Day 18: Sushi Regrets, Band-Aid Blessings, and the Ghost of Kūkai
March 26, 2025
🌅 Morning Mood & Temple 36
Today finally felt like a real break. I woke up feeling rested, hit the buffet breakfast (nothing fancy, but solid), and headed off to Temple 36. The temple was beautiful in that quietly dignified way, with soft morning light and even a mini waterfall—which, to be honest, was kind of underwhelming, but I appreciated the effort.
I ran into Raffy, my favorite Swiss dude, and we caught up briefly. I’ve been carrying around these prayer beads since the beginning of the journey, not knowing what to do with them, and it started to physically and spiritually - weigh on me. Tossing them in the trash seems very wrong. At Temple 36, I noticed a statue—one of those intense guardians who protects the mind from evil—and saw that other people had left beads wrapped around his hands. It felt like the perfect place to surrender mine. Maybe now I won’t be spiritually haunted by negative thoughts.
Also: very cute temple cat hanging out with the stamp book lady. Excellent vibes.
🛥️ Ferry Tales & Tunnel Woes
After the temple, I walked across a bridge and caught the ferry. But let’s be clear: this wasn’t a charming old ferry dock—it was basically someone’s glorified fishing boat. On board were two Austrian cousins who were sweet and chatty. The scenery through the channel was beautiful, but the boat was small, enclosed, and a little too bouncy for comfort.
When I got off, I had a sweaty 2.5-hour walk ahead. There was a tunnel—short, but scary—with no sidewalk. My phone flashlight ended up being surprisingly effective at warding off oncoming cars. I recommend it for anyone else braving Japanese death tunnels on foot.
A man pulled over to the wrong side of the road and handed me what I thought was cold water. It was Powerade. Not my fave. But hey, it’s the thought that counts.
🍣 Conveyor Belt Sushi (and... Regret)
I arrived in town early and treated myself to conveyor belt sushi. It’s usually my favorite: easy, fun, low-effort. Unfortunately, this place was maybe a C- at best. Still, I ate a lot—too much. I regretted it almost immediately when I puked in the store afterwards. Some of the fish must not had sat right.
I noticed a guy at the sushi place used a handheld digital scanner to count the number of plates I ate. There must be a little chip hidden in the plates - pretty cool.
Post-puke, I grabbed some heel-specific Japanese Band-Aids that seem vastly superior to the ones I brought from home. Also hit up a sporting goods store to find sunglasses (mine are now aggressively lopsided) and ended up with a temporary pair that’s just okay. I also picked up two new Japanese style bandannas—one with cats, one multicolored—and I feel extremely fashionable and mildly culturally appropriative.
🛁 House of Clean & Cat Bandannas
Checked into my guesthouse earlier than I ever have, which was amazing. Clean, calm, and blessedly quiet. They told me they’d call when it was my turn for the bath. I answered the room phone with “moshi moshi” like I’d been rehearsing it all trip. The guy actually thought I was Japanese for half a second before realizing I was just a foreigner playing around.
I did some trip planning (Kyoto, Osaka, Temple 88 logistics—all a mess), and then sat down to meditate.
🧘♀️ Kawada, Ghost Coach of Discipline
During meditation, I started thinking about discipline versus enjoyment on this journey. I’ve gotten looser with things lately. Scrolling Instagram at night. Texting while walking. Drinking a beer now and then. Is that okay?
I kept thinking about Kūkai—Kobo Dashi, the spiritual figure I’ve imagined walking alongside me—and wondering if he’d disapprove. Would he care that I jaywalk? That I crossed early when the little green man wasn’t lit? He didn’t have traffic lights, but still.
Maybe he was fun. Maybe he didn’t walk 1,200 kilometers without occasionally stopping for a laugh or a bowl of noodles. Or maybe he was a deeply serious monk who would slap the phone out of my hand and tell me to fast.
Who knows. But I’m here. And I’m doing my best to balance both.
