Day 2 : 08 April 2009
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We have seen a few walking henro (single Japanese men). Most people do the pilgrimage by bus and it was very calming to sit and listen to large groups chanting together.
At each temple we had our book stamped with 3 red stamps then overwritten with calligraphy.
Early in the day we came across a group of people working in the cemetery of an unnamed temple who invited us to join them in a cup of tea and something to eat. They sent us away with a bottle of tea and some biscuits as our first osettai (gifts given to pilgrims).
We visited Temple 4 Dainichiji (Temple of the Great Sun)
Temple 5 Jizoji (The Earthbearer’s Temple)
Temple 6 Anrakuji (Temple of Everlasting Joy)
Temple 7 Jurakuji (Temple of 10 Joys)
Opposite the temple is a lovely little udon restaurant where the noodles are served in large wooden bowls of hot water. We stopped there for lunch and had to be shown how to dip the noodles into a separate bowl of stock before eating. The owner came back a little while later to make sure we were doing it right.
Temple 8 Kumadanji (Bear Valley Temple) where we were given permission to sleep in a little hut in the parking lot reserved for walking henro. We had it to ourselves.
 (34.1212 N 134.34 E)
We received more osettai of 2 bottles of water from a tour bus driver, a big block of jelly from a deliveryman and some delicate sweets (wagasi) from the temple stamp office.