Temple: Koryuji – a really beautiful bangai temple, up a mountain path and then the temple is high above the main gate but it really was worth the diversion.

Dedication: Mike came to work at Qube as the producer on Lego titles. He was previously a contractor for the DoD calculating the number of casualties for different types and deployments of bombs. I was always happy we’d taken him from that to Lego computer games. We spent a lot of time together, including trips to Denmark, and I always got on really well with him. I’m thinking of you this afternoon Mike.

Pictures: the temple gate with the start of the path to the hall, plus a shrine on the temple grounds that seems to be devoted to a funny owl. I threw in 5 yen, bowed twice, clapped twice and bowed again. Funny owl.

I’ve had some lovely osettai today, the woman signing here gave me a homemade seaweed rice ball and a couple of chocolates that seemed to come from her own lunch. At a 7-11 I bought my usual caloriemate (like flavoured shortbread), peanuts and sweets combo then realised I didn’t have enough money for the sweets. The checkout person went and got me a free chocolate bar. Finally as I was walking to find somewhere to sleep a young girl ran up behind me shouting “sumimasen” and gave me a handful of delicious sweets. Yum.

The Daishido here had nice seats so I sat and meditated for half an hour before I set off again.