Kongofukuji, Temple 38, Shikoku

What a relief to arrive at Kongofukuji after a beautiful six-hour drive from Takamatsu at the tip of the Ashizuri Peninsula.  In addition to the nice landscape, it was interesting to see “tsunami evacuation towers”.

They are specialised vertical safety structures, which offer life-saving escapes in coastal areas where people cannot move inland fast enough.  There are many tsunami towers in southern Shikoku, a region vulnerable to tsunamis.  In Japan there are over 550 nationwide tsunami towers.

As you can see from the photos, this is another very beautiful temple.  We met Kazu, a genki 79-year old gentleman from Hiroshima who worked in the construction industry.  He has completed the pilgrimage some 24 times, the reason being that he feels like KOBO Daishi is calling him.  Kazu is indeed a man of great ambition.  He is also visiting the top 100 waterfalls, shrines and castles of Japan.

Perhaps the most moving experience was observing the lighthouse at the end of the Ashizuri Peninsula.  I had an end of the world feeling looking over the Pacific Ocean.  The cape is indeed the southernmost point of Shikoku. 

Kongofukuji consists of several building structures, each with its own unique architecture. They have a rustic, smoky wooden exterior that might remind some of dark driftwood on beaches. The smell of the ocean lingers and mixes with the smell of incense left by monks and worshippers. 

At the centre of these buildings is a great pond surrounded by carefully selected, large colorful stones. The colors of the stone and the buildings reflected in the pond produce quite a serene view. The main buildings of the temple rest against a lush hill filled with windswept pine trees.