The 23rd stage of Pilgrimage, Yakuoji
TEL : 0884-77-1138Address : 285-1 Teramae Okugawachi, Minami, Kaifu District, TokushimaAccess : JR Hiwasa station > 20 minutes walkParking : There is a parking lotTime : Check-in 15:00 Check-out 10:00Room : max 120 people
Introduction to Yakuoji Temple
It is famous as a temple to drive out evil luck. In the precinct, there are slopes for women in yaku ages and for men in yaku ages, with 33 and 42 stair steps, respectively. (It is said unlucky things often occur at certain ages called yaku in Japan.) If you are in a yaku age, climb the stairs while dropping some coins.
Shukubo (temple stay)
When I made a reservation, they asked me, “Which plan would you like, \5,500, \6,500, or \7,500?” According to them, the difference is the meals and the accompaniments. I was recommended to choose \7,500 plan if I was concerned and so I did.
The shukubo is a reinforced concrete building. Located next to the temple with a road in between, it is a neat facility. I was very grateful because they let me use a large room by myself. The door to the guestrooms can be locked, so you can feel safe.
The room had a large bathtub where five people could sit comfortably.
Dinner
I ate in the dining room which also served as a restaurant. I was maybe the only person who was on the \7,500 plan. My dinner was prepared separately from the others. It included deep-fried shrimp, egg pudding, sashimi (raw fish slices), etc. It was gorgeous and hard to finish. According to other pilgrims staying in the same place, even the \5,500 plan was pretty good and there was no inconvenience.
Morning service
There was a religious service in the morning in the temple. As a party of the Association of Pilgrimage Road Preservation was also staying there, there was a brief sermon as well.
