The left path is the start of the Kotohira Hiking Course 琴平ハイキングコ一ス, a very pleasant two-hour walk, through wooded, slightly rugged, ridges to Iwai-dō 岩井常, a mountaintop inner shrine of Temple 26 (or three hours on to Temple 27 Daien-ji 大渕寺). Interested hikers should go right at the end of the parking lot (with a toilet attached), take the next right fork and turn left at the 丅 crossing at the bottom. Cross a brook to the left, make a U turn and ascend to the left at two small shrines. When the zigzag ascent peaks tentatively at a ridge, go left. In about an hour you will pass by a stone monument inscribed with an epitaph to commemorate a military drill in 1904 (during the Japan-Russo War) in the foothills of Mt. Bukō. Beyond it, a shrine with a torii facing Mt. Bukō is dedicated to Oyamazumi-no-kami, the guardian god of mountains. Many azaleas bloom in May around here. The trail winds to the left and leads to a flat area, the site of a legendary king’s residence and a good view spot. You will continue along the ridge, hugging the bottom of large rocks. The cinnabar-colored roof seen through woods ahead is of Iwai-dō, your destination, but you have to first climb up a steel ladder to the right and at the top, take a detour to the right for a quick visit to an ascetic monks’ disciplining post on a rock. The precariously built wooden skeleton somehow seems to be filled with dense fog of mysticism. Backtrack to the top of the ladder and go left all the way around rocks to reach the bottom of Iwai-dō on stilts. To return, descend with Iwai-dō on your back and take the stone steps dropping straight to the right. You will come out to a factory compound, where you should turn left and past the guards station, go right and immediately left. At a T crossing with a larger road, turn right and cross the railroads ahead on the left. At Kagemori Station 影森駅 off to the left of the railroads, buy a ticket to Ohanabatake 御花畑, one stop, and take a train leaving from track two. From Ohanabatake Station, walk back to Seibu Chichibu Station to return to Tokyo.
Pilgrims who continue straight from the crossing with the rea-and-white “no entry” sign will pass by a charming Jizō on a pedestal on the left. Notice the sun, moon, and old characters on the stone marker for pilgrims to the left of the Jizō. Around the corner to the left is the ryokan Hiyoshi 比与志, if you want to spend the night. If not, keep walking after passing under the bridge for the Seibu Railroad, and turn left at a white rectangular sign with kanji characters for Nosakaji 野坂寺. The weathered front gate of Temple 12 is seen ahead. (If you are beginning the second day with Temple 12, go right from Seibu Chichibu Station to reach Route 140. Cross it and turn right. Past the pedestrian bridge, turn left at the next traffic lights. Turn right at the 丅, passing under the Seibu Railroad tracks and look for the rectangular sign for Nosakaji.)
Entering through a charming two-story wooden gate, you walk into the well-tended compound of Temple 12, NOSAKA-JI 野坂寺. This temple basks in the sunshine, as well as in the favor of its worshippers. The large main building is very impressive. The monk’s living quarters to the left (where temple inscriptions may be obtained) is often busy with visitors. The well in the garden is known for good spring water filtered through rocks of the hill behind the temple, and many people come to draw the water. The water is the manifestation of Kannon’s blessings, and the reason for the temple’s location here, according to the abbot of this temple, Abbot Arai. An accomplished Zen priest trained at Nanzenji temple in Kyoto, he believes in irksome daily chores as a mental and moral discipline. He sweeps the garden himself after a morning service to the Kannon every morning at five. A tradition he has started here is the unique celebration of O-bon (see p. 148). On the evening of August 16, the last day of the festival of the dead, a tall tower of lighted paper lanterns is set up in the compound, with more lanterns hung on railings at its base. At 6:00 p.m. all the participants join the abbot in chanting the Hannya shin-gyō, praying that their ancestors’ spirits will return safely to the other world after a short stay with the living during O-bon. It is very touching to see hundreds of illuminated white lights shine softly in the darkness of night, as if relaying silent messages to the other world.
