GROTTE D'IWAYASAN / STATUES DE BOUDDHA

This cave is a sacred place of worship in the heart of the Shukunegi Mountains. It is located in the middle of Mount Iwaya, or Iwaya-san as the locals call it. There are many Buddha statues carved on the surface of the rock. There are exactly 88 of them, like the number of temples that make up the Shikoku pilgrimage. Some devotees spend the night there to practice a sitting pilgrimage, to the sound of mantras and chants.