Zentsuji to Kokubu, 27.6 km
Correctly anticipating that the first two temples would be less than inspiring, Susan took the train to meet us at Temple 78, while we trekked down and across Marugame City. Konzoji (Temple 76) was very close to our accommodation – a rather fancy (by our pilgrim standards) house we’d booked through booking. com. We self catered as there were few dining options nearby, but this meant lugging our grocery bags the last 4 km. We has quite a feast of sashimi and sushi, as food here seems very reasonably priced (whereas accommodation is not!)
Doryuji Temple (77) was a rather sad urban temple (we’re getting picky!) and from there it was an uninspiring walk across town – although the route managed to avoid the busiest roads. The redeeming feature was the castle, which unlike other castles, had massive rock battlements that looked like they could withstand a siege or two. Temple 78, Goshoji, had an interesting basement room that is almost full with mini statues of Kannon with the intention of gathering 10,000.
The walk to Tennoji (T79) was relatively short, but the temple grounds were completely empty and the ‘stamp office’ was off to one side, giving it a feel that it was going out of business!
Susan caught the train the rest of the way, while the three if us continued doggedly on – taking a few short cuts to our accommodation when we realized that Temple 80 would be closed by the time we arrived. There are few choices close to the Temple, and we ended up in the Hotel Genteel – although the four-sided neon sign read different things in all four directions due to malfunctioning neon lights. Not the most salubrious of hotels and s marked come down from the previous night’s digs! Dinner options within walking distance were sparse, McDonald’s was the closest but we opted for an okonomiyaki restaurant, where you get to cook your own omelet-like meal that includes lot of cabbage and options such as chicken or pork. It was a super fun experience, aided by the fact that one of the staff members spoke good English and could explain the intricacies of the process!
