Yoshizaki Gobo (Fukui Prefecture) - 7-day drive of 3,876 km around Honshu, Japan

Yoshizaki Gobo and Rennyo Shonin Memorial Hall (Arawa City, Fukui Prefecture)

　At around 8:30 a.m. on October 3, 2021, we left Roadside Station Mikuni (Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture).
　The distance from Roadside Station Mikuni to Yoshizaki Gobo is about 18 km, and Google Map easily found "Yoshizaki Gobo Ruins," so I followed the directions...
　I was in a bit of a problem. There was only a large pond (called Kitagata-ko) that were like a swamp or a river..  And although the ruins of Yoshizaki Gobo and the bronze statue of Rennyo Shonin were on the map, I didn't know where they were.
　I decided to go around for a while, and went out to a wide road, where I saw a building that looked like a temple.
　Next time I stop by here again, I'll put "Yoshizaki Tourist Center" instead of "Yoshizaki Gobo Ruins" as my destination, and I'll be able to reach this place easily.

"Rennyo no Sato, Yoshizaki Tourist Information Center" the signboard read caught my eyes. Apparently, this was the right place. There was a large free parking lot, so we parked the car there.
　At that time, it was almost 9 am.

"A signboard saying "Yoshizaki Gobo Tourist Information". I was told later that this temple is the Yoshizaki branch of Nishi Honganji Temple, and is under the direct control of Nishi Honganji.

The monument is labeled "Monument to Nenriki-mon, the Gate of Spirit".

The stone monument "Rennyo Shonin Gobo Ruins".

And the gate of the Yoshizaki Betsuin (Nenriki-mon)

"The Nenriki-mon Gate".  I see, it is a historic gate that protected the Honganji temple from the war in the Edo Period. The gate was moved all the way from Kyoto in 1949, right after the Second World War.

And The Main Hall (Amida Hall).

A stone monument inscribed with the history of Yoshizaki Gobo.

Then I went into the Amida Hall. I'm going to pay my respects. Namu Amitabha, Namu Amitabha, Namu Amitabha...

Since I was there, I took a picture of Buddha Amitabha.

The Chusudo Hall is located on the right side facing the main hall. This is the hall where the picture statue of Rennyo Shonin is enshrined.

The picture statue of Rennyo Shonin in the hall.

It was said to be a treasure house, but I couldn't enter because it was closed.

I took another photograph in front of the Nenriki Gate.

　A few hundred meters away, there is the Rennyo Shonin Memorial Hall.
There are many hanging scrolls of the Six Character Name (Namu Amida Buddha) handwritten by Rennyo Shonin on display.
For an entrance fee of 500 yen, you can visit the garden next door. I couldn't visit the garden because I had my wife waiting outside.

　A diorama of Yoshizaki in the Azuchi-Momoyama period ( I was allowed to take pictures of this). Apparently, Yoshizaki was a very prosperous town in the time of Rennyo Shonin.

　When I asked the person at the memorial center where the bronze statue of Rennyo Shonin was, he told me that we could drive up there, so we went there by car. The area was like a park, and there were ropes here and there that said "No Trespassing" due to construction, but we managed to get around them and go through the areas that were not off-limits, and finally met Rennyo Shonin!

　I got a little closer. It was well worth the trip all the way here to Yoshizaki.
Namu Amida Buddha, Namu Amida Buddha...

　We stayed in Yoshizaki for quite a while. By the time we left the bronze statue of Rennyo Shonin, it was already around 10:00 am.
　From here, we drove on to Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture.
　Before entering Kanazawa City and dropping by the Oyama Shrine, we wanted to have lunch.
　On the way, I saw a Chinese restaurant that looked like a good place to eat.   So we rolled in.
　It was about 50 km from Yoshizaki Gobo to this Chinese restaurant.
"It was around 11:30 a.m. when we entered the Chinese Home Cooking Restaurant "Kyoka".
　It was a little early, but we decided to have a Chinese lunch.

The prices were very reasonable and the dishes were nice.
The owner and the waitresses were all Mainland Chinese.
They all spoke Japanese well and they served customers very well.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)