Departure
16 listopada 2024, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ 🌬 81 °F
Waiting in Gate A15 for my flight, with a little apprehension. My First Stage of the Shikoku88 Pilgrimage was organized by WalkJapan, all I had to do was follow their detailed instructions in an Czytaj więcej
Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport
17 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
My flight arrived early, at 6 pm and I cleared immigration/customs in 30 minutes. Since the last bus to Tokushima was long gone, I booked this hotel located conveniently in the International Terminal. Czytaj więcej
Airport Bus to Tokushima
18 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ 🌬 59 °F
Waiting at Terminal 2 to catch a bus to Tokushima Station. When I booked my ride I apparently put Terminal 2 as my starting point rather than Terminal 1 where I was staying, requiring me to take a Czytaj więcej
Awa Odori Kaikan
18 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ 🌬 61 °F
I got to the JR Clement Hotel around 1 PM. Since Japanese hotels are strict about when you can check in, I dropped off my bag and walked to the Awa Odori Kaikan for a 2 PM performance of the Awa Odori Czytaj więcej
JR Clement Hotel
18 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ 🌬 59 °F
Day 1 T13 to T17
19 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
Restarting my walking Pilgrimage with a relatively easy first day. Starting at Dainichiji which was in a more rural part of Tokushima City, I headed towards the city center. After finishing Idoji I Czytaj więcej
Day 2 T18 & T19
20 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
I took it easy for Day 2. I was, ambitiously, planning on walking the entire length ( over 16 miles). However, I was still recovering from yesterday and today I would be lugging my full backpack. So I Czytaj więcej
Heading to Anan
20 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F
Tatsueji Station was a typical unmanned rural stop using 1 car trains. I took the Mugi Line to Anan, which was a small city.
On my way to my hotel I came up on a CoCo Ichibanya, so I decided to make Czytaj więcej
First Great Walk
21 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
Waking up to a great breakfast (getting tired of konbini grab and go) at my hotel. Then a train to start the visit to T22 Byodoji, the final Tokushima temple on this visit.
Even though I already Czytaj więcej
Hawks
21 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
While I was waiting at Kiki Station for my train, a group of hawks decided to hover over me. I had seen a single hawk at multiple locations, but there were about 4 here enjoying the thermals.
Funky Accommodations
21 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
There are few hotels in this area so I had to make a booking with a guesthouse. It was a small detached unit, made of a light wood and featured a loft bed. Definitely different from my previous Czytaj więcej
Dual Mode Vehicle
22 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F
The reason I stopped at Awa-Kainan was to be stationed where the bus line to Cape Muroto starts. Train lines used to run to Cape Muroto but were retired and service ended at Awa-Kainan.
A special Czytaj więcej
Day 4, Extra Long Day in Kochi
22–28 lis 2024, Japonia ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
Long day as I added a third temple to my plan and all three temples had significant climbs. I got off the bus at Muroto GeoPark, which is almost 6 miles from T24. The bus crossed over to the west Czytaj więcej
One Day Temple
23 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
It's a good thing I did T26 Kongochoji yesterday rather than today, because T27 Konomineji was a handful, far and high away from the coastline.
It took over 2 hours of hard effort climbing the back Czytaj więcej
Back in a City
24–28 lis 2024, Japonia ⋅ ☀️ 43 °F
After several days in rural Tokushima and Kochi, it's good to be back in a city. Restaurants, konbini, and even vending machines are rare so you need to plan ahead or go without.
Kochi City isn't Czytaj więcej
Back to Walking to City Temples
24 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
After some amazing trails to mountain temples, it's back to the more mundane city breed.
Kochi Castle
25 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F
Rest day from the Pilgrimage today, which means sightseeing. Got to Kochi Castle just as it opened. It has 6 floors with those extremely steep stairs but the view of Kochi was incredible.
I was first Czytaj więcej
Ritsurin Garden - Day Edition
25 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F
I took a bus to Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu, Kagawa, hoping to see some fall color which was sorely lacking in Kochi. But as we neared the garden, there wasn't much color here either.
The first item Czytaj więcej
Ritsurin Garden - Night Edition
25 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F
Ritsurin Garden started their night illumination the night before, but the big draw, the rich reds and yellows were still missing. But any illumination is a big deal not to be missed.
I had to kill Czytaj więcej
Looks like rain
26 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ 🌧 59 °F
After my rest day where I still managed to walk over 10 miles, and forecasted rain today, I decided to shorten today's Pilgrimage walk by catching a bus to the first temple. I also purchased an Czytaj więcej
And it poured
26 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ 🌧 57 °F
I made it to the first 2 temples with only light rain, although a tornado warning was issued for the area. But at the last temple it poured. I was in the ferry waiting room when the first heavy Czytaj więcej
Shaking
26 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ 🌙 55 °F
Felt the earthquake while lying in bed. Went on for about 20 seconds with a rotating motion. After it ended the clothes hangers continued making noise as they kept swaying.
Saved from a Planning Error
27 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
Today I had planned a 19 mile, 9 hr marathon to visit T34 to T36. I must have been deliriously overconfident and failed to consider the short daylight. Luckily when I reviewed the plan the previous Czytaj więcej
Sanyoso
27 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
Onsen Ryokan. I have to rate the room and meal as mid-level, given the really nice accommodations I had booked by WalkJapan in Stage 1. But its location near my final Temple was godsend.
It Took All Day to Do T37 Iwamotoji
28 listopada 2024, Japonia ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
It was a long day to get to T37 Iwamotoji, even using public transportation. First it was a shuttle from the hotel to a nearby ferry. The ferry then took me 10 miles after which I walked another 12 Czytaj więcej



















































































































































































































