Day 8 April 14 Temple 37

At 6 am, we had sitting meditation in a hall facing east. It was a beautiful morning: I could see the sun rising above the horizon in the far distance. After 10-20 minutes, the warm sunray fell on my head with waves of heat permeating my whole body. What amazing warm feeling! Afterwards, we had walking meditation at the beach barefooted. My feet were massaged by fine black sand and the sea water was refreshing. A most beautiful experience!  

We had sharing by Sis Tu who was raised in a Catholic family about her path to become a monastic 17 years ago.  Very moving!  We had a great time in Temple 37 -Iwamotoji(729-749) where we had lunch as well. The Pilgrim’s Song is as follows-

Six of earth and five gods

Incubating Niita, the pleasure of deities

I remember this temple, which I called  the “Arty Temple” during my visit in 2023. This temple venerating five principal deities namely the Immovable Wisdom King, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, Amitabha Buddha, Medicine Buddha, and Jizo Bodhisattva, has a ceiling with paintings.  

The original plan was to stay in this temple. But as a group had already booked, we had to find alternate lodging. We had a nice lunch in the temple and afternoon tea and sharing at Cafe Hanpei near the temple. The cafe is housed in an old, stylish and elegant house built in 1901 by a successful businessman, Tsuzuki Hanpei. It has been restored with its original architectural details, including sliding doors, ornate transom panels, wooden flooring, and tatami rooms displaying a combination of elegant Japanese-style and semi-Western style spaces.  I was in the sharing group with the two brothers and  appreciated the deep sharing with my Plum Village friends.

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Rain almost stopped on our way to the Ryu Onsen Sanyoso. We had a lazy evening after a big dinner.

Day 9 April 15 Lazy Day

I was planning to get up early to watch sun rise from the beach. But it was cloudy. At 6 am, we had sitting meditation followed by sharing by Br Phap Khoi who used his personal experience to illustrate how one thought could powerfully change one’s behaviour and path. He had watched how his grandmother had suffered from breathing problem and gasp for air. After her death and when he saw a fish struggling and gasping for air, he felt the pain and suffering of the fish, and could not eat fish any more. He became a vegetarian. Very moving!

As the weather improved slightly and we still had time, we had a short walking meditation on the beach before breakfast.  After breakfast, we took a bus ride of 150 minutes to take a river cruise on the Shimanto River, which is 196-km long and known as “Japan’s Last Clear Stream”, and for its submerging bridges designed without railings to sink below the water surface during floods.

We had bus meditation and sharing by monastics. I was not particularly impressed by the 50-minute river cruise on a houseboat. We could not move around nor go outside.  Afterwards, we had lunch in the same restaurant in Shimanto City that I had lunch in 2023. As the weather was not good, we did not have another beach walking meditation and drove to the Mana Village direct. This beautiful resort is perching on a cliff on a rugged coast. I went to the onsen after dinner and had a wonderful time watching the starry night and Milky Way while listening to the bashing waves. Then I joined a 30-minute free star-gazing trip organised by the hotel at 9 pm. As the talk was conducted in Japanese, I could not understand. But I did see the Milky Way, Polaris, Orion, Jupiter, Mars, Venus etc. I could not remember when I had last seen such an amazing starry sky!

Day 10 April 16 Temple 38

At sunrise, we began our sitting and walking meditation on the rooftop of the lower block overlooking the sea. The setting was unearthly serene and beautiful. We had a leisure morning and did not set off after an Italian lunch in the hotel with beautiful presentations and fresh ingredients. Temple 38 is under 2 km away: we could walk or take the bus. I decided to walk and started 15 minutes before the group departure at 1:30pm. Vicki joined me, and we had a mindful walk. We arrived at the temple before 2 pm and watched others arrive by bus and on foot.

This was my third visit to Temple 38-Kongofukuji (822) which Pilgrim’s Song is as follow-

Fudakuya here is the cape ship

Mountain of stumbles for a smoother law

This is a beautiful grand temple with a large pond and numerous colourful stones. Sis Trai met the English speaking abbot and his wife, who invited our group to return the following morning at 8 am to watch a Goma Fire Ceremony to be performed for a practitioner in Hong Kong who has been on Henro 17 times! She had some afflictions recently and sought the blessings.

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After the temple visit, we visited Cape Ashizuri, the southernmost point of Shikoku with dramatic panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. This was my third visit to the Cape. On our way to the viewing platform, Hairo took us on a trail covering the “Seven Wonders of Ashizuri” sacred sites created by Kukai. They include Taishi’s Nail-writing Stone, Yurugi Stone, Turtle Stone, Hell Hole, Tide Hand-wash Basin, Constant Water Basin, and Torii Gate not Finished in a Night.  We walked by most of these sites and the lighthouse.  Tonight, the sky was cloudy. I felt blessed that I had seen one of the best starry nights in my life the night before.

Day 11 April 17 Temple 40

Today was cloudy without a clear sky. We had sitting meditation as usual before a short walking meditation on on a secret path next to the hotel ground. I did not join as I had slippers and not shoes on. I also knew part of the path was steep and might be slippery. I therefore stayed on the rooftop practicing walking meditation on my own. Reo also stayed behind. We practiced till 7 am when it was time for breakfast.

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At 7:45am, we took a bus ride to the Kongofukuji to watch the Goma ceremony. This time, the setting was different – the ceremony was held in a small shrine with us standing outside.  The assistant and the abbot’s wife were chanting the Heart Sutra while the abbot performed the ceremony, throwing wooden sticks, rice, grains, and herbs into the fire. The ceremony was streamed live to Hong Kong. We returned to Mana Village and had time for coffee before departing at 10:30am.

Today, we visited Temple 40-Kanjizaiji (807) which Pilgrim’s Song is as follow-

Flowers freely bloom in the spring of my desire

Yet a burned-out thing lives in the transient world

The main hall was rebuilt in 1964 while the Daishi Hall in 1993. The corridors allow pilgrims to perform the sand-treading ritual of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. There are eight Buddha/Bodhisattva statues covering the twelve in Chinese calendar. I discover Mahasthamaprapta, the protective deity for people born in the Year of Horse, is my protector. As this temple is named after Bodhisattva Avalokitsvara, we chanted “Invocation” on acts we are inspired to follow.  

Tonight, we stayed at the JR Hotel Clement Uwajima.  Again, all single members had a single room (same arrangements as in November 2024). I guess the rooms are not large enough to put in two single beds. As a result, I had a good sleep especially after a nice dinner in a nearby restaurant. I had a great day!

Day 12 April 18 Temple 41 & Ozu

We had dharma talk before leaving for a temple visit. Instead of two temples,  we only visited Temple 41-Ryukoji (807) with the following Pilgrim’s Song-

The Mikkyo guarding god of Mikuni

Listens to the vows you keep

This is a fairly small temple. This time I learned more about its history. It has syncretized Shinto and Buddhism since its founding: it was maintained as an Inari temple. Under the Meiji era, the old main hall became an “Inari Shrine”. A new hall was constructed enshrining the statue of the Eleven-faced Kannon Bodhisattva, the original Buddha of Inari, as the principal object of worship. The statue of Inari Myojin, invited by Kobu Daishi, is also enshrined and resides here.

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We then went to Nipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town for lunch. I sat with Lisa by the window with full views of the Ozu Castle. I enjoy chatting with Lisa who is sweet and wonderful. After lunch, we had an hour’s walk in Ozu, a picturesque town called “Little Kyoto”. I followed Ken to the Ohanahan Street lined with old houses before turning to Nakamachi. The guided walk ended at  at Garyu Sanso. Then I strolled on my own and reached the Omoide Soko, and Ozu Akarenga-Kan.  We then proceeded to a lovely onsen hotel called Okudogo Ichiyu No Mori located in the deep valley of the Ishite River. The spring water that supplies Dogo Onsen rises here. I shared a room with lovely view of the valley with Alexandra. We had dharma sharing about this journey in an old house in the Japanese garden before dinner. The dinner was delicious. After dinner, I went to the onsen with seven different kinds of hot spring bath. I tried five out of the seven pools. Very relaxing!

