” (Rolling the Pilgrims). The guestroom was an eight tatami mat room. When it is crowded, you will have to share a room with others. They conduct religious services starting at 6:00 in the morning.

It was an eight tatami mat room equipped with air conditioning and a TV. It can be locked as well. Dinner was served in the dining room. Although it was not shojin vegetarian cuisine as they served slices of raw fish, etc., as well, it was delicious. The service was conducted from 6:00 in the morning.

The room was a 4.5 tatami mat Japanese-style room with air conditioning and a TV set. The sizes of the rooms vary. They served shojin vegetarian cuisine for dinner. I hear that the memorial service is usually conducted in the evening. In general, it was a clean, comfortable and friendly shukubo.

Syussekiji Temple was founded in 718. The main hall is built on the summit of Mount Izushi, which is 812 meters above sea level. There is a shukubo within the temple grounds. You can attend the morning prayer. If you wish to stay overnight, you must make a reservation by phone.

This is the head temple of the Zentsuji school of the Shingon sect. This is where Priest Kukai, Kobo-Daishi was born. The three-story brand new building is the shukubo. I had a ten tatami mat room all to myself. From 5:30, 15 priests lined up in the Mie-do hall. After the sermon, the priests chanted a sutra.

Mitsugonji Temple is located halfway up the mountain in Awa Ikeda. It was a little difficult to get to without a car. There was a youth hostel building on the left side of the main hall. If you stay here, you can experience goma (fire) prayer and meditation.

This shukubo was very good. The room was clean and the facilities, such as the bath and the washing machine, were complete. As small as it was, I was able to use a room all to myself and the meal was also gorgeous. The morning service was conducted in the main hall, which was connected to the shukubo by a corridor.