The Shikoku Pilgrimage (Shikoku Hachiju-hakkasho) is one of the world’s great spiritual journeys — a circular route of approximately 1,200 km connecting 88 Buddhist temples on Shikoku island, traditionally completed on foot in honour of the monk Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi, 774–835). Pilgrims wear white (hakui), carry a staff representing Kūkai’s presence, and walk in the belief that the saint walks with them.
Kūkai & the Route’s Origins
Kūkai, founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, was born on Shikoku and trained in meditation in its remote coastal caves before travelling to China. After his death, devotees began following his footsteps across the island. By the Edo period the pilgrimage was well established as both spiritual practice and folk tradition. The 88 temples correspond to the 88 earthly desires (bonnō) in Buddhist teaching; completing the circuit is said to extinguish them. A traditional 9th-century numbering system divides the route into four stages corresponding to Shikoku’s four prefectures: Awa (awakening), Tosa (ascetic training), Iyo (enlightenment), Sanuki (nirvana).
The Walking Route
The complete circuit on foot takes 30–60 days depending on fitness and daily distance. The standard starting point is Ryōzen-ji (Temple 1) in Naruto City, Tokushima. The path traverses mountain passes, coastal cliffs, river valleys, and urban streets — Shikoku’s geography ensures variety. The most celebrated stretches include Cape Muroto’s cliff-top approach to Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji), the remote mountain traverse to Temple 45 (Iwaya-ji), and the final 60 km of the Sanuki plain. Navigation uses the henro (pilgrimage) signpost system — small orange stickers and stone markers placed by volunteer guides.
Pilgrim Culture: Ohenro-san
Pilgrims (ohenro-san) wear a white jacket (hakui), conical sedge hat (sugegasa), and carry a wooden staff (kongōzue). A personal name slip (osamefuda) is deposited at each temple. The practice of osettai — strangers offering food, drinks, accommodation, or cash to pilgrims as an act of merit — is a living tradition: you may be handed an onigiri, offered a bath, or given a donation even when in full rain gear on a mountain path. Accepting osettai graciously is considered important; it gives the giver an opportunity to practise generosity.
Transport Alternatives
Walking completes the pilgrimage in its traditional form, but other modes are common. Bus tours (10–14 days by chartered bus, visiting all 88 temples) are popular with older pilgrims. Driving (rental car, 10+ days) allows flexibility. Cycling (2–3 weeks) is increasingly popular — electric bicycle rental is available at several points. Mixed-mode pilgrimages — walk some sections, take buses for others — are fully accepted. The pilgrimage can be completed over multiple visits spanning years.
Practical Temple Information
Each temple requires a small offering (¥100–300) to enter the main hall and worship, and a fee for the temple’s signature stamp (goshuin) in the pilgrim’s book (nōkyōchō), ¥300. Pilgrim’s lodgings (zenkonyado) — free or donation-based overnight shelter — exist at several temples and private homes. Commercial minshuku (family guesthouse) along the route typically costs ¥6,000–9,000 including dinner and breakfast. Temple guesthouses (shukubō) offer staying within a temple complex.
Starting & Finishing
The pilgrimage begins at Ryōzen-ji (Temple 1, Naruto, Tokushima) and ends at Ōkubo-ji (Temple 88, Kagawa). Tradition calls for a final journey to Kōya-san in Wakayama, Kūkai’s mountain monastery — to report completion to the saint still believed to be in eternal meditation there. The Nankai Rinkai Bus connects the Shikoku route to Kōya-san. Pilgrimage goods (staff, hakui, osamefuda booklets, nōkyōchō) are sold at Temple 1 and shops near Naruto Station.