A Walk Around Shodoshima Day 1, Morning Th Dec 24th I start my walk along the Shodoshima Pilgrimage simply afterwards the Sun has risen. Only a few days past times the wintertime solstice, the days are really curt as well as I require to remove maintain wages of all the daylight at that topographic point is. When I arrived hither terminal nighttime it was pouring amongst rain, but I am pleasantly surprised to detect clear skies as well as pinkish clouds of mist collected around the mountaintops this morning. I elect to start the walk at temple publish 4, Furue-an, every bit it is correct side past times side door to the minshuku I am staying at for these get-go few days of my walk. 
Furue-an is a modest edifice correct on the H2O amongst the ubiquitous meter-high concrete wall separating it from the sea. It's an uninhabited site, actually simply a wayside chapel as well as therefore it's locked upwardly as well as nobody about. In front end a draw of piece of job of 33 statues, each ane representing a Kannon on the famous Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. I remove maintain a quick expect around the modest shrine side past times side door as well as and then I follow the modest coast route downwards the peninsula as well as spotter the caps of mist on the mountains across the H2O lose their pinkish tinge as well as shrink as well as disappear. After nigh a kilometer the peninsula narrows to simply a few hundred meters as well as I cross over to the other coast as well as the fiddling angling hamlet of Horikoshi. The route along the water's edge, protected of course of education past times a meter high concrete wall, is lined amongst wooden buildings covered amongst dark, weathered wood, broken past times a few doors of the same wood, but amongst no windows. For protection the hamlet turns its dorsum to the sea. I detect the side past times side temple, publish 5, Horikoshi-an, upwardly some winding lanes where the hamlet climbs the hillside. Like publish 4 it is located correct side past times side to the modest hamlet shrine. The suffix -an on a temple elevate could endure translated every bit "hermitage", which agency that rather than beingness a full-fledged temple it is somewhere that historically a nun or monk lived. 
There is a honzon, a statue of the deity enshrined here, as well as oft at that topographic point volition endure a bronze bell, but normally non much more. The side past times side halt is farther downwards the peninsula, as well as I remove maintain several possible routes. There is a narrow route from hither along the southward coast. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pair of years agone it was shut past times a landslide, as well as it may or may non remove maintain been repaired, or, I tin forcefulness out backtrack one-half a kilometer as well as remove maintain the principal route along the northward coast. The determination is made for me, a tertiary way. There are nigh one-half a dozen modest signs inwards front end of Horikoshi-an pointing along a path that leads upwardly the hillside. The most straightaway route, over the mountain. The path passes past times some tiny vegetable plots earlier entering the forest. The path is covered amongst fallen leaves as well as steep plenty to remove maintain a handrail. I am no non bad fan of climbing hills or of walking uphill inwards general, but inwards Nippon at that topographic point is no choice. I climb as well as climb, thankful that I alone remove maintain nigh 150 meters to ascend. When I larn to the overstep I am delighted to remove maintain been directed this way. It's magical. Thin mist nevertheless hovers inwards the trees as well as the sunlight floods the woods amongst golden shafts. Here at the overstep is a modest Jizo statue inwards its ain shelter. Every overstep used to remove maintain one. Back inwards the day, non also long ago, when Japanese walked everywhere, at that topographic point were hundreds of trails similar this amongst a Jizo at the pass. I wonder how many are at nowadays all lone where a path used to be, long since overgrown. As the trail descends the woods becomes bamboo. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 narrow corridor through dense bamboo. Part way downwards I cross a stream as well as hither are a pair of Fudo Myo statues. 
The bamboo becomes thicker nevertheless as well as curiously at that topographic point is a an overhead lattice of bamboo that has snapped as well as fallen horizontal. The corridor has larn a tunnel until I emerge into the sunlight at the altitude of the angling hamlet of Tanoura. Tanoura-an, publish vi on the pilgrimage, is at the altitude of the village, correct side past times side to the hamlet shrine as well as a huge tree trunk, patently an sometime Gingko tree that died. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 largish Jizo statue wearing multiple bibs as well as a pair of caps is inwards front end of the modest hall. This is a wart-removing Jizo as well as people volition come upwardly some distance from exterior the hamlet to brand an offering inwards the promise of having warts disappear. Down at the waterfront I halt inwards at an old, wooden schoolhouse. It shut inwards 1971, but is opened upwardly every bit a tourist attraction every bit this is where ane of the most pop Japanese movies always was filmed. 24 Eyes is non every bit good known exterior Nippon every bit other movies of the 50's, but many Japanese tourists volition come upwardly to Shodoshima because of it. The pilgrimage route at nowadays heads dorsum upwardly the peninsula to where I started but get-go I remove maintain a fiddling ane kilometer detour downwards to the 24 Eyes Movie Village, a major tourist finish built on what was the motion painting laid for a remake of 24 Eyes. Not beingness a big fan of the movie, dissimilar most of the visitors, I'm non all that impressed, therefore afterwards taking a bunch of photos I larn out as well as halt inwards at a fiddling eating institution simply exterior the entrance. I companionship a curry rice as well as it comes topped amongst iii small, greenish olives. Shodoshima is the olive growing upper-case missive of the alphabet of Nippon as well as has larn the prime number identity of the island, therefore I suspect I volition endure finding to a greater extent than meals amongst added olives. After a java I caput off upwardly the route past times a autobus shelter made from an sometime soy sauce brewing barrel. Soy sauce is the side past times side most famous production of the island. Shodoshima Pilgrimage Day 1 Afternoon © JapanVisitor.com Sumber https://japanvisitor.blogspot.com/