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Shikoku Pilgrimage
四国遍路
A circular pilgrimage of 88 temples around the island of Shikoku, about 1,200 km, associated with the monk Kūkai.
At a glance
- Starts in
- Ryōzen-ji, temple 1 (Naruto)
- Ends in
- Ōkubo-ji
- Length
- 1,200 km
- On foot
- ≈ 48–60 days
- Countries
- Japan
About the trail
The Shikoku Henro is the best-known circular pilgrimage in Japan, walked clockwise starting from temple 1 at Ryōzen-ji. Many pilgrims walk it in sections.
The four prefectures of the island stand for four stages on the path: awakening in Tokushima, discipline in Kōchi, enlightenment in Ehime and nirvana in Kagawa. Walking the whole circuit at once takes most people six to eight weeks. Local people still offer osettai, small gifts of food, drink or a bed, to walking pilgrims. White pilgrim clothing and a staff are traditional, but they are not required for walkers today.
No source gives the days on foot, so they are worked out from the length at 20–25 km a day.