Yes, we are going to visit the Temple Town in Iiyama City from now.
Lady M, a friend at Dunlop Sport Club in Urayasu and a metal chaser, had strongly recommended this place. As a native from Nagano Prefecture, she is familiar with the scenic and historic spots there. So, Iiyama Temple Town is the key spot of our couple's trip this time.

We had originally planned to visit it yesterday, but such a terrible weather like in midwinter. We suddenly changed the plan and decided to visit Zenkoji Temple nearer and familiar to us instead of it. Our decision turned good, so the visit to the Temple Town is going to be done today.

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The shuttle bus started from the hotel to Nagano Station at 8:50, arriving there in 30 minutes.
Looking at the timetable to Iiyama Station on the local line, I found the latest train would be at 10:27 after 1 hour. It is a waste of time.
On the newly built Hokuriku Bullet Line, Iiyama Station is next to Nagano Station. It flashed into my mind.
I had a knowledge all right, however, I did not think of making use of it this time.
I checked its timetable and made sure the next train would soon start at 9:32. We would probably be in time for it in a hurry.
I bought the two tickets, giving Emiko no choice in the matter and then we hurried to the platform barely to get on the train.

Though it takes 45 minutes by local train between Nagano and Iiyama, we were in the bullet train only for a little more than 10 minutes and got to Iiyama Station at 9:43.
I bragged to Emiko about my sudden judgement.

I had expected there was a tourist information office in the station all right, but the one in Iiyama Station was superb.
I applied for the 2-hour guide tour as a perfect chance. Since the reservation seemed to be a prerequisite for it, I thought I wouldn't be worse off for trying.
The two lady staffs divided to call up someone about a possible position.
After a while they found a person available.

We waited for 20 minutes or so. During that time I watched the guide papers and leaflets, and got amazed.
There are enough Japanese documents all right, but in addition there are considerable English documents on the shelf. Iiyama is not an urban city but local. What a surprise!
As I intend to make an English version of this travelogue someday, I felt happy unconsciously.

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A lady guide appeared.
After a little talk with the staff, she led us to the outside of the station.
Well, Iiyama is the town Toson Shimazaki, a literary master, called "Snow country's little Kyoto". It is home to many temples.

We began the temple tour with Nio-mon Gate as a starting point.
In the result, we probably visited nearly 10 temples in the following table divided by sects.

The temples could be divided to such sects as the above table. But there is no religious discrimination, even not slightly.
So, Ms. K, the guide, had no consideration about it and just referred to it, like "This temple belongs to Soto sect opened by Priest Dogen. It is true it has a dojo (training hall)". Otherwise she led us and stopped over at the temples by the fixed route.

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The two statues of Nio (Guardians) were shown at Nio-mon Gate. They are what I mentioned in the previous chapter.

The guideboard explains like this. I try to translate it though a little long.

We walk along the cherry-blossom road, listening to Ms. K's explanation.

Our first visiting temple here is Shinshuji.
As the above table, it belongs to Jodoshinshu-Honganji sect opened by Priest Shinran.
The famous writer in Meiji Period, Toson Shimazaki, visited this temple and wrote the novel "Hakai" (Violation of a Commandment). Rengeji in the novel is this temple.
The following is the literary monument of Toson's Hakai engraved with the 1st section of the 1st chapter.

And then Sairaiji, Renshoji, Saikyoji, ....., I must have dropped in, but I don't remember.
Since the next day I came back home from the trip, I have been to the hospital for rehabilitation in order to cure the back pain around the right shoulder.
After 20 days of rehabilitation, I felt like starting the travelogue and began to arrange the photos firstly.
There are some leaflets relating to the temples, but my memory is too vague to identify the temples. Most of their photos are not in my memory, and what is worse, I did not take any note then there.

Besides the above-written Shinshuji, the temples I surely visited were Shoju-an, Myoshoji, Chuonji, Myosenji of Mt. Seiryu, and Korenji.
The following are these temples.

Shoju-an Temple

Shoju-an is the temple of Priest Shoju (Suitan), a son of the Matsushiro-clan lord Sanada Nobuyuki. One of his apprentices is Priest Hakuin, a restorer of Rinzai sect. Originally built in 1666 by Dokyo, a Rinzai Buddhist monk, it was the site of his lifelong training and study. The current temple was constructed in 1847, but original artifacts like the stone hand washing basin still remain.

Myoshoji Temple

This temple is commonly known as the temple of haiku poem. 　 It is also the temple where Jurojin, one of the Seven Deities of Good Luck, is deified.

Chuonji Temple

The mainhall surrounded by a grove and a wonderful gabled kuri (kitchen) shows a prestigious temple. It is famous for the magnificent dragon picture on the ceiling. It is also the temple where Hotei, one of the Seven Deities of Good Luck, is deified.

Myosenji Temple

The 17th priest of this temple is Tatsujo Ichikawa who learned the one-stick ski by Major Theodor Edler von Lerch, an Austrian, and spread it in Iiyama district.

