Access to Kumakōgen-chō
https://kuma-kanko.com/access-en/Access(Tokyo)Narita Intl. Airport(Tokyo)Fly approx.
1 hr 35 mins

Fly approx.
1 hr 50 mins

Chubu Centrair Intl.
Airport (Aichi Pref.)Fly approx.
1 hr 5 mins

Osaka Intl. (Itami)
Airport (Osaka)

Fly approx.
55 mins

Kansai Intl. Airport

Fly approx.
55 mins(Osaka)Fukuoka Airport(Fukuoka Pref.)Ride bus approx.
15 mins

Matsuyama Airport (Ehime Pref.)Haneda Airport* Be sure to check schedules aheadof time, as buses do not run frequently.

Fly approx.
45 mins

Iwaya-ji temple

JR Matsuyama Station
Ride bus approx. 1 hr 10mins, deboard in front ofKuma Jr High School

Kumakōgen-chō(Iyotetsu Nanyo Bus Kuma-Eigyōsho stop)
Ride bus approx. 1 min, deboard
at entrance to Daihō-ji temple,
walk approx. 10 mins

Alternatively,
walk approx.
20 mins

Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage

The Henro in Kumakōgen

Daihō-ji temple
Ride bus approx. 15 mins,
deboard at Iwaya-ji temple,
walk approx. 20 mins

Alternatively,
walk approx.
3 hrs

Try walking the Henroon foot the traditional way!
We can recommend experiencing the Henro pilgrimage
walked on foot for the portion between the Daihō-ji
and Iwaya-ji temples. Along the way on a traditional
pedestrian-only stretch of the pilgrimage route is achallenging section called “Hacchō-zaka,” which gives
those who experience it an ample taste of the Shikoku
Henro’s true charms. The distance between Daihō-ji
and Iwaya-ji is approximately 8.4 km, which shouldtake about three hours on foot.

Lodging in Kumakōgen-chō convenient for Shikoku Henro pilgrims
Petit Hotel GardenTime 0892-21-0005

1470-1 Kuma, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime

https://kuma-kanko.com/spot-cat/lodging/

DENKO Coffee & Rest

Minshuku & Sightseeing Farm Kariba-en

Minshuku Ichiriki 0892-21-0505

Kumakōgen Furusato Ryokō-mura Nature Resort Group0892-21-0092
1363-1 Irino, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime
1331-1 Irino, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime

Omogo Ryokan 0892-21-0024

348 Kuma, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime

Minshuku Wasaji 0892-41-0651

1528-1 Shimohatanokawa-kō, Kumakōgen-chō,Kamiukena-gun, Ehime

Vacational rental Minpaku Takano-Tenbōdai090-4472-0143
2-2909 Sugō, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime0892-41-0550
1670 Shimohatanokawa-kō, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime0892-41-0711
488 Shimohatanokawa-otsu, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime

Haccho-zaka Japanese Inn

0892-41-0678
1609-7 Shimohatanokawa-kō, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime

Kokumin-shukusha FURUIWAYASŌ

0892-41-0431
1636 Naose-otsu, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime

Kadotaya 0892-57-0801
1500 Nanatori, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime

For inquiries regarding sightseeing in Kumakōgen-chō

Published by:0892-21-1192 https://kuma-kanko.com/0892-21-1111 https://www.kumakogen.jp/

Kumakōgen-chō Tourism Association

Kumakōgen-chō Town

Japan’s

only mention inthe NY T
“52 Placimes’ lises to Got ofin 2015”!

Shikoku’s pilgrimage of 88 sacred sites was featured in the NY Times as being among the power
spots of the world offering access on foot with relative peace of mind, and the accompanying
photo was of the Sandō approach path to Iwaya-ji temple. Leading the way up a steep hillside, theapproach beckons pilgrims on to enter the path of spiritual practice.