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Day 13 April 19 Temple 51 & Dogo Onsen

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At 6 am, we were all seated in the hall ready for the Transmission of Five Mindfulness Training ceremony. It was the third transmission ceremony for me. The first time was when I received the transmission in India in February 2025. I watched a similar ceremony in Thailand last November. It is a beautiful occasion and I am happy for those who took it for the first time or renewed their faith and practice. Sis Trai also shared her path and how Thay instructed her to help spread the tradition in Japan. Very moving!

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After a light and lovely lunch at the hotel, we set off for the last temple of this pilgrimage – Temple 51-Ishiteji (729) which Pilgrim’s Song is as follows-

Looking for the West, you can see Annyoji

Worship and receive the ten great pleasures

The name Ishite-ji origins from the legend of the reincarnation of Emon Saburo, the originator of the Shikoku Pilgrimage, who began a pilgrimage around Shikoku following Kobo Daishi. During the pilgrimage, he fell ill and clutched a stone inscribed with “Reincarnation of Emon Saburo”.

At 3 pm, we visited the Dogo Onsen, one of the oldest hot springs in Japan boosting a history of over 3,000 years. The building has been restored since my last visit.  I recalled its small public bath area. Anyway, I joined the group and went in again. It was so crowded that I did not stay more than ten  minutes! I however enjoyed resting in the atmospheric 2^nd-floor seating area till 4 pm. We did not return to the hotel till 6:20pm. I spent two hours strolling aimlessly in this small town having ice cream, green tea and dessert.

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We had a sumptuous farewell dinner. Ken handed pilgrims their prayer book with stamps from the temples visited. Ken also gave us souvenirs including a note written by himself and translated into English by Google. He shared his moving personal life, hard time, struggles and transformation since guiding pilgrims on this pilgrimage. He shared his joy during this journey with us: he felt he was on an overseas journey!  I was moved.

Day 14 April 20 End of Pilgrimage

I got up early and visited the onsen for the last time at 6am. After a full breakfast, we were all busy saying goodbye to our friends. At 9 am, I boarded the bus for the last time. We would be dropped off at the airport, the train station and finally the port. As I would depart for Hong Kong from Hiroshima airport on 22 April, I took a normal ferry to Hiroshima at 12 noon. I finally arrived at the port before 3 pm and took Tram No 1 to the Hiroshima Train Station. I would spend two nights in Toyoku Inn close to the station. I was tired and hungry. After an early dinner, I went to bed before 9pm and had a good sleep.

April 21 Miyajima

Today, I planned to visit Miyajima, the Peace Memorial Park, and the National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims in Hiroshima, all World Heritage Site.  I took a JR train around 8 am to Miyajimaguchi (420 yen one way) and then a 15-minute ferry. After travelling for almost an hour, I arrived in Miyajima (an island with 30.39 sq km in Hiroshima Bay) known for its forests, ancient temples, and the off-shore giant, orange Great Torii Gate.

I followed the crowd and reached the Itsukushima Shrine and the floating Torii Gate at high tide. I bought a ticket and walked through the complex with some 20 buildings and structures including the large Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinia. The iconic Torii Gate was first erected in 569, and the current structure measuring 13.4m tall and 9.9m in circumference, with a crossbeam approximately 23.3m long, dates to 1875.

Next, I visited the Daigan-ji belonging to the Shingon Buddhism on my way to Daishoin,  a historic Buddhist temple at the base of Mount Misen founded in 806 by Kukai. Attracted by a tea house with a Japanese garden at the bottom of the staircase to the temple, I went in and had green tea for over half an hour. The temple complex has many buildings, several halls, temple gates, a garden featuring 500 Arhats, and numerous statues of Avalokitsvara, Jizo, Fudo Myo-o, the Seven Lucky Gods and the three monkeys There is an O-sunafumi under the Main Hall. I performed the sand-treading ritual of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage for the last time on this journey

There is another big Bodhisattva Avalokitsvara Temple. Underneath the main hall is a Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage O-sunafumi. It was an experience to grope in a narrow totally dark path finding myself face to face with 33 Avalokitsvara. At that moment, I could feel light and hope in total darkness!

It was time for lunch. I went in a small local eatery and had oyster with rice. Then I strolled along the main shopping street and took the 4 pm boat back to Miyajimaguchi. Instead of taking the train, I took Tram No 2 that took over an hour to reach the Hiroshima Train Station. I passed by the Peace Memorial Park but felt too tired to get off. I hope to return to Hiroshima one day to visit the memorial park and hall. I had tapas in a restaurant before returning to the hotel.

April 22 Hiroshima – Hong Kong

I took the 10:30 am airport bus (1,500 yen) to Hiroshima Airport which is small and modest requiring upgrading. The security check system is dated and inefficient. There is even no proper cafe shop / eatery inside the tiny departure hall. Anyway, my cheap flight with HK Express departed on time and I had a safe journey home.

Remarks (to add)

Part 3: 14-day Pilgrimage / Retreat in Shikuko (7-20/4/2026)

Kobo Daishi and Shikoku Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage normally means a long, often challenging journey to a sacred or holy place for spiritual reasons, reflection, or to honour a significant figure or site. It acts as a trans-formative, intentional journey – often on foot- that combines journey physical action with spiritual growth. The Shikoku Temple Pilgrimage (Ohenro or Henro), a 1,200-1,400 km circular journey visiting 88 sacred temples founded by monk Kobo Daishi (Kukai) (774-835) who traveled to China in 804 where he studied Tangmi (Chinese Vajrayana Buddhism) and received the final initiation from Huiguo (746-805) to become a master of the esoteric lineage. On his return to Japan in 806 as the eighth Patriarch of Esoteric Buddhism, he founded the esoteric Shingon School of Buddhism. I commenced the Shikoku Temple Pilgrimage in December 2012 and finally visiting all 88 temples in November 2023.  Some Japanese Buddhists would take henro more than once in his/her life. In October 2024 I also completed Shikoku Bekkaku visiting 20 Sacred Sited associated with Kobo Daishi.

My Expectations

I have not thought of taking another henro till this idea was mooted in the WhatsApp Plum Village 2025 Indian Pilgrimage group at the end of last year. Plum Village with its own tradition has planned this pilgrimage “as an inner journey – a path of love and understanding”. Though I did not have an inner call for embarking on henro again, I decided to join this 14-day Pilgrimage Retreat: Walking Home – A Journey of True Presence with 35 pilgrims including four monastics namely Br Chan Phap Xa, Br Chan Phap Khoi, Sis Chan Tu Nghiem (from Hong Kong) and Sis Chan Trai Nghiem and a dedicated team of Japanese volunteers (Rei, Reo, Lisa, and Hisea). The plan was to visit 17 out of 88 temples that are located in the Tokushima, Kochi and Ehime Prefectures.

This time I did not bother to get stamps on my prayer book (record book with red stamps and Japanese calligraphy) that has already had the stamps of all the 88 temples. I don’t need a new one to show I am on a pilgrimage again, or as mementos. As it was my third visit to some of the sites, I took fewer photos as I had already taken enough photos. For me, it is not about the temples to be visited for the second or third time. Instead, it would be a journey on retreat totally immersed with practices i.e. no speech from 9 pm to after breakfast the following day, mindful eating, sitting, walking and singing meditation, dharma talk, dharma sharing, gatha practice and total relaxation. Temple rituals are of course essential practices to train and purify the speech, body and mind. The presence, talks and mindful postures of the monastics were conduits for deep connection with Buddha’s teachings, ourselves, our spiritual ancestors, and the Mother Earth, facilitating our discovery of the path itself is our true home.

Day 1 April 7 Arrival Day – Tokushima

I arrived at JR Hotel Clement Tokushima and met Sue, Rie, Sis Trai, Janet, Jennifer and Reo who joined the Indian pilgrimage last year. I shared a room with Gesina from Germany. After dinner, we had a short briefing by and introduction of the four monastic members and the volunteer team that helped organising this pilgrimage together with Sis Trai. Lisa (Reo’s wife) was the translator as Hiro, our Sendatsu / certified guide (A Sendatsu must complete at least four henro on foot) and Kai, our guide, spoke little English. The volunteers were very thoughtful and attentive to fine details: they prepared a beautiful furoshiki, a bag filled with things we needed including a practice guide for this retreat (with map of temples, the itinerary, reflection prompts and gathas, the Five Mindfulness Training, Plum Village practice songs, The Five Contemplation, gathas for Mindful Eating, and useful Japanese phrases), a book “Hiking Zen” by Br Phap Xa and Phap Luu), a box of incense and candles, a lighter, a booklet with chanting verses for henro, a scarf, and slips for writing our wish for the temples. Indeed, we received a lot of information before the trip including accommodation, details of each of the temples we would be visiting including the year it was established, its principal deity (deities), the mantra, the Pilgrim’s Song, the history and origin, and highlights.

