Unpen-ji 雲辺寺
Wildcard: “Temple in the Clouds”
The Unpen-ji (Temple in the Clouds) is my wildcard on a visit to Shikoku. Temple 66 of the 88 Sacred Temples pilgrimage, Unpen-ji is the highest at 911m, tucked into the western corner of Tokushima prefecture, almost straddling the border with Kagawa.
The attraction here is the incredible collection of 500 remarkably expressive, life-size rakan statues. Between the upper ropeway station and the temple halls, you could spend hours inspecting and photographing these mesmerising statues.
Yes, you read that right! There’s a ropeway to get up here from the northern (Kagawa prefecture) side of the mountains.
Alternatively, drive up to the small temple carpark from the Tokushima prefecture side. That will be an adventure in itself!