Temple-Visiting Etiquette

Shikoku’s Henro Pilgrimage —The Henro is a pilgrimage route of approx. 1400 km in total length that retraces the footsteps
Kōbō-Daishi (Kūkai) took in the course of spiritual training about 1200 years ago. Eighty-eighttemples referred to as Fudasho are located along the route, and traveling to each one of themprovides a path all the way around the island of Shikoku. Shikoku’s Henro is a rare instance ofpilgrimage culture in which all comers are welcomed warmly regardless of faith or ethnicity, andfor this it is attracting attention from around the world.
Nestled among the mountains of Ehime Prefecture, the town of Kumakōgen-chō is home to twoFudasho with differing characters: Daihō-ji temple, as the 44th stop the midway point of thepilgrimage, and Iwaya-ji temple, the 45th. In between these two Fudasho is located “Hacchōzaka,” a hilly portion of the route known as a challenging section, and pilgrims’ lodgings aswell. Here are found the charms of Shikoku’s Henro—with the soothing effects of nature and ofpeople’s hospitality—in concentrated form.

1 Sanmon (Temple gate)

Join hands in prayer and make a
bow before passing through thegate onto the temple precincts.

3 Shōrō (Bell tower)

Though one’s frame of mind is the most important aspect in giving
prayers at temples, familiarity with the proper protocol will offer
more meaningful encounter with Japanese culture to visitors.

2 Chōzuba (Hand-washing basin)

Scoop water with aladle to rinse left hand,then right.

Pour water from aladle into cupped
palm and use it torinse mouth.

Tip the ladle upwards
to rinse and purify
its handle with theremaining water.

4 Hondō (Main temple hall)

Offer a candle. Lightingfrom already lit candles
is strictly prohibited.

Offer three incense
sticks in the incenseburner.

Strike the bell once before giving
prayers. Striking afterwards isconsidered inauspicious.

5 Daishi-dō(Hall with enshrined Kōbō-Daishi)

Quietly insert amonetary offering
into the receptacle.

Insert an osamefuda(votive card) into thereceptacle.

Take the rope inhands to soundthe waniguchi(slit-mouthedgong) once.

For advanced
learners ofJapanese

Give prayers with the same
protocol as at the main temple.
The girl signboard marks the way.

Kumakōgen-chō

Join hands in prayer.

6 Nōkyō-sho (Sutra-submission office)Request nōkyō (sutra-submission) to receive characters
written in black sumi ink and vermillion seals. Nōkyō isprovided with the “O-mie,” or incarnation of the temple’s
main object of worship, the Go-honzon-sama.
The fee for nōkyō on washi paper is ¥310.

Statue of Kōbō-Daishi at Iwaya-ji temple

Chant the HeartSutra.

7 Sanmon(Temple gate)
Leave through the Sanmon(temple gate), and joinhands in prayer and makea bow in the same manneras Step 1.

Daihō-ji, a temple that has experienced fires
3 times in the past. Its stately Hondō (mainhall) with copper-sheeted roofing was rebuilt
in the Taishō Period (1912-1926).

Highlights

At the left and right sides of the entrance are Kongō Rikishi(Deva king) statues.

Daihō-ji temple

Straw sandals much greater thana person’s height●Sanmon (Temple gate)
At the large Sanmon that stands tall at the end of theSandō approach path are enshrined Kongō Rikishi statues
said to have been created in the Muromachi Period (13331573). The oversized straw sandals hung at the entrance
are replaced once every 100 years.

A mountain temple standing in a forest
cloaked in silence
No. 44: Sugōsan Daikaku-in

Daihō-ji temple

The temple is said to trace its origins to the enshrinement ofan 11-faced Kannon (Avalokiteśvara, the Goddess of Mercy)
bodhisattva statue discovered by a hunter during the reign ofEmperor Yōmei (585-587). Situated in a deep, dense forest withtowering trees including sugi Cryptomeria cedar and hinoki cypress,
some over 800 years in age, it is a well-known location for viewing
autumn foliage as well. Furnished with worshipper-oriented
Shukubō (temple lodgings), with the facilities accepting reservations
for groups of 10 or more. Individual lodgings may be available evenon days when group reservations have been made. The flavors ofvegetarian shōjin-ryōri can be experienced at mealtimes.
2-1173 Sugō, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime0892-21-0044

A bell tower donated with prayerful hope.
Shown here is the “Bell of Equality.”

An 11-faced Kannon bodhisattva statue
located between the main Hondō andDaishidō (hall with enshrined KōbōDaishi). The 11-faced Kannon that is
the temple’s Go-honzon (main objectof worship) is carefully safeguarded as
an “absolute hibutsu,” a Buddhist image
never unveiled.