Day 2 April 8 Temples 1, 2 & 5

After breakfast, we had a full briefing. First, the monastics gave a short talk on “Teachings on the Plum Village Dharma Doors” .  Hiro, who completed his first henro at the age of 21 when facing adversities in life, outlined the temple visiting etiquette including bowing when entering and leaving the mountain gate of a temple, washing/cleansing hands and mouth, lighting a candle and three sticks of incense in the Main Hall followed by chanting the Heart Sutra in Japanese. The same steps would be taken at the Daishi Hall with the Heart Sutra chanted in English. Hiro is a compassionate and experienced Sendatsu as he has completed eight henro on foot and over 100 times not on-foot. (Hiro later shared his touching story during a long bus journey illustrating his path to becoming a Sendatsu). As I had been on henro and was familiar with the basic etiquette and rituals, my monkey-mind was in all places during this briefing!

Today’s Pilgrims’ Song was –

The battle of knowledge in the world of Kari  

Look for protection from the Land of Ease

We finally set off after 10:30am and began our henro at Temple 1-Ryozenji (729-749). The Pilgrim’s Song is as follows-

Coming before Gautama Buddha at Ryozenji

The myriad sins of my life disappear  

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When I first set foot in this temple in 2012, I was not a Buddhist and did not know much about the history of Buddhism. Now I know the name Ryozen means the Vulture Peak in India where the Buddha had delivered his teachings.  So the name of the first temple of henro has significance and meaning. In Japan, Buddhists celebrate the birthday of the Buddha on 8 May. Hence, we had a chance to bathe baby Buddha. In Hong Kong, we have a similar tradition, but we follow the lunar calendar. Instead of pouring tea over the statue, we pour water. We were treated with the same tea and were invited to chant the Heart Sutra inside the Main Hall. A special experience at the start of henro!

Then, we walked to Temple 2-Gokurakuji (710-793) with a stop midway to see the place where German soldiers in captivity during the WWII had stayed. Some chose to stay here after the war. It was lunch time when we reached the temple ground. We had bento (a typical lunch box in Japan) in a reception room before climbing a flight of staircase to reach the Main Hall and Daishi Hall. The Pilgrim’s Song is as follows-

If you want to go to the pure land of Sukhavati

You must say,”Namu Amida Butsu”

I did not have any memory of this temple. However, I had time to soak in the ambiance in the temple grounds  and to embrace the 30m-tall giant cedar tree “Longevity Cedar” planted by Kukai 1200 years ago. This time, I realise how spacious and beautiful the temple is with cherry blossoms in full bloom and maple trees with green and red leaves.

We finished today’s visit at Temple 5-Jizoji (821). The Pilgrim’s Song is as follows –

The Great changing Jizo knows the ways of the six realms  

Guides to the future world

Jizo (or Ksitigarbha) is one of Japan’s most beloved Bodhisattvas serving as the guardian of children, travelers, and souls in the underworld. As there are six realms, Japanese Buddhists have the tradition to put six Jizo together with one for each realm. I learn about this tradition from Sis Trai for the first time. Memories of this temple popped up when I saw the 800-year-old Gingo Tree in the garden which I had embraced. In the autumn of 2012, I saw this magnificent imposing tree with glorious golden leaves. Today, the tree looks gigantic juvenile full of vitality. I also remember the inner temple, The Arhat Hall built in 1775 decorated with 500 statues of Arhats. Today, about 200 statues with various expressions on their faces remain after a fire in 1915.

Then we proceeded to Temple 6-Anrakuji famous for its hot spring with therapeutic properties. This was the only temple lodging we had and I shared a room with Gesina. We had a fantastic total relaxation with Sis Trai performing violin.

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Day 3 April 9 Temples 3, 4 & 6

We began the day with sitting meditation, and followed by walking meditation outside the temple. We had dharma talk and lunch at the temple. In the afternoon, we visited two temples.

Temple3-Konsenji (729-749). The Pilgrims’ Song is as follows-

  I thought of treasure pond of paradise

Give praise to the golden fountain

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The origin of this temple was related to a well that Kobo Daishi had dug to help villagers suffering from drought. We all tried to look into the deep well to see whether we could see our face which is a sign of good health! Here I saw and noticed for the first time six statues of Jizo in a row in the garden. I had time to explore the temple grounds for half an hour while the fit hikers walked to the next temple.

Temple 4-Dainichiji (815) with the following Pilgrim’s Song-

The long night of the mysterious white moon

A short dark sleeve in the black valley

While waiting for the hikers to arrive, I had time to take a close look at the 33 Kannon (Avalokitshvara) statues, which are replica of the statues of the 33 temples under the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. These statues are over 200 years old. The temple closed at 5pm. We were late and by the time we reached the Daishi Hall, we were not allowed to place candle and incense outside the hall.

We returned to Anrakuji for dinner and attended a special “Kusu Kuyo”, a ceremony for ancestral remembrance. We first entered the Main Hall where the abbot chanted. Then he led us through a hidden door into a dark cave (the Kanjodo Cave) with majestic statues of Buddha, Bodhisattvas etc on the wall illuminated by candlelight and a dreamlike blue glow of the flowing stream.  There is also a large Fudo Myo-o “Immovable Wisdom King” statue. We were told to lit the candle and place it in the flowing stream, Then in the middle of the hall was the place where we put the slip of paper with names of our ancestors/family members who have died. I have heard about this unique Shingon ceremony from friends who had temple stay in Mt. Koya. Afterwards, we passed through the Daishi Hall where we could touch Kobo Daishi and placed our hands on parts of our body that hurt.

Day 4 April 10 Temples 6, 20 & 22

The original plan for today was to visit Temple 20-Kakurinji with light hiking and picnic lunch near the temple. But as it was raining, we changed plan and visited Temple 22-Byodoji which has a drum in the main hall that Hiro could perform drumming and chanting the Heart Sutra.

Before leaving, we first performed rituals at Temple 6- Anrakuji (815). The Pilgrim’s Song is as follows-

The battle of knowledge in the world of Kari  

Look for protection from the Land of Ease

As I had attended the ceremony in the Main Hall the night before and walked through the cave to the Daishi Hall,  I already felt familiar with the temple grounds.  Anyway, it was wonderful to spend two nights in this temple.

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We made our way to Temple 22-Byodoji (814) known for its “holy well” located inside the Main Hall. Its Pilgrim’s Song is-

When I hear ‘equal equality’

I see a new and wonderful Buddha

After chanting the Heart Sutra in Japanese inside the Main Hall, Hiro sat in front of the drum and chant the Sutra again three times, each time faster than the previous one. Impressive and inspiring! I also liked the ceiling of the temple with traditional painting panels.

After lunch, we proceeded to Temple 20-Kakurinji (798) located at the top of Mt. Washigao at 470 m elevation. Rain had stopped and it was atmospheric when we drove through a forest cloaked in mist. We had a tranquil uphill walk to the temple gate passing by captivating giant cedar, cypress and pine trees, some over 1,000 years old. The name of this temple came from a legend which says that when Kobo Daishi was engaged in Buddhist training, two white cranes spread their wings and landed on an old cedar tree, seemingly to protect a small golden Jizo. Here one finds the only three-storied pagoda with distinctive railings that was completed in 1827, and the oldest cobblestone in the Tokushima Prefecture.

The Pilgrim’s Song is as follows-

At the sign of the forest of cranes

The Great Jizo king of heaven appears

Then we proceeded to Iyashi Tei Koku right next to the Tairyuji Ropeway (2,775m in length and opened in 1992), where we stayed two nights. This time,  I shared a room with Janet (an American) and Alexandra (a Swiss). We had dharma talk and sharing with Br Phap Xa on attachment to our ancestors and emotions in the evening.

