For this couple of days, I was wondering how to finish my pilgrimage after visiting the last sacred temple Ookubo-ji. I was thinking about following 3 ways.

• Take public transportation to Tokushima airport to go back Tokyo directly
• Continue to walk to No.1 Ryozan-ji, located about 40 Km away from No.88 Okubo-ji for Orei-mairi (thanking the completion of my pilgrimage), and make the pilgrimage route to be linked as a circle
• Take public transportation to Koya-san for Orei-mairi, where Kobo-Daishi is said to be alive

I wanted to go for last the last option. For that purpose, it seems that I should take community bus from Okubo-ji, then I should somehow change to the highway bus to Osaka. However, I could not find detailed information even in the internet, where I could get off the bus and take the highway bus.

On the way to Kechigan-no-yado Nagao-ji, I saw a sign for Shido Bus Stop where the highway bus for Osaka will stop. I wondered if I would be able to come back to this area tomorrow when I get on the community bus from Okubo-ji. Then eventually, I encountered that community bus. I was relieved to understand that it would be possible.

“Kechigan” means to finish visiting all 88 sacred temples. So the name of this guesthouse would mean, it’s the last place/night for pilgrim to stay before completion of the pilgrimage.

Kechigan-no-yado Nagao-ji is located just in front of No.87 Nagao-ji. At dinner, I met a person I had met at Yashima-ji (or maybe at some other place too…). He was on his fourth pilgrimage and seemed to be a very good walker who had already visited other Bekkaku sacred sites as well. He advised me to visit the pilgrimage salon in Maeyama, and also told me that it doesn’t open until 9:00. I guess I need to change my plan a little bit.