The huge ginkgo tree next to theNōkyō-sho (sutra-submission office)●Shōrō (Bell towers)●Huge ginkgo tree & Bashōzuka

Daihō-ji features 2 bell towers, a feature rare among holysites. To the left as one faces the Hondō main hall is the “Bellof Peace,” and on the right, the “Bell of Equality.” Be sureto give a listen to the tones of each.

The huge ginkgo tree here is marked witha past lightning strike. Still bearing ginkgo
nuts without withering, its robustness
impresses worshippers. Next to the tree
stands the Bashōzuka, a stone monument
engraved with a verse by Edo-Period(1603-1868) haiku poet Matsuo Bashō.

The towering cliff composed of conglomeratestone dwarfs the Hondō main hall.
Depressions in the adjacent rock give thecliff a face-like appearance.

Experience Japanese culture

Iwaya-ji temple

Offered by advance reservation only. Groups of 5 to 15 may be accommodated byconsultation on other dates than certain designated dates.
Meditating while gazing with half-shuteyes at the Sanskrit letter “A” symbolicof Dainichi Nyorai (Vairocana Buddha).

●Shakyō (Sutra-copying)
Participants copy sutras,
instilling prayerful wishes
into each individual character.
Since the sutras are traced fromcopybooks that can be seen
through the paper, familiarity with kanji characters is notessential in order to give it a try. Participation fee: ¥1,500●Shabutsu(Buddhist image-tracing)●Aji-kan (esoteric meditation)

Sacred mountain site nestled among cliffs
at 700m elevation
No. 45: Kaigan-zan

Iwaya-ji temple

When Shikoku’s Henro pilgrimage
was selected for the NY Times’
list of “52 Places to Go in 2015”a p h o t o o f I w a y a - j i ’s S a n d ōapproach path was used as themain visual.

A practice in which meditating while
maintaining consciousness of breath provides
calming effects. Afterwards, participants canenjoy conversing with the temple’s chief priest
over tea and confections.

Visit sites of spiritual training
The refreshing view from the recession
in the cliff offers visitors a sense ofaccomplishment.

When Kōbō-Daishi entered these mountains in search of a sacredplace in 815, he encountered Hokke-Sennin, a female hermit withsupernatural flying abilities. Deeply devoted to Kōbō-Daishi, she madean offering of the whole mountain to him and passed away in peace. Itis said that Kōbō-Daishi then carved an image of the deity Fudō Myō-ō(Acala) and made the whole mountain a Honzon object of worship.
The temple area, where there remain sites of ascetic practices related toKōbō-Daishi, have been designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty,
and the temple’s Daishi-dō hall with its Western-style design is anationally-designated Important Cultural Property.

●Site of the Hokke-Sennin-dō hall
In a recession in the rock cliff next to theHondō main hall is a place where many monks
are said to have practiced spiritual training. Aladder provides relatively easy access.

●Seriwari zenjō

1468 Nanatori, Kumakōgen-chō, Kamiukena-gun, Ehime0892-57-0417 Official website https://shikoku88-iwayaji.com

Rose motifs decorate pillars
in the Daishi-dō hall.

Participants trace images ofBuddhist paintings such as thedeity Fudō Myō-ō (Acala), who is
Iwaya-ji’s Go-honzon (main objectof worship). While the images are traced from samples thatcan be seen through the paper, individual characteristics arestill reflected in the finished work. Participation fee: ¥1,500

A statue of the Michibiraki-Fudōson deity
appears as if on the verge of vanishinginto the moss-covered rock face.

Beyond the wooden
door awaits a narrowchasm in the rock.

A training site used since antiquity bypractitioners of Shugendō mountainworship. Climb up the precipice througha chasm between huge boulders, relying
on the ladder and chain, aiming for thetop. The wooden door providing accessto the site requires a key that can beborrowed from the Nōkyō-sho (sutrasubmission office) for ¥300.

A cavern dug 10-odd metersbeneath the Hondō main hall.

●Ana zenjō
It is said that an image of the deity Fudō
Myō-ō carved out of stone by KōbōDaishi himself is sealed in this cavern.
Visitors who probe their way into thedarkness will find three enshrined
Buddhas and miraculous water bestowedby Kōbō-Daishi that springs forth.