Day 5 April 11 Temple 21

Temple 21-Tairyuji (793) with the following Pilgrim’s Song–

The Great Dragon eternal in Iwaya

Holding the heart for protection

Temple Tairyuji called “the Koya of the West” for its long history and its high elevation (600m), is where Kukai had his early ascetic training. It is one of my favourite temples when I first set foot on the henro in 2012. This temple is one of the few training facilities where Gumonji-bo the demanding 100-day ritual Kukai practiced in his youth, is still performed. During these 100 days, a practitioner has to chant a mantra (“Ku Ku Kuuzo Bosatsu”) one million times to strengthen his memory and understanding of the Akashagarbha Sutra.

We had an enjoyable day beginning with meditation at 6am. At 9 am fit hikers departed for a two-hour hike to the temple. Given my hip problem, a strenuous hike is impossible. I therefore stayed behind with others to have dharma sharing with Sis Tu and to take the Ropeway (1,300 yen each way) at 11:40 am. We met up with the hikers at noon and performed the rituals in the Main Hall and Daishi Hall together. We had a nice bento after the visit.

Hiro who knows the abbot of the temple, arranged a Goma (a fire ritual for purification and wishes) for us. Fire symbolizes the wisdom of the Buddha. We first wrote our prayers/wish on a wooden stick with our name and age. We sat around the platform in a hall and watched the abbot chanting and using mudras while his assistant was drumming. The abbot burned consecrated wooden sticks (gomagi) in a sacred hearth to symbolize the destruction of negative energies, ignorance and worldly desires, often to honour Fudo Myo-o. He also added offerings including rice, grains, and medicine herbs to the fire.  It was the first time I participated and watched this ceremony.

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It was after 3:10 pm when the group started hiking to the steep and rocky precipice Shashingatake located on the mountain slope approximately 600m southwest of the main temple. This is the spot where Kukai practiced the Gumoniji-bo.  The group planned to take the 4:20 pm downhill ropeway. As the walk would take about 20 minutes one way, I gave up the idea to visit this spot. Instead, I took the 3:30pm ropeway with Sue and Peggy back to the lodge. It was a pity! But it might give me an excuse to visit the temple for the third time as I still have an unfinished business here. Once back in the lodge, I went straight to the onsen for a nice soak! We had our second total relaxation session with Sis Trai playing the violin. As Hiro would leave us the following day, he volunteered to sing us a few Japanese songs. He is actually a musician by training.

Day 6 April 12 Muroto Cape & Temple 24

Today’s Pilgrim Song is –

Shining star out of Toji Temple

Double if I am lost

We drove mainly along route 55 for about two hours to reach the Mikurodo Cave with a quick photo stop of the Statue of Young Kukai. This was my third visit to this cave where Kukai stayed during his ascetic training. When he chanted “Ku Ku Kuuzo Bosatsu” a million times here, Myojin, an incarnation of Ku Kuuzo Bosatsu, approached from the sky, plunged into his mouth and he was enlightened.

Then we explored the impressive Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark for over  an hour and a half. Here the coastline has been raised by tectonic forces to over 100m above sea level. There are traces of massive earthquakes and uplifts.  I had a lovely picnic lunch by myself looking at the expansive sea, and rugged coast while listening to the lashing waves.  

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After lunch, we drove a short distance to Temple 24-Hotsumisakiji (807) with the following Pilgrim’s Song-

Shining star out of Toji Temple

Doubtful if I am lost

The temple located at the tip of Cape Muroto is the first of the pilgrimage temples in Kochi prefecture. It was venerated by emperors and had flourished with donations from warlords and feudal lords. Hence, its temple grounds are  serene and beautiful. After performing the rituals, we walked to the lookout below with panoramic views of the rugged coastline of the Muroto Peninsula.  

We had an hour-long bus ride to Mecure Kochi Tosa Resort and Spa. During the bus ride, we asked Hiro various questions about himself, his family and the henro. I through Reo asked why he abandoned his career as a musician to become a Sendatsu. Then he told his moving story as a struggling young musician in Tokyo after his study and eventual return to his birth place near Temple 1. He set off on his first henro on foot at the age of 21 when he was suffering and at a loss. During the henro, he met and was moved by nice people he met. This was a trans-formative journey. Then by good luck and under the guidance of the father of his good friend, he began his career as a sendatsu. We were sorry to say good-bye to Hiro and wished him good luck. I shared a room with Alexandra. I stayed in this hotel in 2024 and enjoyed both the food and the onsen. I was also glad to be able to sleep in a proper bed instead of on tatami as I have problem kneeing and getting up from the floor.

Day 7 April 13 Makino Botanical Garden & Temple 31

The original plan was to visit the Makino Botanical Garden for an hour followed by two temples in the afternoon. The planning team decided it would be better to spend two mindful hours walking in nature and visit Temple 31 in the afternoon. This was indeed a wise decision.  

The Makino Botanical Garden was established on Mount Godasisan in 1958 to honour the outstanding achievements of Dr. Makino Tomitaro (1862-1957), a native of Kochi who is widely regarded as the “Father of Japanese Plant Taxonomy”.  Throughout his lifetime, he collected over 400,000 plant specimens and assigned scientific names to over 1,500 plant species. He published the enduring “Makino’s Illustrated Flora of Japan”.

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The garden with an area of some 8 hectares of undulating terrain showcases over 3,000 species of wild and cultivated plants associated with Dr. Makino. I walked mindfully on my own and spent time in a gallery looking at paintings and the Memorial Hall. When I indicated my interest in watching a 10-minute video, a staff kindly arrange the English version for me to watch by myself! I learn more about Dr Makino, plants he had named and, the garden in four seasons. I ended my walk at the Greenhouse. I like the garden and love to return one day.

Then we had a lovely big wooden “Lunch Box” in a nice restaurant in Kochi City. We took the same way back to Mount Godasisan to visit Temple 31-Chikurinji (724) with the following Pilgrim’s Song-

Hail the mother of the Buddha of Monju

If I am a child, I want milk

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It is the only temple out of the 88 temples that enshrines Manjusri (Monju Bosatsu). Kirido Monju in Kyoto and Abe Monju-in in Nara are the only two other temples in Japan enshrining Manjusri as their principal deity. I fell in love with this temple on my first visit in the fall of 2023 and longed to return one day. My dream has come true: I enjoy walking mindfully and slowly through the serene temple grounds with a five-storied pagoda, garden, thick bamboo groves, moss-covered approach, and remains of ancient walls.

We drove to Tosa Ryu Onsen Sanyoso by the Kaamenohara Beach where I had dinner in 2023. It is a lovely Japanese hotel with onsen. I shared a nice room with sea view with Gesina. We had a sumptuous dinner again and a lazy night when I rushed to wash my clothes.

Part 2: Journey on a 7-day JR West Train Pass (1-7 April)

April 1. I began my solo travel by taking a taxi to the Hakata Station (1,800 yen) to board Shinkanshen at 4:45 pm for Okayama. The journey took about an hour and forty-five minutes. I had enough time for a nice bowl of soba before boarding Yakumo, a limited express train to Yonago. (I chose Yonago as I could stay in Toyoku Inn opposite the station). It was cold and wet when I got off the train after 9:35 pm. It was a mistake not to check the train time table for  Yasugi before leaving the station. I managed to reach my hotel before 10pm. mistake!  

April 2 Yasugi – Osaka

I planned to visit Adachi Museum of Art today. I had to take a 7/8-minute train ride to Yasugi before taking a free shuttle to the museum. I arrived at the station about 8:25 am only to find the train had just gone and the next one would be an hour later! There was nothing to do. As I spotted a small bus with a circular route (150 yen) outside the station, I jumped on it so that I could take a look at this key hub in Western Tottori. My plan went perfectly well: I was back at the station in good time to catch my train to Yasugi.

The Yasugi train station is small without escalator or lift to the bridge linking platform 2 to the exit. I struggled when trying to carry my suitcase up the bridge. An elderly man came to my rescue and we carried my 15-kg suitcase together. The kind gentleman is from Hokkaido.He even told the shuttle bus driver to wait for me while I booked my ticket to Osaka and locked my suitcase. He is indeed my guiding angel.

