16May09: Barbara Barrett

Spring Henro Personal Experience

Nagaoji

We gathered at Nagaoji in high spirits, despite the hot, cloudy, humid weather and forecast of an 80% chance of rain in the afternoon. We donned the byakue (white vests), wagesa (purple necklace-type pieces of cloth), henro kasa (conical straw hats), and transformed into henro. We tied bells onto our kongo-tsue (walking sticks) and listened to lectures from employees of the Ken-cho and a temple priest. After the lectures, we set off on our journey. People living in the area surrounding the temple gathered to greet us and see us on our way. It started to rain lightly as we left the temple grounds.

Osettai We received our first osettai (gifts from the local people to the pilgrims to help them on their journey) literally as soon as we set foot outside Nagao temple. The first came from Nagao temple - some Japanese-style sweets. After, we received some candy from the employees of the henro lodging across the street.

Henro Salon

We were greeted at the henro salon by the friendly people who work there. They are always warm and welcoming, and are especially curious to talk to foreigners. We received osettai of manju (a kind of Japanese dessert made of red bean and rice), strawberries, and sushi to share. The salon has a relaxing atmosphere, and we were able to recharge a bit before the next leg of the journey.

Mountain Road to Okuboji

The mountain road to Okuboji was beautiful. The thick leaves of the trees in the forest protected us from the light rain. We saw monkeys, hawks, and other wildlife. There are so many things one cannot see if they drive to Okuboji by car - such as the gorgeous hidden streams.

The trail became steeper and steeper as we got closer to the top of the mountain. Places to rest were few and far between. The rain made the ground wet and slippery. Even with my walking stick to help me, I had to be careful not to slip on the wet leaves that covered the muddy ground. The forest was not only a bit dark from the rain, but also unnaturally quiet.

It is one thing to hear people talk about the steep henro path that takes the pilgrims to Okuboji. It is another thing to experience the path for one's self. The path is so steep in some places that there are metal bars set into the ground to help pilgrims work their way up.

It is said that the first few temples of the pilgrimage are close to one another, and easy to journey between, as life is sometimes this way. There are also more difficult times in life where one must ensure and persevere. The walk from Nagao to Okuboji, the last part of the journey, is like these times. We may not have been able to walk the whole 88 Temple Circuit in one day, but to be able to say "I have walked from Nagaoji to Okuboji" is quite an accomplishment.