Hashikura Temple

Hashikura Temple in Miyoshi, Tokushima is a mountain temple on the Iya Valley rim, set among old cedar trees at the end of a steep approach. The grounds are small and quiet, with a wooden main hall and a handful of stone lanterns on the mossy path leading to it. The temple is connected to the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage route, and henro pilgrims in white coats sometimes rest here before or after the climb. Below the temple, the Iya Valley drops steeply into one of the deepest gorges in Japan, and the views from the upper temple precinct look out over that landscape on clear days. The walk up from the road takes about 20 minutes.