The Adachi Musuem of Art (1970) was founded by Adachi Zenko, a locally born businessman. Combining his passion for Japanese art and garden design, the founder hoped that viewing the garden and artwork together would expand people’s appreciation and interest in Japanese art. The museum is best known for its award winning garden which has been named the best garden in Japan annually since 2003 by the “Journal of Japanese Gardening”. The main gardens include the Dry Landscape Garden, the Moss Garden, the Pond Garden, and the White Gravel and Pine Garden which show a different character depending on the season.

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The museum houses a collection of around 2,000 works of Japanese paintings, pottery, and wood carvings. The modern Japanese paintings is especially expansive with numerous masterpieces by Yokogama Taikan (1868-1958), Takeuchi Seiho, Kawai Gyokudo,Uemura Shoen, Hashimoto Kansetsu, and Sakakibara Shiho. There is a permanent exhibition of paintings by Yokogama Taikan.  The Rosanjin Hall opened in 2020 houses about 120 works of Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883-1959), a well-known chef and ceramist. His works include calligraphy, engraved calligraphy, ceramics, lacquer-ware and paintings.

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I spent some four hours in the museum including an hour in Cafe Midori watching falling rain on old black and red pine trees and the Dry Landscape Garden. It was the first time I truly appreciate the harmonious beauty, elegance, and tranquility of Japanese gardening. The seamless integration of the gardens of the museum with the surrounding mountains is amazing. If I had more time, I would love to patronize Teahouse Juraku-an and Cafe Taikan in order to enjoy the White Gravel and Pine Garden and the Pond Garden respectively. I also began to appreciate the paintings of the Japanese masters with their own aestheticism, culture and techniques, and Rosanjin’s artworks. I was intrigued by the painting of Wang Zhaojun (1947) by Yasuda Yukihiko and Yang Guifei (1951) by Kobayashi: these two Beauties of Ancient China have an authentic Japanese appearance!

I returned to the station and managed to take a train after 3 pm to return to Okayama. The journey seemed shorter: time passed by more quickly because the weather was nice, and I enjoyed the view of Mount Daisen and countryside from the train. I had another ride on Shinkansen from Okayama to Shin Osaka. I spent the next four night at the Osaka Garden Palace which has a free shuttle bus service to the station. Excellent!

April 3 -5 Osaka

April 3 Life is precarious and impermanent. A girlfriend Prudence had  hemorrhage while on a cruise in Japan two days ago: she was ashore in Kobe having dinner with a relative when this happened. She was taken to the Red Cross Hospital in Kobe. Luckily her condition was not too serious and was bought under control. As I was in Osaka which is not far from Kobe, I went to visit her. Her husband Jurgen was there too. While Prudence was relaxed, her husband was worried.  I left at 4 pm as I had a dinner appointment at Jiang Nan Chun, Four Season Hotel at 5:30pm. Later, I learned that Jurgen discontinued the cruise and flew back to Zurich on 5 March.  

A friend from Hong Kong has highly recommended the stuffed crab shell of Jiang Nan Chun, Four Season Hotel. As Siu Mui and Cynthia would be arriving in Osaka after a tour in Kyushu and Miranda would be spending a few days in Osaka, four of us decided to take a 16,800 yen menu. We also ordered two crab shells to share. Miranda and I took wine to pair with the dinner. We had a wonderful dining experience with excellent service, food quality and presentation and wonderful night view of Osaka (though the wine was so-so). What a wonderful way to spend an evening with friends!

April 4  I had a nice day which began with a brunch at 11:30 am in Hanagatami, Ritz-Calton. We picked a 13,800 yen kaiseki-ryori lunch course which emphases were on seasonality, local fresh ingredients and atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed the light lunch with most aesthetic Japanese presentations.

Bing was in Osaka after a trip to Kyushu with Siu Mui, Cynthia and her four old friends from the US.  She had a spare ticket to watch a performance at the famous Shochikuza Theatre in Namba and asked me to join her. I don’t know Japanese but have watched kabuki in Kyoto once. I thoroughly enjoyed the singing, dancing. music and stage effects. I expected it might be something similar. Alas, it turned out to be totally different!

The performance lasted for four hours. The first play was Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (Sugawara’s Secrets of Caligraphy) by Terakoya, one of the three great classics of Kabuki repertoire which was first performed in 1746 in a puppet theatre and soon adapted as Kabuki. The second was “Gojo Bashi”, a pleasant and short lyrical ensemble accompanied by flute and percussion ensemble. The last play first performed in 1720 was Shinju Ten no Amijima (The Love Suicides at Amijima) by Kawasho.  There was no English subtitles: I barely followed the story even when I found a leaflet with an outline of the story and highlights.  The ticket cost more than 14,000 yen. I would not have gone as I could not appreciate the acting nor conversations. Anyway, it was still an experience as I could see a farewell performance at Osaka Shochikuza before its closure in May 2026.

April 5 Today’s highlight was the Miho Museum. I revisited it because I wanted to see the museum with cherry blossoms in spring. Miranda and I joined a bus tour from Osaka. We set off at 8:45 am from Nipponbashi Station and stopped at Kyoto to pick up a few guests. We finally arrived at the museum car park after 11 am.  We had over two hours’ free time. As my primary interest was to enjoy the cherry blossom, I did not even bother to visit the museum. After a light enjoyable light at the cafe with Miranda and Bing, I strolled on my own along the cherry blossom path in front of the tunnel. I did walk through the tunnel to reach the museum, and sat down to enjoy the landscape for a while before treading the same path back to the car park. I had not done much but I enjoyed the blossoms and every step I had mindfully taken.

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Our next stop was the Former Chikurin-In, one of the satobo (retirement residence for monks of Enryaku-ji Temple). The beautiful garden of approximately 3,300 sq metres contains two tea rooms and a gazebo. The garden, which uses Mount Hachioji as a borrowed landscape, skillfully utilizes the topography, incorporating waterfalls and artificial hills to create different atmosphere in each season.  

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The last stop was the Shirahige Shrine Torii, Lake Biwa. This shrine has a history of over 2000 years and is known for its god who is the god of longevity and long life, and the god of guidance for all human activities and pursuits.  We began our return journey after 5 pm and were off the bus after 7:30pm. Miranda and I originally planned to have omasake. But all the highly rated restaurants were fully booked. We ended up having sukiyaki in a local restaurant within walking distance of Nipponbashi station. We had a nice dinner which was value-for-money.

April 6 Osaka – Kobe – Himeji

It was my last free day and I decided to visit Prudence before leaving for  Shikoku. I first took shinkansen to Himeji to leave my luggage at Toyoku Inn close to the train station. Then I took an ordinary train back to Kobe. Prudence suggested me visit Kobe Kitano ljinkan-Gai with many well-preserved western-style houses. As I can no longer walk fast, I am happy to do just whatever my feet can carry me with ease. I therefore only stayed in the Former Kobe Foreign Settlement area and ended up having a nice lunch in the Old Kobe residency 15^th Hall which is now a cafe-restaurant. The western-style architecture is well-preserved with a charming atmosphere. I spent the next two hours at the hospital with Prudence who was recovering well. We enjoyed chatting and she would be returning to Zurich in early May.

I was back in Himeji before 7pm. The weather was good and the Tourist Office suggested me walk to the Himeji Castle (over 1 km) to enjoy the night cherry blossom. I somehow did not feel like walking: my body needed rest. I spent a quiet night in my hotel room.

April 7  I got up very early as I would like to visit the Himeji Castle, a World Heritage Site. Dating back to 1333, it is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical castle architecture comprising a network of 83 structures with advanced defensive system from feudal period. After having a simple breakfast and checked out, I began a leisure stroll towards the castle. It was drizzling and I was stupid to put on a windbreaker instead of a down jacket. I reached the gate shortly after 7am and enjoyed the expansive garden with cherry blossom in full bloom with only a handful tourists around. It started to rain more heavily and I was cold and wet (though I had an umbrella).  It was too far to walk to the castle and I had to catch a train before 10am. I headed back to the hotel before 9am to pick up my luggage.   