Korenji Temple

It is said this temple was built by Takeda Masayoshi, who shaved his head to be a priest. Takeda Unshitsu, a famous painter and poem writer in Edo period, is a priest from this temple.

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We could enter the two temples, Shoju-an and Chuonji, since we had already had the acceptance by the priests of each temple.

Shoju-an Temple

Chuonji Temple

Shinshu-Iiyama tourism Bureau introduces this temple (Chuonji) like this. Chuonji temple was first founded in the district of Nagano City in 1559, and moved to Iiyama following the transfer of the then Naganuma Lord in 1601. The main temple burned down in a large fire in 1727, and was rebuilt in 1733. In the solemn nave (open-air area) of the main temple there is a wonderful ceiling mural of a dragon.

I found good information of some other temples besides the above two in the site of Shinshu-Iiyama Tourism Bureau. I pick up what I am interested in as follows. (The photos are also from the site.)

Shonenji Temple

Shonenji is known for its beautiful leaves in autumn, as well as its spectacular garden. This temple is a prominent historic temple in Iiyama. Called Kokedera (Moss temple) for its mossy grounds, it is famous for the exquisite contrast between the small, but well-maintained stone garden and the beautiful colors of its maple trees. The best time to enjoy colorful leaves in autumn is early to mid November, before the snowy season. However, even during the winter, temple grounds are shoveled to allow visitors' access to the main hall.

Jofukuji Temple

Jofukuji has a dojo (training hall) where interested visitors can practice Zen meditation during the morning Buddhist service. After borrowing a round mat and taking off any accessories, visitors may enter the Buddhist alter room barefoot. Zen meditators all sit in one line facing the wall. For the hour of meditation, visitors will learn to sit with proper posture and concentrate the mind, putting all other thoughts and concerns aside. In this way, visitors can experience one of the disciplines of Zen Buddhism.

Daishoji Temple

Daishoji offers beautiful-looking vegetarian dishes, prepared by the young chief priest trained at Eiheiji Temple. The vegetarian dishes are available by reservation only. They are elaborate, original dishes, and served beautifully. Alongside common items like sesame tofu and boiled vegetables, the temple also offers dishes made from Iiyama-local plants and farm products. Daishoji is also the temple where Bishamonten, one of the Seven Deities of Good Luck, is deified.

The Temple-Town map is as follows. Sorry not clear.

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Ms. K, the guide, was a member of the organization "Guide of Country Town Iiyama".
She walked at our slow pace and had an earnest and easy-to-understand explanation.
As the contract time was 2 hours, we had to leave her in front of Jofukuji Temple.

Our couple stroll along the downtown Atagomachi street, commonly known as Butsudan (Buddhist Alter) Street.
Shops selling Iiyama handcrafted Buddhist alters line the street. The walkways on both sides are covered for 300 meters by a special sloping roof, called a "gangi," designed to shelter the shops from snowfall in winter.

Near the station, I felt like to eat soba-noodle. Since we came all this way, we looked for some good local reataurant. But no such store around there.
I just recalled the guideboard close to the railroad minutes ago. It might have shown a soba restaurant.

The restaurant "Rokubei" was surely open on the alley.
The inside is in the atmosphere of traditional locality.
A senior couple are drinking sake with sashimi.
A staff is proud of local dishes like "Tomikura soba" (locally-grown buckwheat noodles) and "Sasazushi (vinegared rice with miso-pickled radish and mountain vegetables served on a bamboo leaf).
We accepted her advice and ordered the set menu of the above written dishes.

I would like to leave a brief comment on Iiyama city in one of the guide leaflets.

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It could be realized for us to go back enjoying the pastoral landscapes through the window of a local train, but regretfully very few train services.
So, we had to get on the 13:47 train from Iiyama Station arriving at Nagano Station at 14:33. It means we had to wait for the 16:00 shuttle bus for more than 1 hour.
If there had been another convenient train, we might have been able to visit some more temples. We put our priority on the charm of a local train as planned.

I had assumed JR Iiyama Line to be the local railway connecting Nagano Station and Iyama Station. It was a mistake.
Its terminal on the Nagano side is actually Toyono Station, 3rd stop from Nagano. This local railway, passing Iiyama, goes faraway to Echigo-Kawaguchi in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. Its total length from Nagano is 96.7 km.
There are several train services of two cars to and from Nagano through Iiyama Line taking 4 hours from Nagano to another terminal Echigo-Kawaguchi.
There are 10 round services between Nagano and Iiyama all right, but as mentioned above, it is still not so convenient as in an urban city.

There are the following eight stations between Nagano and Iiyama.
Hachisu, Kaesa, Kami-imai, Tategahana, Shinano-asano, Toyono, Sansai and Kita-nagano.

On the way back, we enjoyed the local train viewing mountains, rice fields, villages and cherry blossoms in a relaxed mood.

We arrived at Nagano Station a little after 14:30.

We waited for the 16:00 shuttle bus, sitting in the station's waiting room.
While I was dozing off feeling the back pain, Emiko woke me up, saying "Now's the time."

I could not taste the French dinner enough in the hotel. Immediately after dinner, I got back to the room and hit the sack.