The cruise departs on route for Chikubu Island with a rousing sendoff from the staff at Imazu Port. After an enjoyable 25 minutes chatting in your cabin and admiring the view from the open deck, we arrive at Chikubu Island.
On the island is Hogonji Temple, home of Daibenzaiten, one of the three Benzaiten (Sarasvati) gods of Japan, and the Tsukubusuma Shrine dedicated to Ryujin, the deity of the sea. Climb up the 165 steps known as the Prayer Stairs, which are beautiful when the sun shines through the trees on a clear day, and ascend to the main hall of Hogonji Temple.
Here you can dedicate a Happiness Wish Dharma, a wish written on a piece of paper and tucked into a Dharma doll. Many buildings of historical value survive to this day, including the Karamon Gate, a designated national treasure, and the Funa Corridor, a designated important cultural property.