Kagawa Prefecture's 6th Henro Pilgrimage Experience

On Sunday November 14, 2010, Kagawa's International Affairs Division held the 6th Henro Experience for International Residents and Visitors.  We returned to the route of the inaugural experience from three years earlier - the beautiful Goshikidai Plateau in Sakaide.

Three years ago, we traveled through the plateau's lush greenery on a suprisingly hot late spring day.  This time, we enjoyed the cool weather of late fall and the stunning foliage of the autumn leaves surrounding us.  Though we walked the exact same path on each experience, the change in the atmosphere between the two was truly a testament to the power of nature and the beauty of its seasonal changes.

Our first temple for the day was Kokubunji, which was very quiet and peaceful.  Exiting from this temple, our group looked to the left at and beheld the steep slope of the plateau, which we would be scaling soon.

The climb up the path leading from Kokubunji made all of us work up a good sweat, despite the cool weather.  Many of us began to lag a little bit at the 3/4 mark of the climb, but that's when we experienced something truly magical for the first time in the history of the Henro Experience.  We had heard that if you quietly hold seeds in your hand at this exact spot on the path then small birds called yamagara would come down to greet you and even perch directly on your hand.  We tested the story with some sunflower seeds....

and sure enough, dozens of tiny, beautiful birds...

swooped down from the branches and plopped on our hands just long enough to snatch a seed, and then they flew off again. 

                                   (Photo by Richard Kinsella)

We were all charmed, and had to be reminded of our day's itinerary or else we may have stayed there all day!

The two temples at the top of the pleateau were just beautiful.  Shiramineji, with its beautiful red and yellow maple leaves and quiet atmosphere, gave us a place to rest, eat our lunch, and regain our spirits. 

Negoroji, with its mysterious cyprus trees and its towering cow demon statue, was a place that made its mark on all of us.

Altogether we walked, decked out in henro (that is "pilgrim") gear, for a total of about 18 kilometers.  The strain of the walk coupled with the beauty of the surrounding nature reminded us of just how sacred this cultural treasure is.  Truly the Shikoku Pilgrimage deserves to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Come to any of the prefectures in Shikoku and experience it for yourself!