2012年12月20日
Temple in the Rock
One of the great advantages of Takamatsu is its proximity to the many islands on the Seto Inland Sea. In September, I had the chance to go exploring on Shodoshima, the largest of these islands.
Shodoshima
I set off for a local “power spot” called Kasagataki Okunoin Temple. A local friend recommended it as a strange and mystical place and I would have to agree. It certainly forced me to face my fears anyway: fear of heights, fear of the dark, fear of narrow spaces, and, well, fear of death. An excellent way to put life in perspective!
See that cliff in the back of the photo above? The temple is in a cave near the top. A wooden façade hangs in front of it, built I assume by Buddhist priests who loved rock climbing and really wanted to get away from it all.
The way up starts by the main temple below. At first, it’s a road but soon branches off onto a steep and winding path of stairs, stairs and more stairs.
It only takes about 10 minutes but it feels like much longer. If you have bad knees or a bad heart, you can get to the top of the stairs by car, although driving hairpin turns can be a bit hard on the heart, too. To go any further, which I highly recommend, you need to do some climbing. Fortunately, there is a chain to help.
Waiting to greet you at the top of the first rock climbing stage is Kosodate Jizo, the guardian of children, especially those that have died.
After that, there’s more climbing I’m afraid.
Finally, you have reached the entrance to the temple.
Whoever built this temple really loved climbing around on the cliff, perhaps as a form of meditation. The rock wall is dotted with statues carved in impossible looking places.
You enter the temple via a tunnel that winds through the rock into the inner sanctuary. It’s dark and claustrophobic; a metaphor I thought for a spiritual birth canal through which the soul is reborn pure on the other side.
In the sanctuary, you can buy charms to make sure your wishes are granted. But you can’t take photos there so I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Once you exit the temple, if you are feeling very brave, you might try scaling the rock wall via the chains to get further up the cliff. I’m sure the view would be worth it.
However, it took most of my courage to get this far and I needed to save some for getting back down!
Please note that temple hours are from 8:30AM to 14:00PM only.
Access:
The start of the trail is about 20 min. drive from Tonosho Port. You can park at the main temple or you can drive up the hill and park at the first level. There is a bus from Tonosho Port that stops near the main temple but you will need to check the times and name of the bus stop when you are at the port.
Address: Kasagataki, Tonosho-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa
Phone: 0879-62-1017
Shodoshima
I set off for a local “power spot” called Kasagataki Okunoin Temple. A local friend recommended it as a strange and mystical place and I would have to agree. It certainly forced me to face my fears anyway: fear of heights, fear of the dark, fear of narrow spaces, and, well, fear of death. An excellent way to put life in perspective!
See that cliff in the back of the photo above? The temple is in a cave near the top. A wooden façade hangs in front of it, built I assume by Buddhist priests who loved rock climbing and really wanted to get away from it all.
The way up starts by the main temple below. At first, it’s a road but soon branches off onto a steep and winding path of stairs, stairs and more stairs.
It only takes about 10 minutes but it feels like much longer. If you have bad knees or a bad heart, you can get to the top of the stairs by car, although driving hairpin turns can be a bit hard on the heart, too. To go any further, which I highly recommend, you need to do some climbing. Fortunately, there is a chain to help.
Waiting to greet you at the top of the first rock climbing stage is Kosodate Jizo, the guardian of children, especially those that have died.
After that, there’s more climbing I’m afraid.
Finally, you have reached the entrance to the temple.
Whoever built this temple really loved climbing around on the cliff, perhaps as a form of meditation. The rock wall is dotted with statues carved in impossible looking places.
You enter the temple via a tunnel that winds through the rock into the inner sanctuary. It’s dark and claustrophobic; a metaphor I thought for a spiritual birth canal through which the soul is reborn pure on the other side.
In the sanctuary, you can buy charms to make sure your wishes are granted. But you can’t take photos there so I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Once you exit the temple, if you are feeling very brave, you might try scaling the rock wall via the chains to get further up the cliff. I’m sure the view would be worth it.
However, it took most of my courage to get this far and I needed to save some for getting back down!
Please note that temple hours are from 8:30AM to 14:00PM only.
Access:
The start of the trail is about 20 min. drive from Tonosho Port. You can park at the main temple or you can drive up the hill and park at the first level. There is a bus from Tonosho Port that stops near the main temple but you will need to check the times and name of the bus stop when you are at the port.
Address: Kasagataki, Tonosho-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa
Phone: 0879-62-1017
My Profile
Cathy Hirano キャシー ヒラノ
I've lived in Japan since 1978. After graduating from a Japanese university with a BA in cultural anthropology in 1983, I worked as a translator in a Japanese consulting engineering firm in Tokyo for several years. My Japanese husband and I moved to Takamatsu in 1987 to raise our two children in a slower-paced environment away from the big city pressures. We've never regretted it. I work as a freelance translator and interpreter and am involved in a lot of community work, including volunteering for Second Hand, a local NGO that supports educational and vocational training initiatives in Cambodia, and for the Takamatsu International Association. I love living in Takamatsu.
Cathy Hirano キャシー ヒラノ
I've lived in Japan since 1978. After graduating from a Japanese university with a BA in cultural anthropology in 1983, I worked as a translator in a Japanese consulting engineering firm in Tokyo for several years. My Japanese husband and I moved to Takamatsu in 1987 to raise our two children in a slower-paced environment away from the big city pressures. We've never regretted it. I work as a freelance translator and interpreter and am involved in a lot of community work, including volunteering for Second Hand, a local NGO that supports educational and vocational training initiatives in Cambodia, and for the Takamatsu International Association. I love living in Takamatsu.
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