A temple legend tells of Kannon rescuing a traveler from bandits. Once a merchant from the Province of Kai (in present Yamanashi Prefecture) happened to pass the area and was assaulted by a group of armed robbers, who stripped him of his clothes and threatened to kill him. In despair the merchant prayed frantically to Kannon. Suddenly strong beams of light flashed from his amulet case and struck the eyes of the robbers. Dazzled by the light they all fled, except for their leader. Awe-struck and penitent, he vowed to become a follower of Kannon. Several years later, the merchant came back and found the former bandit living in a shack and dedicated to his religious discipline. Very impressed, the merchant had a temple built for him, which marks the founding of Nosaka-ji. The original location was at a place higher and deeper in the woods. As in the legend associated with Temple 9, a dazzling light is often emblematic of the power of Kannon.
From here, you will return via Seibu Chichibu Station to visit a group of temples that are spread throughout central Chichibu City. Leaving Nosaka-ji, walk straight to the T intersection and turn right. Walk under the railroad overpass and take the first left, which leads to Route 140, where you should turn right. Past several buildings on the right is Koike こいけ, the best soba noodle restaurant in Chichibu, housed in a simple yet tastefully decorated building. A wintertime specialty is yuzu (a kind of citron-flavored soba)—savory and perfectly al dente. (Open 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; closed on Wednesdays and second and third Tuesdays). For those who prefer a more familiar Western-style food, the adjacent Mon Chalét モンシヤレ一 is recommended for reasonably priced spaghetti and Hamburg steak. (Open 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; closed on the third Thursday). Beyond the pedestrian bridge, just before the GOHO supermarket on the right, you will find a traditional two-story building with a florist and a patchwork-crafts shop on the street. A staircase by the shop leads to a second-floor coffee shop, Mokutei 木亭. Local artists frequently visit this shop, attracted by the warm personality of the proprietor, Tsukagoshi-san, and his wife.
A man with a good sense of humor, Tsukagoshi-san is raising an absorbing question about the world-famous operetta, The Mikado. Pointing to its subtitle, “The Town of Titipu,” he wonders if “Titipu” is “Chichibu”—if by any chance Sir William Schwenck Gilbert, the librettist of the opera, was inspired by the name of Chichibu to set the location in that odd fairyland. Why not? The link between the two words makes sense phonetically. The opera premiered in London in 1885 when Japan was a hot topic in Britain after the American Navy ended the long isolation of the mysterious country. Londoners flocked to “Japan” in their city—the Japanese Exhibition which opened in Knightsbridge, featuring a full-scale native village complete with inhabitants in kimono. For authenticity, the D’Oyly Carte opera company asked the Japanese “villagers” to coach the cast on how to walk, dress and manipulate fans. The costumes were made from Japanese silk purchased at Liberty’s. British diplomats were precious sources of first-hand information. Gilbert and Sullivan were close to Sir Algernon B. F. Mitford, who wrote many books based on his posting in Japan from 1866 to 1870. Another diplomat, Sir Earnest Mason Satow, too, was a prolific writer. His well-read guidebook on Japan had been just revised in 1884 and made mention of Chichibu. Actually, this intriguing question on the possible link between Titipu and Chichibu had been brought up years ago by Rokusuke Ei, a popular Tokyo-based TV personality and essayist, but has tailed to attract attention in Chichibu. Mr. Ei believes, though no documented proof has yet been found, that the librettist must have been inspired by the farmers’ rebellion in Chichibu in 1884. The opera itself has not gained popularity in Japan due, mainly, to the cross-cultural difficulty of understanding satire. With moral support from Mr. Ei, Tsukagoshi-san and his friends are trying to hatch their dream—to produce The Mikado in Chichibu.
At the traffic light by GOHO, cross Route 140 and turn right down the diagonal road by the bicycle shop.