Pilgrimage to Hidden Temples in the Mountains and Forests(1) 🌿

🍃🌸The Shikoku Pilgrimage, also known as the "Shikoku Henro," connects 88 temples across the island of Shikoku. Hidden among mountains, rivers, and seas, these places hold unique stories, breathtaking scenery, and warm human connections. 🌟 1️⃣ Zentsū-ji [The Ancient Pagoda Hidden in a Small Town] The five-story pagoda is probably the iconic structure of Zentsū-ji. On a lovely sunny day, I walked out of the JR station and strolled through the clean, quaint town. 🍃🌸 The air was filled with the unique Showa-era music of the countryside 🎵, and occasionally, I caught glimpses of the ancient pagoda at the alley corners. Inside the temple grounds, the thousand-year-old camphor trees and stone Buddha statues give a sense of tranquility to the passage of time. 🌿 2️⃣ Kotohira-gū [A Thousand Steps to a Panoramic View of the Seto Inland Sea] This is a shrine with high status in Japan, famous as the guardian deity of sailors. 🍃🌸After entering the main gate, you'll pass through layers of verdant greenery 🍃, stone monuments, and torii gates. Climbing the 1,368 stone steps, the observation deck offers a stunning view of the uniquely shaped Shikoku Fuji and the Seto Bridge! 🌄 🍃🌸 #ShikokuPilgrimage #Takamatsu 🌟