#66 （23rd Temple） Yakuō-ji
薬王寺

The twenty-third temple is Yakuō-ji (薬王寺), one of Japan’s most famous temples for warding off misfortune, dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai.

It stands a very long 75.4 km from the twenty-fourth temple — by far the greatest gap so far, and the start of a hard coastal march toward Cape Muroto.

This is the entrance to Yakuō-ji. Perhaps because it had been newly rebuilt, the gate was an unusual colour, fresh and bright against the sky.

It set a cheerful tone for a temple devoted to driving away bad luck.

This is the main hall, where Yakushi Nyorai is enshrined.

I climbed the temple’s well-known “unlucky-age” steps on the way up — thirty-three for women, forty-two for men — and offered incense and the sutra before the hall.

This is the Daishi-dō. Before this quiet hall, with few sightseers about, I calmed my mind and recited the Heart Sutra.

There is a particular peace in praying somewhere so still.

The corridor of the deserted hall, with no sign of anyone about, created a wonderfully mysterious, hushed space.

I lingered a moment in that quiet before turning back.

NFT – Crypto Ohenro #66 Goshuin of Yakuō-ji（薬王寺） –

This is the goshuin of the twenty-third temple, Yakuō-ji. With it, I had now completed three-quarters of the eighty-eight temples — a real milestone on the road.

Even so, twenty-two temples still remained on my journey, and the longest, loneliest stretch was about to begin.

The distance to the next temple was about 20.7 km, with the great Muroto coast waiting beyond.