Japan Photos (Part 2)

Go to: (Part 1) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9)

**Please note that all pictures can be zoomed in further by clicking “Full View Size” on bottom right of the first enlargement**

Before visiting a new country I usually go on Google and simply type in the country’s name in ‘Image’ section. Afterwards I look at photographs of people, cities and just random things. Not the photoshopped picture with a beautiful sunset or that perfect image of a building that seems like it belongs to another world instead of earth. What I look for are not the polished pictures but the raw shots that capture the simplicity and keep the originality of the photographed. So I am posting these pictures for just as they are: raw, plenty and uncut.

I spent almost three months in Japan walking the 88 Temple Pilgrimage. Along the way taking many photographs. Unfortunately I was still lacking the needed skills of photo taking but some beautiful moments remain beautiful regardless of the angle photo was taken. Overall, there are 1,900 photos here stretching over 3 months period! I broke it down in to 9 section of a bit over 200 photo each part. All photos are in a chronological order. Each photo represents a moment of my 88 temple pilgrimage.

I will provide a very basic description of what an 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Shikoku, Japan is. There are 88 sacred temples circling around the island of Shikoku and a pilgrimage that connects all of them together. There are many ways to visit all of the temples. Many do so by a bus, some take a tour, others use motor bikes, cars and so on. However, it is said that if the pilgrimage is walked and all of the temples are visited, you will be spiritually enlightened at the end.

The pilgrimage is divided in to four stages. Shikoku literally means four provinces, and this pilgrimage covers all of them in a complete circle around the island. Starting from temple 1 to 88, each province has a specific meaning to this pilgrimage. The first province, temples 1-23 represent the idea of Awakening. The second province, temples 24-39 represents Austerity and Disciple. The third province, temples 40-65 is Attaining Enlightenment. The fourth and final province, temples 66-88 is Entering Nirvana. I will not go in to the history of the pilgrimage on this post but will expand on it another time.

In the end, I completed the 88 Temple Pilgrimage walk and also added the extra 20 bangai temples for the adventure of it. The bangai temples are the extra 20 optional temples that can be visited in addition to the original 88. The overall walk was around 1,600 kilometers and took me over two months. This trip was an adventure to me, filled with unexpected moments and experiences.

In time I will expand on some moments of this walk in short stories. One of them is how I was treated by a Chi Healer when I acquired an injury on my walk. The story can be found here: Meeting a Chi Healer

These pictures are here as much for me as they are for everyone else. For in time I may start forgetting and then I’ll have something to look back on and say: “Ahh, that was a fun time!”

Enjoy!

: After a long day of walking, we bought a nice dinner at a supermarket and now eating. Free accommodation for pilgrims was provided by the spa, they let us eat inside.

: Man that joined us for a conversation.

: Relaxing after a long day of walking.

: J decided to take the chance and pay for a massage chair.

: You should have heard him yelling as it did its job.

: Shuhei was the next victim, the pain that’s expressed on his face is real, for I was the last victim of the massage chair!

: Is it pain or something else!

: J is putting his camera to use and trying to capture the painful yet somehow refreshing experience of the massage chair.

: Evening time, getting ready for sleep. It was a small room for the 3 of us.

: After breakfast, we went our own way.

: Sunrise.

: The next temple.

: A helpful direction sign for pilgrims points to the next temple.

: At the top of a nearby mountain.

: My backpack and I.

: Along the way I met Shuhei and a man who takes care of the trail on his own free time.

: That be me with with my lunch.

: That’s the statue of Kobo Daishi next to a tree. Forgot the story behind it.

: Other walking companions that I met by the tree.

: Still young Mikan (Japanese oranges) growing on the tree.

: Wolf hides?

: Cool photo.

: Older man, yet so strong.

: Temple Guardian.

: As I arrived at the top of the mountain, there was no accommodation available. While taking a break at a lunchroom, Shuhei and J caught up and we decided to find a place for the night together.

: Looking for a place for the night.

: Shuhei takes the top, J and I are taking the lower path in hope of finding a place for the night.

: And so we found a cheap and awesome place to sleep in.

: Our hosts home.

: Breakfast at the place were we stayed for the night.

: Big thanks to the family who gave us shelter for the night, with food and company. After the meal we all took a photo and went separate ways.

: I love this photo, not very clear yet the rock somehow reminds me of a woman holding a child.

: On my way to the nearby bangai temple.

: After a very long day, the three of us met again and found a free accommodation for the night.

: Enjoying our dinner.

: Later this night our host joined us, with a girl.

: Right now he’s using his “Chi Pawa!” to make her back feel better.

: The next day all 3 of us went separate ways, I stayed behind one more night at the free accommodation due to my foot injury.

: Back for the night to the same free accommodation, yet Shuhei and J have moved on. Felt emptier somehow.

: Drying my socks.

: Oh there is a whole interesting story behind them. I’ll write about it eventually.

: Just passing by on a bridge, seeing school kids playing.

: Picking up my lunch from a local store. Two women let me stay inside the store while I eat my noodles in peace.

: Tokoshima City. Although I was very tired, I still dedicated some time looking around the city.

: While looking for a place to stay for the night, I met the two couples. They are staying at a nice hotel and invited me to stay with them. The price was expensive but I did not want to look further. Plus we ate a really nice meal together.

: Don’t every Japanese hotel have these? I am pretty sure they do.

: Getting out of the city, saw this. Looks interesting.

: After a very long time looking for the next temple in the rain, I saw Shuhei.

: After walking to Shuhei’s friends house, we went to a supermarket looking for food.

: Shuhei’s friends house.

: My feet took some damage from all the walking, blisters were awful.

: Walking to another Bangai temple, outside the normal 88 temple route. I bet I was the only interesting thing the chickens saw the whole day.

: Once I left the normal 88 temple route for the bangai temple, I’ve not see a soul.

: Cool walking path up to the temple.

: I’ve not had lunch, the temple caretaker gave me this as a free gift, settai.

: Taking a break on a bench. Cook photo.

: After walking through the mountain, I could not find a place to sleep in. Put my tent to use. It was raining at night, awful.

: The following night I found a nice place to sleep in and dry up my equipment.

: Resting and waiting for my dinner. I was on a budget and waiting for the inclusive dinner was a torture. Hours felt like days, minutes before seemed like forever.