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I had to reach JR Clement Hotel in Tokushima, Shikoku before 3 pm. I travelled all the way to Takamatsu Shikoku on my JR pass. I only had to buy a ticket (3,370 yen) from Takamatsu to Tokushima. This journey took another hour. I have been to Tokushima twice and know the place. I reached my destination  before 2 pm.

This main purpose of this journey was to join a 14-day pilgrimage in Shikoku (7-20/2026) organised by the Plum Village. I decided to take this opportunity to visit some Hidden Christian Sites, an UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising a group of 12 properties in Nagasaki and Kumamoto Prefectures. These churches are unique in the sense that each tells a story about the revival of Christianity after a long period of official suppression. I was joined by three girlfriends and we rented a car. After this trip, I would travel on a 7-day JR West Train Pass to visit the Odachi Museum of Art in Shimane, Miho Museum in Shiga, Osaka and Himeji Castle in Hyogo before joining the pilgrimage group in Tokushima, Shikoku.

Part 1: Kyushu 23/3-1/4/2026

Brief History  The religion of Christianity was first brought to Japan by Francis Xavier (1506-1552), one of the founders of the Society of Jesus who arrived in Kagoshima in 1549. In 1550, he travelled to Hirado turning it into a hub of Christianity. The European missionaries were successful with the Christian population swelling to some 26,000 people by 1570 with Nagasaki known to traders as “Little Rome”.  In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), who seized power from Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), a patron of Christianity, became wary of the expanding Christian influence and ordered the expulsion of the Catholic priests from Japan. In 1596, Hideyoshi issued an order for execution of European priests upon hearing a rumour that the missionaries had been sent to Japan to prepare for colonization by the Spanish armies. A group of 24 priests and Japanese followers were arrested in Kyoto and marched to Nagasaki. Two others joined along the way. This group of 26 was executed by crucifixion at Nagasaki on February 5, 1597.  Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) who established shogunate in 1603, feared the influence of Christianity and banned Christianity in Nagasaki in 1612 and extended the proclamation to all of Japan in 1614 marking the beginning of full-fledged Christian persecutions. All churches in Nagasaki were demolished and the entire population of Nagasaki was forced to participate in a ritual of trampling on a Christian image (efumi) proclaiming their allegiance as parishioners to one of the Buddhist sects.

Groups of Christians hid in outlying areas particularly in the Hirado – Ikitsuki area, formed secret communities upholding their faith in the absence of priests. Christian enclaves persisted in Urakami district, coastal areas including Kaminoshima, Sotome, Goto Islands, Tachiarai and Amasaka. In 1853 Mathew Perry, Commander of the American East India Squadron, arrived and submitted a demand for treaty. In 1858 Japan signed the Ansei Five – Power Treaties granting rights of trade and residence to the US, Britain, France, Russia and the Netherlands. In 1863, the Paris Foreign Mission Society decided to build a new church in Nagasaki which is today’s Oura Catholic Church completed as scheduled before the end in 1864. On March 17, 1865, a group of some 10 people came to the church revealing to priest Bernard Petitjean (1829-1884) they were hidden Christians from Urakami despite some 250 years of insolation.  More hidden Christian communities surviving in small villages in the northeastern part of Kyushu, were later discovered. These communities had specific tradition that appeared vernacular but kept the ideas of Christian faith. When the ban was lifted in 1873, Christian communities saw revitalization. Today, there are over 500 historically significant and modern churches in Nagasaki region alone.

The Hidden Christian Site comprise 12 components related to Christianity in Japan. They include Kasuga Village and sacred places (Mt Yasumandake and Nakaenoshima Island) in Hirado, Sakitsu Village in Amakusa, Shitsu Village and Ono Village in Sotome, and Oura Cathedral in Nagasaki, Village in Kuroshima in Sasebo, Villages on Kashiragashima in Shin-Kamigoto, Villages on Hisaka Island, and Remains of Hara Castle in Minamishimabara, Villages in Goto (on Nozaki Island and Naru Island). Given the remote locations of some of these places, we planned to visit the accessible ones located on the mainland including the Kasuga Village and Hirado Island, Ono and Shitsu Church in Sotome, Oura Cathedral in Nagasaki, Remains of Hara Castle and Sakitsu Church in Amakusa.

March 23 Hong Kong – Fukuoka – Saga (GMT+9)

We departed Hong Kong at 11 am (HK time) and arrived in Fukuoka around 3:30pm. We picked up a car with Kylie as the driver and I the navigator. We drove to Fairfield by Marriott in Ureshino, Saga where we would stay two nights.  We arrived at the hotel after 6pm and had a nice dinner sampling delicious and tender Saga beef in a local restaurant.

March 24 Hirado

We sat off after 8:30 am heading to Hirado, the first foothold of Christianity in Japan. The first church we visited was the Tabira Catholic, a red-brick church in Romanesque style with impressive stained glass from Germany built in 1918. The interior has three aisles and a multi-layered roof with a bell tower at the front. It represented the revival of Catholicism in Nagasaki. No photography is allowed inside all the churches we visited. Though not a world heritage property, it is impressive standing on a high plateau. The lady in the church shop highly recommended us to visit Hoki Church and Himosashi Church in Hirado Island, and Yamada Church in Ikitsuki Island.

We took her advice and drove to the Hoki Church (1918) situated on a hill overlooking Houki Bay. It is Hirado’s oldest church in existence: though small, it has its own architecture style featuring wooden construction with brick, a red interior and boasting beautiful stained glass.

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A short drive away is the large Himosashi Church (1885). The exterior is in Romanesque style while the interior is inlaid in arches and beautiful stained glass richly decorated with floral patterns. Two gigantic ginkgo trees stand majestically in front of the church.

After a quick lunch by a roadside rest area, we headed to the Ikitsuki Island. On the way, we drove past the idyllic remote Kasuga Village with picturesque terraced fields. By the time I spotted a sign for an observation platform, we missed the turn. So we decided to go straight to the dramatic Shiodawara Cliffs featuring stunning columnar basalt formations. The cliffs measuring about 20m high, stretch for about 500m along the island west coast. A short distance away is the scenic white Obae Lighthouse (1958) located at the northern tip of the island.

On the way to Hirado, we planned to visit the Yamada Church. In 1878 Father Pelu came to Hirado and baptized many people who are said to be the ancestors of the churchgoers of Yamada Church today. Things went smoothly and it was about 2:30pm when we left the lighthouse. We would have time to visit the church on the way back to the Kasuga Village for a quick stop before ending our Hirado tour at St Francis Xavier Memorial Church.  I suggested taking an alternate route as the Google map suggested the coastal and an alternate route through the island would take similar time. Alas, the alternate route ended up to be a big challenge: it is a narrow winding road through woods and agricultural and diary fields. When we finally reached the church, it was 3pm. To our disappoint, it was closed.

On the way back to the coastal main road, we had to drive through scattered settlements with very narrow lane and curbs. As a result, Kylie scratched the right side of the car and we had to report to the police to get an accident report for insurance purposes. Luckily I found from the google map a police station nearby. Ellen and I walked to the station only to find a phone to call. I called and a policeman who spoke English arrived in a car in five minutes. Very efficient! We took him back to the spot of the accident and Kylie gave him all the information. The policeman then went to the location of the accident and spoke with an elderly lady to ascertain whether there was any damage to her property. Very interesting to watch how the Police worked. We passed by the Ikitsuki Kannon-do but I did not have time to pay a visit.

By the time we could leave, it was about 4:30 pm. We immediately headed to  St Francis Xavier Memorial Church . When we reached the door of the church at 5pm, we sadly watched a nun locking the door! Had we arrived a few minutes earlier, we might have gone in just in time to ask the nun to let us stay for five minutes. C’est la vie!

It was getting dark and began to drizzle. Kylie, the poor driver, was exhausted and there was nothing we could do to help. Luckily, we returned safely to our hotel and went to the same restaurant for dinner. We had a long day!

