The 88 Temples of Shikoku
A Guide for the Walking Pilgrim
First edition
ISBN-Nr. 9783753411392
Printed by BOD Books on Demand GmbH, Hamburg
Copyright 2021
The Shikoku pilgrimage is one of the oldest pilgrimage paths in the world. Located on the fourth largest island of Japan, its history goes back by over 1,200 years to the time when a monk named Kukai travelled to Shikoku to seek enlightenment by meditating in some remote parts of the island.
The pilgrimage movement started much later, approximately 300 years ago, when it became popular to walk a series of 88 temples in a circle around the island in his honor.
The Shikoku pilgrimage is often compared to the Camino de Santiago (which is a much too general term, as there are a number of pilgrimages that lead to Santiago from different directions). However, the Shikoku pilgrimage is different in many ways: It is a loop, so there is no beginning and no end. It may be completed as a whole or in several stages, and there are no official pilgrimage hostels as such, but the overnight stays need to be organized individually.
The purpose of this guide is to provide practical help for planning your pilgrimage, and information on the cultural background of the temples. As this is not a map-book, I often refer to and strongly recommend the English map book The Shikoku 88 Route Guide in addition to this travel guide, which offers a complete map of the 1,200 km path to the 88 main temples and 20 secondary temples. This book is less about deeper spiritual or religious aspects and not at all about myths, so many of the popular myths related to the pilgrimage are not covered. It is only meant as a practical guide.
One of the great pleasures of the Shikoku pilgrimage is the interaction with locals, who are friendly and supportive people, usually ready to help wherever they can. As Shikoku is suffering from a declining and aging population, I strongly encourage pilgrims to support the local economy by making use of local places to stay. Consequently, I will also not focus on how the pilgrimage could be done at lowest possible cost, sleeping outdoors or in free shelter huts. In case your budget is limited, I recommend doing as much as you can and returning some other time.
The places where formerly one could stay free of charge in temples or on the roadside are declining and initially were meant for people in need, stranded in the grey zone between being a pilgrim and being homeless. I believe that most of the readers of this guidebook are not in this situation, so these options are not covered in depth.
Most people who come to Shikoku are impressed by the positive aura of the island and its people. I hope you, too, will enjoy this experience.
It is not quite clear whether the Shikoku pilgrimage was founded by a Buddhist monk named Kobo Daishi, also referred to as Kukai. In old times, people always wandered to visit sacred and spiritual places, even before Buddhism came to Japan in the 6th century AD. There is evidence of Kukai’s stays at three of the temples. But actually, the oldest documentation of a pilgrimage trail in Shikoku dates back to the 17th century in Edo era, when a monk named Shinnen described a walk to 88 temples in Shikoku. Today Kukai is the omnipresent figure in the temples and along the way.
With Buddhism being something “imported” from Korea and China, preaching outside temples and monasteries was forbidden, but in the 7th century, a mystic named En-no-Gyoja (634-701) travelled across the country and preached a mix of nature religion and early Buddhism with elements of Taoism called Shugendo. Slightly later, it was Gyoki (649-749) an ascetic monk, who became the first person to teach Buddhism in Japan, supported by Emperor Shomu. Like Kukai, Gyoki was well-educated in civil engineering. Gyoki passed away 25 years before Kukai was born, and his achievements are possibly underrated.
But who was this Kukai, who is like a permanent companion, whom we see in every temple and on many spots along the way, with his backpack, his sleeping mat, his walking stick and his hat? He was born in 774 near Zentsuji (Temple 75) as a descendant of the noble Saeki family and given the name Mao. The family was impoverished, but Kukai was able to study religion and philosophy in Kyoto, which would soon become Japan’s new capital. Mao was more fascinated by Buddhist teachings and its ascetic practices than by the widespread Confucian doctrine. He spent much time meditating in remote parts of Shikoku, first on a mountain peak near Temple 21, and later in a cave near Temple 24 close to cape Muroto, where he found enlightenment. From then, he called himself Kukai, after the two elements he first saw stepping out of his cave – the sky and the sea. By then he was in his mid-twenties.
Aged 30, Kukai travelled to China with a group of other monks, after a troublesome trip during which some of his companions were lost in a storm. After his arrival in Fujian, he was allowed to continue to the capital of Xi’an where he studied esoteric Buddhism for two years. He returned to Kyoto, and after some time at Jingo-Ji, in 810 he was given the position of the head priest at Todai-Ji, the largest temple of Nara. Finally, in 816 emperor Saga accepted his request to build a retreat on mount Koya which was only completed in 835, due to major delays in fundraising. Kukai passed away the same year, his remains are kept in his Mausoleum at Mt. Koya. Kukai founded Shingon Buddhism, today the largest Buddhist sect in Japan today. One of the key elements of Shingon is the belief that human beings have the opportunity to be enlightened already in their current life through esoteric practice.
