No.24 Hotsumisakiji Temple

Temple No. 24 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage sits at the tip of Cape Muroto, where the Pacific crashes against volcanic cliffs and the air smells of salt and sulfur. Kobo Daishi is said to have achieved enlightenment in a sea cave just below the temple, meditating on the morning star reflected in the ocean, and the name Hotsumisakiji refers to that moment of awakening. The approach crosses a subtropical headland with views of open water on three sides, passing through vegetation that grows low and windswept from the constant ocean exposure. The atmosphere here is rawer than the forested temples further north on the route. The Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark immediately surrounding the cape explains the remarkable geology underfoot.