March 25 Three Churches – Nagasaki

Our original plan was to visit the Unzen Jingou today on our way to Nagasaki. But as it was raining heavily, we decided to visit three churches along the coast instead.  On the way to the Ono Church, the inbuilt navigator device of the car took Kylie into a residential area with narrow lanes. After wasting half an hour, Kylie finally managed to back out. As a result, it was midday when we reached the Ono Church in Sotome. Built for 26 Christian households living in the vicinity of Ono as a peripatetic church of Shitsu Church, the Ono Church (1893) is a one-storey building made of stone and wood with a house appearance. It is very small with brick window arches, a flat ceiling, a roof truss structure and a vertical windbreak in front of the entrance on the north side (which is known as “de Rotz walls” named after Father Rotz. This church is my favourite as it is so earthly, authentic, atmospheric and unique: the stonework and the western-styled roof trusses together constitute a fusion of Eastern and Western construction techniques.  

Our second stop was the Shitsu Church (1882) where the Japanese movie “Gege”(2004) was filmed. It has a brick exterior, wood interior, a stone entrance way and a low roof intended to limit damage done by strong wind. The church’s bell was brought from France.  Today was an educational day for me: I learned about Marc Marie de Rotz (1840-1914), a missionary of the Paris Foreign Missions Society who arrived in Nagasaki as a diocesan bishop in 1868. He was the parish priest of the Sotome area in 1879 who was involved in the construction of the Shitsu Church and Ono Church and pioneered various welfare activities including establishing an aid centre.  After visiting the church, we walked downhill to visit the aid centre set up by Father Rotz who has been loved and respected by the people.

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My first visit to Nagasaki was on 21 May 2013. Today, my curiosity in the Hidden Chritians has brought me back to the Oura Church (1865) built by French priests Seraphin-Barthelemy, Louis Furet and Bernard Petitjean to serve the foreign community and honour the 26 martyrs executed in 1597.  On 17 March 1865, hidden Christians from Urakami came to the church and revealed their faith to Father Petitjean.  After visiting the beautiful interior of the church, we spent an hour in the museum to learn about the history of Catholicism in Japan and the hidden Christians. I also learned more about the Tensho Embassy: the idea was originally conceived by Jesuit Alessandro Valignano (1539-1606) and sponsored by three Christian daimyos  Omura Sumitada, Otomo Sorins and Arima Harunobu. The Embassy led by Mancio Ito and joined by three other noblemen namely Miguel Chijiwa, Juliao Nakaura and Maarthinho Hara, left Nagasaki on 20 February 1582, arrived in Lisbon on 11 August 1584 and returned to Japan on 21 July 1590 after meeting with the king of Spain and Portugal, Pope Gregory XIII and Pope Sixtus V, some powerful European noble families, and visiting monastery and important universities. The four were subsequently ordained as the first Japanese Jesuit fathers by Valignano. I kept the booklet on the story of the church which is informative. It was after 6pm when we checked in Hilton for two nights. We were tired and just had a set dinner in one of the eateries in the train station opposite Hilton. Time to relax!

March 26 Unzen Jigoku and Hara Castle Ruins

Kylie and I started the day with a sumptuous buffet breakfast at Hilton. We had a late start at 9:30am and arrived around 11:30am in Unzen Jigoku (Unzen Hell) located inside Unzen National Park which was the first designated national park in 1934. This area was also one of the first tourist resorts for foreigners.

There are around 30 geothermal fields that pump out natural hot spring from the ground every second. The steamy and almost apocalyptic like atmosphere with the smell of sulfur create a hell-like scenery. Hence the name “hell”. We followed the trail and stopped at some ten locations. I find the “Martyrdom Site” the most memorable: during the Shimabara-Amakusa Rebellion (17/12/1637-15/4/1638), an uprising that occurred in the Shimabara Domain of the Tokugawa shogunate, Christians were heavily tortured in Unzen Hell as a way of forcing them to renounce their faith. It was said that 33 Christians were martyred in the area between 1627 and 1631. We spent an hour an a half in hell enjoying full views of bubbling mud pits and fumarole.

We tried to visit the nearby Unzen Church. As it was closed, we stayed at the car park and had a picnic lunch instead. The next stop was Hara Castle Ruins. We followed the Google map and drove straight to the ruins. Unfortunately, there was scanty information on site and no car park next to the ruins. We drove through a well-paved road but dared not to park our car illegally along the road. As a result, we ended up parking our car about 1 km away and walked back to the main castle ruin. We wasted a lot of valuable time. We were unable to visit St. Mary Kannon which was closed at 4pm. 

Instead we spent time in the Arima Christian Heritage Museum. Here we had a quick introduction to the work of the missionary Valignano who established a seminary in Arima in 1580, the role of the Tensho Embassy, and the Shimabara-Amakusa Rebellion 1637-1638 which was considered primarily motivated by the anger of peasant of the Arima and Amakusa domains who suffered from famine and heavy taxes against Matsukura’s mis-governance. The rebellion was later joined by discontent samurai and Christians. Some 40,000 rebels under the leadership of Amakusa Shiro occupied the abandoned Hara Castle in late January1638. (The castle was first built by Arima Takazumi in 1496 and re-built by Arima Harunobu (1567-1612), a Christian daimyo, between 1599 and 1604 as his main stronghold, and abandoned after the Arima clan was transferred to Nobeoka Domain in Hyuga Province in 1616).  The Tokugawa shogunate sent a force of over 125,000 troops to suppress the rebels and finally defeated them on 15 April 1638. After the fall of the castle, the shogunate forces executed an estimated 37,000 rebels and sympathizers as punishment. Amakusa Shiro’s severed was taken to Nagasaki for public display and the Hara Castle was burned to the ground and buried together with the bodies of all the dead. A number of remains and relics have been discovered during excavations

This rebellion had apparently strong impact on the Japan’s feudal government and led to the establishment of a ban on maritime trade that lasted over two centuries. It also forced the remaining Christians to practice their faith in secret.   As the interpretations in the museum are mostly in Japanese, we could only get a gist of the historical development. I noted some valuable exhibits including an Akasagarbha statue with a cross at the back.  On the advice of the museum staff, we paid a brief visit to a historical landmark where eight people had been burned to death in Arima.

On the way back to Nagasaki, we stopped at a local izakaya an excellent meal with sashimi, grilled meat and fried potatoes in a local eatery in Obamacho for less than 6,000 yen. Once again, poor Kylie had to drive over an hour and a half after dinner to Nagasaki.

March 27 Nagasaki – Shimoshima Island, Amakusa

Before leaving Nagasaki, I visited the pilgrim site at “Nishizaka Hill” before 7 am in order to pay respect to the Twenty-six Martyrs.  As we would be leaving at 8:30am, I coul not visit the museum next to the monument. This would be something to do on when I return to Nagasaki one day.

We had a smooth drive to Kuchinotsu and took the 11:30am ferry to Onlike, Shimoshima Island. During the 30-minute ferry ride, we saw a couple to dolphins. Kylie had never watched dolphins. Hence she and I booked a dolphin watching tour at 2:30pm for 3,000 yen.

We had a popular seafood lunch with sea urchins, sashimi etc for less than 7,000 yen for four persons. We had time to drive around the Tsuji Island before  joining the dolphin watching tour. The boat was full with probably 40-50 tourists. There were four boats in the area and we were greeted by several schools of dolphins (perhaps 100 to 200). Though I have seen dolphins dozens of times, it is always delightful to watch them playing and jumping.

We were back at the pier at 3:30pm and met up with Ellen and Denise. We drove about 17 km to check in at the Algeria Garden Resort at Amakusa. In order to get ourselves better equipped, we went straight to the the Amakusa Christian Museum before its closure at 5pm. We watched a short video and had a quick introduction to Amakusa, the Shimabara-Amakusa Rebellion and  Masuda Shiro Tokisada, commonly known as Amakusa Shiro(1621-1638).   Known to Catholic followers as  the “Heaven’s messenger” with miraculous power, the young and charismatic Shiro became the rebels’ leader by the age of 15,  and was executed at 17. The story of Shiro and the rebellion were reflected in the 1962 movie “The Christian Revolt”. We began to understand the history of the rebellion and adore Amakusa Shiro! As we had a long day, we returned to the hotel for a sumptuous dinner at 6:30 pm. I also went to the hot spring before going to bed!  

