===== Hirata Station (平田) → Michi-no-Eki Mima 道の駅みま Temples: 39 (Enkō-ji 延光寺), 40 (Kanjizai-ji 観自在寺) Weather: Sunny with Clouds Travel Method: Walking + Train + Bus + Train Distance: 12 (+78.1) km ===== Tired of trying to sleep, I get up at 4:30am. I spent the past four hours lying on the hard plastic chairs – the ones that curve up into ridges – on the platform waiting room at Hirata station. ...
===== Michi-no-Eki Mima 道の駅みま → Matsuyama City 松山市 Temples: 41 (Ryūkōji 竜光寺), 42 (Butsumoku-ji 佛木寺), 43, Meiseki-ji 明石寺) 51 (Ishite-ji 石手寺) Weather: Sunny Travel Method: Walking + Train Distance: 23.8 (+75.3) km ===== A fellow henro once told me, ‘When far from the temple, wake early; when close, rise later.’ Sleep is precious everywhere. Still, I rise at 5:30 today because I woke naturally and I want breakfast. The Lawson close by has seats, which means I get to enjoy a dignified meal, seated, with my food laid out on the counter. ...
===== Matsuyama City (松山市) Temples: 50 Hanta-ji (繁多寺), 49 Jōdo-ji (浄土寺), 48 Sairin-ji (西林寺), 47 Yasaka-ji (八坂寺), 46 Jōruri-ji (浄瑠璃寺) Weather: Sunny with Clouds Travel Method: Walking + Bus return to Matsuyama **Distance: 13.5 km ** ===== Holiday! Today, I’m going to Dogo Onsen, which was mentioned in Japan’s earliest collection of poetry, the Man’yōshū, and reportedly the inspiration behind Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. Even the semi-legendary Prince Shotoku, credited with sponsoring Japanese Buddhism and authoring its first text, once graced these waters. ...
===== Matsuyama City (松山市) Temples: None Weather: Sunny with Clouds Travel Method: Walking + Car Distance: None ===== Glorious sleep, oh glorious sleep. Real henro holiday. Henro-related things: zero. Today is errand day and lunch with a Couchsurfing host. I drift into the living room, savour the yogurt, cereal, and cut fruits. I step outside onto the covered veranda and my laundry baked dry. Clean. And it will stay clean for at least another day. ...
===== Matsuyama City (松山市) → Kuma Kogen (久万高原) → Iyowake (伊予和気) Temples: 44 Daihō-ji (大宝寺), 45 Iwaya-ji (岩屋寺) Weather: Sunny Travel Method: Car + Light Walking Distance: (+42.6km) ===== Today is a late day because Noriko-san, the Couchsurfing friend I’d met yesterday, is driving me up to Temples 44 and 45. Even though I was looking forward to a mountain trail between the two temples, a car is a much more realistic solution. ...
===== Iyo-wake (伊予和気) → Imabari City (今治市) Temples: 52 Taisan-ji (太山寺), 53 Enmyō-ji (圓明寺), 54 Enmei-ji (延命寺), 55 Nankōbō (南光坊), 56 Taisan-ji (泰山寺) Weather: Sunny Travel Method: Walking + Train + Walking Distance: 23.6 (+33) km ===== At 5:30, as a yellow glow appears on the horizon, I get up for the last time. Unable to find a suitable sleepingg spot, I ended up at a Family Mart close to Temple 53. ...
===== Imabari City (今治市) Temples: 57 Eifuku-ji (栄福寺), 58 Senyū-ji (仙遊寺), 59 Iyo Kokubun-ji (伊予国分寺) Weather: Rain + Typhoon Travel Method: Walking + Train return to Imabari Distance: 16.8 km ===== Typhoon day! It’s forecasted to make landfall tonight, so I still have the morning to visit the temples clustered around Imabari. My hosts, having walked the Ohenro themselves, urge me to get up earlier. I crawl out of bed at 6:30am for breakfast as I’d promised Akiko. ...
===== Imabari City (今治市) → Iyo-Miyoshi (伊予三芳) Temples: 64 Maegami-ji (前神寺), 63 Kichijō-ji (吉祥寺), 62 Hōju-ji (宝寿寺), 61 Kōon-ji (香園寺) Weather: Rain Travel Method: Train + Walking Distance: 8.2 (+15.8) km ===== Typhoon day! It’s forecasted to make landfall tonight, so I still have the morning to visit the temples clustered around Imabari. My hosts, having walked the Ohenro themselves, urge me to get up earlier. The train lines are down until at least noon. ...
===== Iyo-Miyoshi (伊予三芳) → Imabari City (今治市) Temples: 60 Yokomine-ji (横峰寺) Weather: Sunny Travel Method: Walking (Train Return to Imabari) Distance: 26.8 (+15.8) km ===== 5:00am wake up. In about 10 minutes, my messy spread has disappeared into my backpack. It makes me wonder why I even have those things – even a backpack feels like an excess now. Small moments like these get me. They make me pause, feeling like I’ve shed another shell, but don’t have clear enough vision to see what the old one was like. ...
===== Imabari City (今治市) → Ishizuchiyama (石鎚山) → Iyo-Doi (伊予土居) Temples: None Weather: Sunny with Showers Travel Method: Walking Distance: 29 km ===== I really wish I had enough sleep. But, I also wouldn’t trade the two extra hours we took to make the apple crumble. For a henro, a 6:30am breakfast is so late. It’s Akiko’s 365-Day Breakfast Special, in her own words. Special every day, methinks. Just as I’m finishing up, Tsuneto comes with a severe face. ...