It roughly took another 900 years until in 1687 Shinnen described a pilgrimage path across 88 temples in Shikoku in his book Shikoku Henro Michishirube, at that time still without any particular order. Shinnen organized sign posts, rest huts and measured the distance between temples, creating a minimal infrastructure for the pilgrims. This started a pilgrimage movement also among common people, for whom pilgrimage was often the only trip they ever made. Often, a village would collect money and send one person on the pilgrimage with the mission to pray for those who stayed at home.
Until the 20th century, undertaking the pilgrimage was a hard and dangerous thing to do. Pilgrimage was done in straw sandals in an area with minimal infrastructure (think of not walking in hiking shoes on pavement over bridges, but instead in straw sandals on mud roads and across rivers). Malaria and leprosy were common and the fact that pilgrims carried along plenty of cash made them an easy target for robbers. All of this led to a high death toll, in addition, pilgrims were not welcome especially on the remote and poorly developed south side of the island. One of the reasons for having a defined pilgrimage path was also that pilgrims were forced by the authorities in some places to pass the areas without delay and on a fixed route, as they were considered being homeless, contagious and were not welcome to settle. Between 1844 and 1866, pilgrims were generally banned from passing the cities of Tosa (Kochi) and Uwajima.
Shi-koku means “Four Countries” and refers to the four prefectures of the island: Tokushima, Kochi, Ehime and Kagawa. Today, the route leads along the 88 main temples across the four prefectures. Shikoku has four major cities: Tokushima in the east, Kochi in the south, Matsuyama in the northwest and Takamatsu in the northeast. Each of these cities is interesting to visit and offers excellent choices for shopping in case you might need some gear. It is not mandatory to begin with Temple No. 1, nor is it mandatory to visit all of them in one trip. Anything is possible and left to the individual to organize according to his or her own means. Pilgrimage in organized bus tours is common among Japanese, just like individual pilgrimage by car on weekends. Apart from some etiquette and general guidelines for behavior there are no rules on how the pilgrimage must be done. Each of the prefectures has its own character which also reflects in spiritual stages, that pilgrims might experience as they walk.
Tokushima Pref., formerly Awa (T1-T23, 190 km)
Probably because it is nearest to Kyoto and Koyasan, Tokushima is the first prefecture and this is where the numbering begins. The prefecture stands for “spiritual awakening”, and the pilgrim has an easy start: After a 20-minute train ride from Tokushima Station, T1 is just a 15-minute walk from Bando Station. The route begins flat, temples coming every few kilometers as the challenge gradually increases with longer distances and more climbs. After 153 km, the prefecture’s last temple (T23) is reached and the route reaches the seaside.
Kochi Pref., formerly Tosa (T24-T39, 390 km)
The route across Kochi Prefecture mostly goes along the southern coast of the island. The pilgrim is challenged by long stretches with minimal infrastructure; the 16 temples being spread over a distance of 455 km. Consequently, this prefecture stands for ascetic training. Ehime Pref., formerly Iyo (T40-65, 365 km)
The route becomes more colorful and the landscape more diverse in Ehime, the prefecture of enlightenment. In Matsuyama, after passing the Kuma Kogen mountain range, pilgrims can enjoy themselves in the hot springs of Dogo Onsen and look forward to a couple of easier days walking along the beautiful rock coast on the west side of the island.
Kagawa Pref., formerly Sanuki (T66-T88, 150 km)
After 945 kilometers, the pilgrims enter Kagawa Prefecture, which represents Nirvana. They will visit 22 beautiful temples over a distance of only 150 km, enjoy local noodles, the bustling city of Takamatsu and receive their certificate of completion before visiting T88 and closing their loop by returning to T1.
In the 20th century, it became common practice to visit Koyasan, after finishing the pilgrimage, the center of Shingon Buddhism, a city of temples which is not located in Shikoku, but two hours by south of Osaka in Wakayama prefecture.
There are over 1800 sacred places in Shikoku. Apart from the 88 main temples (named T1 to T88 in this book), we find other categories of temples:
Temples and shrines can easily be distinguished by their gates: While Buddhist temple gates are often built like small buildings with walls and roofs, Shinto shrines have the typical Torii gates made of two vertical and two horizontal pillars, the upper one bent.
