The '''88 Temple Pilgrimage''' (___\__________ ''hachij?hakkasho-meguri'') is a 1,200-kilometer circuit around the island of Shikoku, Japan.

Understand

The 88 Temple Pilgrimage is Japan's most famous pilgrimage route. The circuit loops around the entire island of Shikoku through 88 temples plus an optional 20 "unnumbered" (___O ''bangai'') temples. Many of the temples are said to have been founded or restored by the monk and scholar '''K?kai''' (___C), better known by his posthumous title '''K?b? Daishi''' (_O_@___t), who among his many achievements is said to have created the ''kana'' syllabary, brought the tantric teachings of Esoteric Buddhism from China, developed it into the uniquely Japanese Shingon sect and founded Shingon's headquarters on Mount Koya near Osaka.

While most modern-day pilgrims (an estimated 100,000 yearly) travel by tour bus, a small minority still set out the old-fashioned way on foot, a journey which takes about six weeks to complete. Pilgrims, known as ''o-henro-san'' (_____H____) in Japanese, can be spotted in the temples and roadsides of Shikoku clad in a white jacket emblazoned with the characters ''D?gy? Ninin'' (___s___l), meaning "two traveling together" — the other being the spirit of Kobo Daishi. Most temples provide lodging for Henro, but it can be quite expensive (around $70 per night is average) for those who don't have much money. Instead they should search for "henro houses". These are houses that are owned and run by families or local businesses and offer rooms and sometimes food to walking henro for a very small fee or sometimes for free.

Prepare

Completing the course the traditional way on foot is a serious undertaking that demands several weeks. Good physical fitness and stamina is required to endure the stress of constant walking up and down the hills of Shikoku, in the burning sun and the pouring rain.

Many pilgrims choose to dress up in traditional attire:

  • ''hakui'' — the white coat of a pilgrim
  • ''wagesa'' — scarf worn around the neck, usually purple, to indicate that you are on a religious pilgrimage
  • ''sugegasa'' — conical straw hat
  • ''kong?tsue'' — walking stick, and the one indispensable sign that identifies you as a pilgrim
  • In addition, most pilgrims carry a book called ''n?ky?ch?'', which is stamped by each temple you visit. All of these items can be purchased at Mount Koya or at Ryozenji, the first temple.

    It should be noted that many pilgrims who begin the pilgrimage on foot do not finish it. It is a common to hear of people giving up in Kochi, traditionally known as "devil's land" because of its hot temperature, intense rain and infrequent contact with civilization. (This means you must either camp, sleep in a rest stop or precisely time your journey to only hit towns and be willing to pay up for a hotel room.)

    Get in

    It is traditional to prepare by visiting Mount Koya, but the route itself starts at Ry?zenji, near Tokushima, and you also have to return here in order to complete your pilgrimage. Traditionally, it's not necessary to start at temple #1 as long as you visit them all, but this is by far the most popular starting point for pilgrims from outside Shikoku, because it's also the closest if coming from Mt. Koya._@The temples are usually visited in clockwise order, although this too, is just a convention — in practice, as all signs are oriented for pilgrims going clockwise, it's easier to get lost if you try to go against the flow.

    Go

    Most pilgrims walking on foot average around 25 km. daily and complete the trip in five to seven weeks.

    The canonical list of temples is as follows:

    {|table border="0" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=5 ! No. !! Temple !! City !! Prefecture !! Notes

    Stay safe

    Traveling in Shikoku is very safe, especially when you wear the traditional henro robes. People will be very helpful when they recognize you as pilgrim, and will try to participate in your journey by giving you small gifts (''Osettai''), which you must always accept. The weather can be perilous at times; even during the optimal seasons of spring and fall it may rain for days - particularly in the south. Proper preparation and staying up to date with weather reports is a must. You are, however, never far from civilization in case of emergency. Be careful while walking in Kochi Prefecture as it is the least populated. The major towns are far apart, and the coast is lined with small fishing towns that tend to shut down by eight or nine in the evening, making it difficult to find accommodations.

    Watch out for snakes. Shikoku is home to many snakes, some of them are deadly pit vipers. When walking or camping in brush or grass, stomping or otherwise making noise will divert most snakes from your path.

    July and August are very hot and attempting to walk the pilgrimage in this time is asking for a bad case of heatstroke, but for the brave it can mean small crowds and almost guaranteed space at the henro houses. April and October are the best times to go, though accommodations will be particularly crowded. There are many small inns that cater to pilgrims traveling either by foot or car. They typically cost between 4000 to 7000 yen a night including dinner. There are also small free lodgings called "zenkonyado" and "tsuyado" (with very limited facilities) that lodge travelers for the night, although these lodgings can be somewhat poor quality. There is "zenkonyado" near Zentsuji which is said to be haunted. These were once the primary lodgings for walking henro, however, the island's culture has changed in the last 50 years and the number of these lodgings have been greatly reduced to just a handful.

    Get out

    You aren't done when you reach the 88th temple — you still have to trek back to the 1st to officially complete your pilgrimage! And if you've made it this far, it's only good manners to return to Mount Koya to give your thanks to Kobo Daishi.

    Other Pilgrimage Routes

  • Chugoku 33 Kannon Temple Pilgrimage - If you have the energy, you can easily begin this pilgrimage right after the Shikoku pilgrimage
  • Narrow Road to the Deep North - Trace the steps of the famous poet Matsuo Bassho