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March 28 Shimoshima Island

Amakusa is a series of islands and Shimoshima which is 42.6km long and 21.7 km at its widest, is the largest of the group. Today, we had a leisure day touring the island. I started early and watched sunrise from our balcony before heading to the onsen. After a full breakfast, we set off after 9:30am.  We had some nice surprises throughout the day. First, we drove along route 266 and spotted beautiful cherry blossoms at the Kamegawa Dam. We had a beautiful day and thoroughly enjoyed the ambience and beauty of cherry blossom by ourselves for half an hour!

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We decided to explore the Kameura Bay area (route 35) which is said to be a type of fiord that is not commonly found in Japan. On the way, we discovered a small cake shop “Little House” which served good coffee and nice cakes. The bay is picturesque.

Our third stop was Sakitsu Village, a fishing village located in the western part of the island (route 389). There are several main components of historical significance, namely the house of Mizukata in which Hidden Christians’ devotional tools have been kept, the Sakitsu Suwa Shrine where Hidden Christians secretly offered the Oratio prayer, the site of the house of village headmen from the Yoshida family, in which the efumi ceremony took place, and the site of the first Sakitsu Church built beside the Sakitsu Suwa Shrine after the hidden Christians rejoined the Catholic Church following the lifting of the ban on Christianity.

After missionaries returned to Japan in the latter half of the 19^th century,  hidden Christians here were baptised afresh, joined the church and built the first Sakitsu Church in 1888 at the site offered by a Catholic who had served as a Mizukata during the ban on Christianity. Today’s Sakitsu Church was built in 1934 with the altar set up on the very place where the efumi ceremony was carried out.  The present church is a mix of Western and Japanese culture: the outside has Gothic features while the inside flooring is still covered with tatami mats.

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We visited the small but informative Minato-ya Museum with good displays of artifacts that the locals used to practise their faith during the ban. They venerated statues of the Japanese traditional deities Daikokuten and Ebisu as Deus, and abalone shells that had special significance as their mother-of-pearl patterns were associated with Virgin Mary. We spent over an hour strolling in this picturesque fishing village, visiting the church, museum and the shrine, and looked at the statue of Mary on the Ocean from a viewing platform.

We continued on route 389 to the Amakusa Rosario Museum which focuses on the history of Christianity in Japan with many displays of artifacts. Nearby is the Oe Tenshudo Church built in 1933 by French missionary Father Garnier (1860-1941) who dedicated his life to serving hidden Christians in Amakusa from 1892 to 1941. The Romanesque-style church is imposing and beautiful with stunning stained glass windows. We also visited a miraculous spring below the church which is said to originate from Lourdes.

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As we were driving on the western side of the island, we hoped to watch a wonderful sunset. As we still had time, we visited a foot onsen in Shimoda close to a scenic spot for sunset. We had a wonderful time at the foot onsen. Unfortunately the sky too cloudy for a glorious sunset. We decided to head back to the hotel after 5:30pm. The drive on route 24 was fairly good and we had another sumptuous dinner at 7pm!

March 29  Drive from Amakusa to Aso City

We had a few nice stops today. Shiro was born in Amakusa and a memorial hall located in Kami-Amakusa on Oyano Island dedicated to him is now a museum. We visited the museum and revisited the history of Christianity in Japan, the historical background of the “Shimabara/Amakusa Rebellion” and the cultural background influenced by the culture of Nanban (historically referring to the Portuguese and Spanish traders who arrived in Japan in the 16-17^th centuries) in an easy-to-understand ways. The visit also deepened my understanding of and admiration for Amakusa Shiro.

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We enjoyed a scenic drive with a couple of photo stops with a lunch stop at the Ouda Coastal Park.  The spectacular scenery created by tides along this coast is ideal for sunset photography. We explored the Sumiyoshi Seaside Park with a large statue of Jinbe “Knight of the Sea” right next to the famous Nagabeta Seabed Road.

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Around 2:30 pm, we began our drive to the Aso -Kuju National Park and planned to stop at Daikanbo Lookout before arriving at our hotel in Aso. Unfortunately, we somehow misread the directional signal from the car’s inbuilt navigator and ended up returning to the same spot after driving for half an hour! It was getting late and Kylie was tired. So we drove to the Suncrown Hotel direct and had an early dinner at 6 pm in a cute eatery close to the hotel. We had four dinner sets and a plate of ox-tongue for less than 8,000 yen!  

March 30 Aso -Kuju National Park & Takachiho  

We planned to explore the National Park which is home to volcanic peaks and fantastically shaped terrain, steamy hot springs, virgin forests and vat pastoral grasslands. Aso Caldera is one of the largest calderas in the world spanning 18 km from east to west and 25 km from north to south. The five peaks of Mount Aso are said to resemble a sleeping Buddha. One of them, Mount Nakadake, is still active: within its central crater is an acidic pool of pale turquoise blue from which smoke and steam rise. We drove along route 111 and had several photo stops. As the Aso Nakadake Crater 1 was temporarily closed, we could only enjoy a panoramic view at the Kusasenri Observatory.

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Then we took route 325 to the Shirakawa Headspring, a cluster of springs that serve as a water source for the Shirakawa River. We had a nice short walk to the Headspring and relaxed for an hour.    We had a pleasant and easy ride on route 325 to the Takachiho Gorge formed by columnar jointing. The postcard view of the gorge is with a boat in front of the 17-metre high Manai Falls in a narrow gorge. We followed a well-signed and maintained trail along this impressive gorge. It started to rain. Time to leave!

According to Goggle map and our car’s navigator, we could either take the motor way and toll road (about 180km) or a shorter route of 88km via route 325 and 8 to Taketa, and route 47 to Yufu  (about 88 km), both with similar driving time. I thought it would be nice to take a shorter route. Alas it turned out to be a nightmare for Kylie as route 8 takes us through virgin forests with many steep climbs and endless narrow bends. It was a beautiful scenic drive but too demanding for Kylie. I felt sorry for misjudging the difficulties of this route. Luckily Kylie is a very cautious driver and we managed to arrive at Yufuin Hotel Jiyu-kan in Minami-Yufu before 6 pm. As our hotel has only three rooms,  Ellen and Denise had to stay at Oyado of Yufu Firefly (about 2km from our hotel).

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Our hotel with very high rating is run by a couple who enjoy cooking. We had a nice mix of French/Italian and Japanese cuisine for dinner. Our room had a view of a vineyard, paddy fields belonging to the hotel owner’s family, trains passing a few times an hour and distant mountains. We had a nice experience: the rice was home-grown. the plum wine was made by his grandmother, the red wine was from his vineyard and honey came from his beehive. We had a private hot bath in our suite: the water quality is said to be the best in the region!  

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March 31 Beppu Hells

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Today, we spent the whole day visiting the Beppu Jigoku (Hells of Beppu). I looked at my website and recalled my visit to these hells on 20 May 2013. I was energetic and bought a combined ticket (2,000 yen) to visit all the seven hells namely Sea Hell, Oniishibozu Hell, Furnace Hell, Crocodile Hell, White Pond Hell, Blood Pond Hell and Tornado Hell. Today the combined ticket costs 2,400 yen. We decided to buy individual ticket for 500 yen and visited the Sea Hell, Oniishibozu Hell, Blood Pond Hell and Tornado Hell. We found a nice local restaurant and had noodles for lunch. We returned to our hotel to enjoy a sumptuous shabu-shabu dinner and a leisure soak in our private hot bath in our suite.  

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April 1 Asakura – Fukuoka Airport – Yonago

We had to return our car at Fukuoka Airport before 4pm and my friends would be flying back to Hong Kong at 6pm. We had a leisure morning enjoying our last delicious home-made breakfast before setting off around 10am.

Kylie after studying the cherry blossom forecast and our route plan decided to make a stop at Amagi Park in Asakura. She made an excellent decision: it was drizzling and we had a most leisure and enjoyable time in the park. We were lucky: the cherry blossoms were still in full bloom! We travelled some 1300 km and returned the car at the Toyota office around 3:30pm. I said goodbye to my friends and took a taxi to the Hakata Station (1,800 yen). I was on Shinkanshen at 4:45 pm heading to Okayama where I had to take another train to Yonago. (I chose Yonago as I could stay in Toyoku Inn opposite the station). As I had more than 45 minutes at the Okayama station, I had time for dinner. I got off the train after 9:35 pm and was able to reach my hotel before 10 pm despite the rain!

Conclusion (to add)