Reflection at Kongofuku-ji (Temple #38)

I was quite struck by the beauty and serenity of this place. There were only a couple of other people in the temple grounds during our hour-long visit so we essentially had the place to ourselves. We were privileged to have the temple priest accompany us during our visit. He invited us all inside the main temple building where he chanted a sutra for us.

Kongofuku-ji (Temple #38)

Kongofuku-ji is Temple #38 on the 88 Temple Pilgrimage. It sits is a lovely setting surrounded by subtropical woodlands atop Cape Ashizuri.

Tojin Daba

This cluster of giant boulders in the hills above Cape Ashizuri is known as Tojin Daba. There are all kinds of stories about how these are vestiges of a mysterious ancient civilization, but they look like a beautiful natural outcropping to me!

Okinohama Beach

A view of the Okinohama Beach en route to Cape Ashizuri. The beach is an important sea turtle nesting ground. The scene reminded me of the Oregon Coast though our local guides were hoping that we'd tell them that the beach resembled those of Hawai'i.

Fishing boat on the Shimanto River

A lovely, blue-sky day on the Shimanto River, the longest river on Shikoku. Just opposite this landing we enjoyed a delicious lunch of grilled unagi (eel).

Henro-goya

Pilgrims walking the 88 Temple Pilgrimage Route can take advantage of shelters built for their convenience along the route. Most are simple, open air structures, but they provide a place pilgrims to get out of the weather and rest. The shelters are called henro-goya ("pilgrim huts").

Kōchi Castle (Kōchi-jō)

As the day comes to a close, a maple tree adds a splash of color to a classic Japanese scene in central Kōchi city, the capital of Kōchi prefecture. The origins of Kōchi Castle date to the early 17th century. Though it's been restored and rebuilt over the years, the castle is still the original structure and not a replica.

Winter Camellia

A camellia blossom brightens this December day outside the city of Kochi. We're at a little restaurant called the "Log Cafe Cotton Time" for lunch. It's sunny and warm with an almost tropical feel to the air.

The Yoshinogawa

A parting shot of the blue-green waters of the Yoshinogawa River.

Kazurabashi, Iya Valley

The suspension bridge of Kazurabashi (かずら橋) is one of the few remaining examples of vine bridges that once spanned the narrow Iya gorge. It's possible to walk across, but it's best to have a good head for heights. The planks forming the bridge's two meter wide deck are spaced about 6 inches apart so you can see right through to the river below. Made of woven vines (now actually reinforced with steel cables) the bridge is replaced every three years. Some people have called the often misty Iya Gorge area "Japan's Tibet."

Rotenburo at Kazurabashi

We spent the evening in the Iya Valley. The hotel's open-air baths (rotenburo) are perched on a slope above the hotel and accessed by a cable car. The setting of the baths--and the views from them--are, well, remarkable.

Thatch Roofed Farmhouse in Ochiai

A traditional thatch-roofed farmhouse in Ochiai village. Several traditional farmhouses in the village are preparing to receive overnight guests. This will create Shikoku's version of the farmhouse stays visitors currently enjoy at Shirakawa-go in Gifu prefecture on the main island of Honshu.

December Snow

Snow dusts the peaks in the vicinity of Ochiai mountain village, Iya River Valley.

Iya Valley Funicular

There are some lovely hotels in the Iya Valley of central Shikoku. One is perched on the steep-walls of the Iya River gorge, and a funicular carries hotel guests down to the valley floor where the riverside rotenburo (open-air hot spring bath) awaits! Sometimes bathers can spot monkeys along the riverside. There are no other settlements in the vicinity of the hotel and this isolation is so much the charm of the place!

Hinoji

A view of the Shikoku mountains in the Iya Valley region. Here, the Iya River makes a U-shaped bend in the shape of the character "hi" (ひ) in the hiragana syllabary hence the name "Hinoji." This is a place of steep-walled valleys and rugged mountain ridges, sparsely settled and "wild" in character.

On the Yoshinogawa

A tourist boat makes its way up the Yoshinogawa. It was December and there were azaleas blooming in the depths of the gorge. From our boat, giant carp were easy to spot in the crystal clear water.

Oboke Gorge

Spent the night at the Sun River Oboke Hotel deep in the Oboke Gorge. I awoke to this view of  morning clouds slowly dissipating to reveal the peaks that hem in the gorge.

Mountains on Shikoku

Shadowed ridges of the mountains of central Shikoku rise south of the Yoshinogawa (Yoshino River). We are bound for the steep-walled Oboke Gorge of central Shikoku.

Tokushima Ramen

Here's lunch in Wakimachi village. Probably the best bowl of ramen I've ever had.

Autumn display in Wakimachi

On December 11, maple trees in autumn finery frame the Yoshida House in Wakimachi. The merchant who built this house in the late 18th century made his fortune in the indigo trade.