A great way to get a taste of the 88 Temple pilgrimage without having to slog it out along busy main roads is to follow this mini-circuit that starts and ends in Uwajima. This walk between Temple 42, Butsumoku-ji (仏木寺) and Temple 41 Ryūkō-ji (龍光寺), covers a little over 5km.
Take a bus from Uwajima Station direct to Temple 42, Butsumoku-ji. After admiring the thatched bell-house and the statues of the seven gods of good fortune, follow the clearly marked henro trail back through picturesque farming villages and rice paddies to Temple 41, Ryūkō-ji. Here, a steep stone staircase leads up to a pleasant temple and shrine overlooking the fields. From outside Ryūkō-ji there are signs to Muden Station (務田駅), a 15-minute (800m) walk away. From here, you can catch a train or bus back to Uwajima.
