March 5, 2008 - White into Green
When I went to the restaurant for breakfast the sun poured through the large windows. Outside the landscape was white. The snow didn't stick to the roadways so traffic moved quickly along highway 33.
I wanted to move quickly myself, so I packed up and started down the road. Unlike the roads, the sidewalks were not clear and were somewhat treacherous to walk on. I saw one Henro ahead of me take a spill trying to avoid the steel grating that ran across a side street. For my part I preferred the steel grating it was surfaced with small studs like a snow tire. Plus, as I learned hiking down the Napali trail in Kaui during a torrential downpour, when on a slippery surface it's worse trying to avoid a hazard than to simply deal with it when you get to it. Land mines and Burmese tiger traps excepted.
It took me a while to warm up, but eventually I did. Fortunately there was little wind to cool me down so as long as my feet kept dry I was good to go. There is a great rest area along this stretch of highway about 40 minutes from downtown Kuma. It has restrooms, covered tables and a phone booth.
My first thought when I saw the phone booth was "greenhouse". I stepped inside, the temperature was about 60 degrees fahrenheit. Not too bad when only inches away it was freezing. I had a quick snack and then left the comfort of the phone booth.
The highway looped around to the right and then down to a second rest stop just before the trail leaves the road and heads into the mountains. There is a large ski area along highway 33 so there were many cars parked at the rest stop. Dressed up like a Henro I must have looked out of place next to all the young people in brightly colored ski wear. Not to mention that I was as white as the snow.
Regardless, no one seemed to notice me as I slipped onto the mountain trail. The trailhead was swarming with power utility workers. They were either installing, replacing or repairing the nearby power lines. I stayed out of their way and kept walking. 
Soon I was alone on a beautiful snow laden trail. I mentioned earlier that I didn't see much wildlife, but here I saw plenty of tracks in the snow. Rabbit, raccoon and judging by the pattern and paw prints a large field mouse (or a mountain rat). Their were also Henro foot prints. Have to have been earlier in the morning because the snow was fresh from the night before.
I soon reached the crest of the trail and before me I saw a sight that once again demonstrates the compact scale of Japan. Here at the very top of the pass there was snow everywhere but less than a kilometer away I could see a beautiful green valley below me and then Matsuyama city beyond that. I guess I'm just not used to seeing these two extremes nearly juxtaposed onto one another.
I walked below the snow around 10:AM. It was sad to see it go, but I was also excited to visit 4 more temples that day. As it was I had walked almost five long days and only visited two temples. As much as I try to downplay the temples as goals in themselves, each one gives a sense of accomplishment and reward. Another part of the Henro experience.
It was another two hours down the sunny and cold valley to JouRuriJi (T46). It is actually a tiny temple, but it seems larger inside because they've used trees and shrubs to create pathways and blind spots. After getting my Nokyo Cho signed I went around a small circuitous pathway a couple of times to find my backpack before I realized that I needed to exit the path. Not that it takes a lot to fool a tired Henro, but it was a clever use of space regardless.
JouRuriJi is called the temple of Pure Emerald, but it really had a baby thing going on. There were several carved wooden baby dolls around. This usually means the temple is supposed to help fertility. Which is a big deal in Japan. I personally know several couples who are or were unable to conceive. Very heartbreaking indeed. Again, not sure of the meaning of the dolls, could have been international baby day for all I know.
Before leaving the temple I had to take a photo of the mountains I had just come from. The plum blossoms at the far wall of the temple made a nice frame around the snow covered peaks. Notice the bronze dragon over the cleansing basin at the bottom of the photo. Details, details.
It was short walk to YaSakaJi (T47) the temple of the eight slopes. This was a grander affair (space-wise) than JouRuriJi. Off to the side were two arches with panels along the inside. One depicted the arch to heaven and the other to hell. These were very graphic and I was admiring the sinister imagination of the artist when I suddenly realized that all of heaven was populated with women and all of hell was populated with men. I wouldn't expect a 50/50 split but give me a break. I think some well intentioned monk was unconsciously perpetuating sexist propaganda about the purity of females (he obviously never heard of Medea or Lady Macbeth).
Regardless, I don't know that I would be satisfied with either place. Why don't we get to choose our own hereafter? If we're evil we'll choose something that turns into a hell for us. "I want to eat cheeseburgers and drink Budweiser for eternity.". See how quickly that turns into a living hell. On the other hand if we're good people we'll choose something that will be infinitely rewarding to us. "I want to bring comfort to suffering children." It may not always be a bed of roses but being needed and having purpose never wears thin.
It was nearing 2PM when I left YaSakaJi (and map 52) for SaiRinJi (T48). I crossed a bridge over a wide (1km) but almost completely dry riverbed. I wonder when or if it ever rises to meet its banks. They've built a short nine on one edge so definitely they don't expect it to get to that level ever again. I'm assuming that somewhen in the past most of the water was diverted for drinking water and irrigation.
It's at SaiRinJi that I began to notice carved lions and other animals along the beams of the temple roofs. I'm sure that every Henro but I already noticed this, but it was new to me so I began to take photos of these carvings.
So far the sky had been clear, but dark rain clouds were gathering. It was beautiful to see them against the unusually blue Japanese sky. Growing up in the Great Northwest I was used to azure blue skies turning to cobalt in the height of summer, but I had never seen them in Tokyo unless immediately after a typhoon. So to see the skies so blue once again confirmed the timing of my trip.
It was another hour to JouDoJi (T49). It was small and well kept like JouRuriJi (T46). By this time the sky was slate gray and I was beginning to get concerned about lodging. So far accommodations 1, 2 & 3 on map 53 were not open and was starting to think about finding a bridge to sleep under.
I finally corralled a car henro at JouDoJi to call accommodation 4 on map 53. He got an answering machine saying they aren't open. That left me with no accommodations within walking distance. Fortunately the local JR line touches the Henro trail near to JouDoJi at Kume. I decided to catch a train to Otemachi station which is about 1/2km from MatsuYama station and near to some downtown hotels.
After a quick recon of the area around Otemachi I found a decent room at the Hotel New KajiWara. I dropped my bags and headed to the Starbucks. The coffee, prices, service and atmosphere are the same as Tacoma.
I began chatting with a high school student who was studying English. His assignment was on reading comprehension and pronunciation. So I offered to read the article to him so that he could get a feel for the text. It was quite an advanced study on child psychology and I think he understood more of it than I did. Regardless, we had a good time.
His name is Keigo and he was studying for high school exams. His father is the CEO of an electronics firm headquartered in Matsuyama. Keigo was telling me that he rarely sees his father. I didn't know what to say to him. I'm personally grateful that my dad left me alone as a teenager. In fact I worked pretty hard to fly under his radar.
On the way home I ducked into a Ramen shop and had the chashu-men setto with Gyoza. I would usually have shumai, but gyoza was on my mind.
Thought for the day
"I went from the lonely mountain trails to the bright lights of Matsuyama in a single day. The pilgrimage is more than a distance journey."