Day 39: Far Over The Misty Mountains

I woke extra early at 5.30 am today, in order to make a head start on the mountain that Yokomine-ji (横峰寺 – 60) is perched on, only to find it had already begun raining.

Near Myōunji

It was a pretty miserable 8km trudge down to Myōunji save for school kids shouting “Ohayo gozaimasu” as they cycled past on their way to school. Already pretty soaked, I stopped at FamilyMart at 8.30 am for some snacks to give me energy for the ascent ahead.

Way up to Yokomine-ji

The 9km route up to Yokomine-ji (740m) starts with a gradual 7km uphill walk along a road before a steep 2km section through the woods. This last part was a real killer since I had to be extra careful not to fall on the slippery rocks.

Yokomine-ji in the mist

Arriving at 11 am, the summit was shrouded in thick mist so visibility was pretty low. After the long climb, the first thing I did was to down a can of juice from the vending machine before conducting the temple rites.

Coming down from Yokomine-ji
Saijo Expressway bridge

An equally long 10km path descends to Kōon-ji (香園寺 – 61), through the forest and along a reservoir. Halfway down I met a group of four elderly ladies who were having a damp picnic in the middle of the path. Good on them for making the effort in such bad weather!

View over Saijo
Naranoki

Below the clouds, the weather had dried up but the dark skies looked as if they were threatening another downpour at any moment.

Kōon-ji
Kōon-ji top floor

Unlike the usual wooden temples, Kōon-ji stands out for its modern brutalist design with an enormous prayer/service hall at the top.

Kōon-ji main hall

Whilst not the prettiest building on the eye I applaud it for having tried something different. Not always easily done in Japan.

Kichijō-ji pilgrims

Hōju-ji (宝寿寺 – 62) and Kichijō-ji (吉祥寺 – 63) were just a few kilometres apart each. I was trying to be quick so I could make it to Maegami-ji (前神寺 – 64) by 5 pm but kept getting delayed by the same bus tour group who were clogging up the temple offices.

Hōju-ji

My timing wasn’t helped by my own forgetfulness since I left my stick at a Lawson combini on the way to Kichijō-ji and wasted 30 minutes going back for it (for the second day running).

It had begun to spit with rain again but the 3.5km route to Maegami-ji along a side road lined with traditional houses was actually rather pleasant.

Maegami-ji main hall

When I arrived at 4.30 pm the monks had already begun clearing up so I guess I was the last visitor for the day.

Dinner at Yunotani Onsen

Luckily Yunotani Onsen where I am staying tonight was just 10 minutes away so I was able to make it there by 5 pm. The dinner was especially good.

The combination of the long hike in damp shoes hasn’t been very kind on my feet today so I need to be a little gentler tomorrow in preparation for the next big climb up to Sankaku-ji (三角寺 – 65) and Unpen-ji (雲辺寺 – 66).

Information

Distance walked: 33 km / 50,800 steps
Temples visited: 60–64
Overnight lodgings: Yunotani Onsen (湯之谷温泉) – Onsen

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David avatar

9 responses

  1. Take care of those feet! Don’t be afraid to use loads of band-aids and change socks frequently.

    While it might have been a wet day some of those photos in the fog are brilliant.

  2. James Boddy avatar
    James Boddy

    Great photos David, especially the top one.
    Yes, that last 2 km up to the temple must have been a real challenge in wet conditions, having the very frequent distance to go markers on that section was encouraging.
    Did you take a cold shower at the pilgrim waterfall near the foot of the descent from T 60?
    Enjoy the onsen, you have earned it’s pleasures. Dinner looks truly delicious!!

    1. I saw that waterfall on the way down but wasn’t really in the mood for getting any wetter, haha

  3. Margaret avatar
    Margaret

    Well done David in very difficult conditions – hope you can rest up a bit before the next climb! The temples are coming very frequently now ?

  4. Christopher Pannell avatar
    Christopher Pannell

    Must have been tough but I am struck by the beauty of the photographs and the quiet little moments you capture. I’m sure you take the time to appreciate them as you go.

    Take care of your feet. Have you got decent boots (with gore-tex)? Use zinc-oxide tape as well if you can – trust me it works!

    1. Thanks for the tip Christopher!

  5. Wendy avatar
    Wendy

    It has been 3 days did not get your post, believe that must be internet connection.

    1. Yes – I hope to upload the last two days once I can find some fast wifi!

  6. Hunter avatar
    Hunter

    Food picture is an A+

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