Ohenro Tour

Ohenro:Day 1
After breakfast, you will embark on the first steps of your Ohenro
experience. Remember that the Ohenro isn’t so much about thedestinations but more about the journeys between them.
The first temple will be Ryōzenji. At this location Kūkai is said tohave meditated on the meaning of the Buddha’s sermon andfound the temple with the intention of filling pilgrims with a senseof “hotsugan,”a term referring to a desire to save all beings.
After the first temple, the day will consist of a walking though thecharming suburbs of a more rural side of Tokushima.

Down twisting town alleys, along small roads, and occasionallycrossing over small hills and through groves, the walking is a timeto enjoy nature, self reflect, and take in this ancient experience.
The final temple and your lodging for the day will be Anrakuji.
While visiting this area it is said that Kūkai declared that Yakushi
Nyorai (the Medicine Buddha) would save the people here fromsickness and evil. The monk found a hot spring in the area andfrom this, the temple was founded.
The onsen and temple have since been used as a place of physicaland spiritual healing, making an ideal location to spend your firstevening on Shikoku.

Ohenro:Day 2
After a temple breakfast at Anrakuji, you will visit four more
temples today.

The approach to the last temple of the day, Kirihataji, is a gentle
slope that passes through rice fields, flower beds, and sleepy
town steets.
Situated atop a hill, the winding path up to Kirihataji is shady andbreezy underneath a canopy of verdant greens in the warmer
months and smoky yellows and reds in the fall and the winter.
The temple itself was supposedly founded after a young
seamstress provided cloth for Kūkai to mend his robes. The young
lady requested to join the Buddhist priesthood and as Kūkai
completed the ceremony the young woman transformed into
Kannon Bosatsu, a major Buddhist deity of forgiveness andsalvation.
The story represents Buddhist ideas of how our actions andintentions can transform us into bastions of virtue and good inthis very life and provides some food for though as you walk along
the pilgrimage trail.Ohenro:
Day 3
Today will be a longer walking experience along the mountain
trails that wind through the backyards of farmers and the thickpine forests that cover many of the mountains on Shikoku.
In the morning you will visit a local farmers market to see
firsthand the productivity the region enjoys. Mountains of citrus,
root vegetables, and various other local produce are piled on themarket tables as local vendors sell their goods. The market also
sells bento lunchboxes that feature the unique cuisine of thismountainous region.
The trail to the first temple of the day, Kakurinji, will take you
through a mountain path that offers sweeping views of the valleys
below and mountain ridges in the distance.
The temple itself is said to have been founded after Kūkai
discovered two cranes protecting a golden statue of the Buddhist
figure Jizō Bosatsu. This figure is among the most popular ofBuddhist deities in Japan and his peaceful expression and bald
head fit his image as a savior and protector (especially of childrenand travelers) within Buddhism.
The next part of the trail is a bit of a stretch but offers somevaried and highly interesting scenery. Hillside farms with trees
heavy with ever present citrus, forest trails with the constantcompanionship of mountain streams, mountain side perches
offering sweeping views of the island, and pine forests rich withferns and moss that weave through the mountains, and finally the
final temple of the day, Tairyūji.
Hidden amid mountain groves, this temple has been largely
protected from damage due to its location. Significantly, thistemple is well known as the Koyasan of the west as it attempts torecreate the feeling and style of the center of Shingon Buddhism.
Even more importantly, this is one of the locations where Kūkai isthought to have trained and reached awakening. For the daring,
one can visit the ledge where this occurred now marked with astatue of the monk.
The scenery lends itself well to this tale and as one descends themountain top by cable car, this can be felt. Gazing past thewindows at the rolling hills, deep valleys, and dark groves, one
can feel not just beauty, but also a sense of power and mysterythat these places frequently possess.

Ohenro:Day 4
The final day of the tour will be spent in Tokushima City.
Here, you will spend the day leisurely experiencing thehighlights of this city.
First will be a cruise over the waters where the Pacific meets
the Seto Inland Sea. Due to the collisions between thecurrents, dramatic whirlpools often form as the tideschange. Shipside, you will be treated to a frontstage
performance of this phenomenon. Afterwards, lunch will beat the nearby park. Here, from the bridge, you will also beable to view this dramatic display from a different viewpoint
as well.
Today you will also experience some the artistic side ofTokushima as well as the natural. The Otsuka Art Museum
houses ceramic replications of famous works andarchitectural designs. Walking though the halls of themuseum it is easy to forget the time and place as you view
works ranging from the Sistine Chapel to Picasso and VanGogh.
The final event for the evening will be a performance at theAwa Odori Dance Hall. According to one story, the dance
evolved from the drunken performances that occurred at
the lord’s castle in the past. Since then, and regardless of thetrue origin, the people of Tokushima have owned thisunique dance with the yearly Awa Odori Festival.