Achieving Paradise: A Pilgrimage to Zenko-ji Temple (From the Temple Gate to Nagano Station)

A continuation of this article.

Having managed to touch the lock during the Okaidan Meguri (underground passage tour), I felt I had achieved the main goal of my Zenko-ji pilgrimage, and spent the rest of the time wandering around in a daze.

After receiving my goshuin (temple seal), I headed to the Sutra Repository. Inside, there is a revolving bookcase (rinzo) with sutras stored behind a statue of Fu Daishi. It is said to weigh 5 tons. Turning it once is said to grant the same merit as reading all 6,771 volumes of the Tripitaka.

Since I couldn't budge it on my own, the woman at the reception desk helped me push it. I thought it wouldn't move at first, but once it started, the momentum allowed me to complete one full rotation.

Having formed a connection with the principal image in the underground passage and now having 'read' 6,771 volumes of sutras here, I am invincible.

Climbing the steep stairs to the second floor of the Sanmon Gate while gripping the rope, I found a row of Buddhist statues. There were statues of Manjusri, the Four Heavenly Kings, and replicas of the 88 temples of the Shikoku Pilgrimage.

It was here that I learned Zenko-ji is considered an 'extra' pilgrimage site for those completing the Saigoku, Bando, and Chichibu (100 Kannon) pilgrimages.

Zenko-ji has a great selection of souvenirs. I was really drawn to the BEAMS collaboration goshuin notebook case.

And there were so many types of amulets that I couldn't decide which one to choose.

It was getting close to noon and I was starting to get hungry. I took a quick look at the museum and headed off to the Nakamise-dori street, which I had been looking forward to.

Even though the temperature was low, the sunlight felt surprisingly strong. It was at a level where I wanted sunglasses. Apparently, the UV rays are strong in Nagano Prefecture because of the high altitude.

Since I came to Shinshu, I had to have soba. Despite the modest storefront, I had tororo soba at this place, which had high ratings on Google Maps.

The soba was firm and had a nice texture. It was delicious.

Next, I had a Nozawana oyaki (stuffed dumpling) here.

They grilled it thoroughly after I ordered, so it was piping hot all the way through.

I thought there wouldn't be anything to see once I left the Nakamise area, but that wasn't the case. The road to Nagano Station was surprisingly lovely. It was lined with white-walled storehouse-style buildings and retro-modern architecture.

I went into a bookstore because it looked cute, and found out it was a participating shop for the 'Gosho-in' (bookstore seal) project. I had completely forgotten about it recently, but I used to be very enthusiastic about collecting them. I was happy about this chance encounter.

*Please refer here for information about Gosho-in.

Both the sidewalks and the roads were well-maintained and pleasant. Perhaps it's because the area along the Zenko-ji approach is relatively prosperous. There were stylish, neat shops scattered along the way. I never got bored on the walk to the station.

On trips, I often visit many famous spots in a single day, but this time I only visited Zenko-ji on a day trip. Even though I only spent five and a half hours there, I felt like I had a full sightseeing experience. It was also nice that it wasn't very crowded.

I boarded the bus, wrapped in a pleasant sense of fatigue.

It's hot. For some reason, the heating in the bus is cranked up really high. I had layered extra-thick tights under my pants to prepare for walking outside. I'm also wearing a turtleneck. It's so hot. On top of that, the return trip got caught in traffic, and we were significantly behind schedule.

Even after four hours, I was still far from Shinjuku. The bus was hot, and considering the long walk from Busta Shinjuku to the subway station, I decided it would be better to get off early. I dropped out at the Nakano-sakaue bus stop, so in the end, I never actually used Busta Shinjuku for boarding or alighting, even though I had even gone there for a preview.