In many cases, temples and shrines can be found on the same area, sharing common history. Historically, Shintoism, before it was called like this, was the original nature religion of Japan, the Emperor being the head priest. Buddhism was considered something foreign, imported, un-Japanese to some. The Emperor was without political power for most of that times (the period between the Meiji era from 1868 and the end of WWII 1945 being one of the few exceptions) as the country was ruled by Samurai clans. Throughout the Edo era (1603-1868), Temples often shared their grounds with Shinto shrines, while the Meiji reformation 1868, in which the Emperor took power, brought a phase of strong confrontation between the two religions, during which many Buddhist temples were destroyed and the grounds later divided. The phase of destruction ended suddenly in 1872 and temples were rebuilt.
Traditionally pilgrims follow ten commandments:
If you do not live in Japan, it is a good idea to start with the flight booking. This will set the time for your trip and avoid further postponement. 3-6 months before the trip is a good time for preparation. The best, and most popular seasons for the walking pilgrimage are March and April before April 23rd (which marks the beginning of the Golden Week, a major holiday in Japan where traffic is heavy and many places are booked out). The summer months are not recommended – too much rain, too humid, typhoons, but October is another good month, and later, the winter months in Japan are usually bright and dry. Avoid the period of New Year’s Eve and the first week of January. This is a time when the entire country comes to a standstill and accommodation might be difficult.
The walking pilgrim will need 8 to 10 weeks depending on detours and rest days. In any case, part of the trip will fall into a difficult month. The temperatures are the same across the island, but the south has more rain.
Let us look at the weather you might expect every month:
| January | Temps between 0 and 10°C, month with little rain, with dry air and bright days. First week is New Year’s holiday period, many places might be closed. Mountain areas might be cold and snowy. |
| February | Temps between 5 and 15°C, good month to go but not warm Mountain areas might be cold and snowy, occasionally rainy. |
| March | Temps 5-20°C, good month to go, be prepared for occasional cold and hot moments, occasional rain. |
| April | Good month to go. Temps between 10 and 20°C, Golden Week starts April 23, so be sure to be done or at least to have a confirmed stay early enough in that period. Expect some days of rain. |
| May | More occasional rain, weather becomes warmer with 15-25°C and higher humidity |
| June | Rainy season, rain approx. every second day, very humid, temps up to 30°C, not recommended for walking. August is hottest month. September is typhoon season |
| July |
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| August |
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| September |
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| October | Good month to go. Less rainy, sunny but with lower humidity. |
| November | Good month to go but might occasionally be cold, jacket needed. |
| December | Clear skies and dry weather, good month to go but jacket and gloves needed. |
The costs of the trip can be calculated by adding one-time costs for the trip to Shikoku plus an estimation of costs per day depending on your requested level of comfort and length of stay.
Estimated one-time costs
| One-Time Costs | Yen | € (= 125 Yen) |
| Flight to Kansai | 700.00 | |
 to Tokushima and back |
8,400 | 67.00 |
| Hotel 1st night | 3,500 | 24.00 |
| Dinner 1st night | 2,000 | 16.00 |
| Shikoku 88 Route Guide | 1,600 | 13.00 |
| Walking staff | 2,000 | 16.00 |
| Vest | 4,000 | 32.00 |
| Hat | 3,000 | 24.00 |
| Stamp book | 2,400 | 19.00 |
| Total one-time costs | €874.00 |
To the one-time costs, you need to add estimated costs per day
| Costs per day | Yen | € (= 125 Yen) |
| Hostel per night | 3,500 | |
| Food & beverages | 2,500 | |
| Average 3 temple stamps | 900 | |
| Spending money | 1,000 | |
| Total costs per day | ¥7,900 | €63.00 |
These estimations are based on a reasonable level of comfort. That would include a nightly hostel or guesthouse stay in shared rooms, eating meals in basic restaurants, and collecting stamps at the temples.
A 2-week pilgrimage to Shikoku will allow you to visit the temples of one of the four prefectures on foot:
| One-time costs | €874.00 |
| 13 x €66.00 | €858.00 |
| Total costs for the trip | €1,732.00 |
It takes 8-10 weeks to walk the entire route. An 8-week pilgrimage visiting the 88 temples on foot will cost about
| One-time costs | €874.00 |
| 56 x €63.00 | €3,528.00 |
| Total costs for the trip | €4,402.00 |
Hostels are usually paid in cash. Supermarkets accept credit cards, but I recommend carrying money for the trip in case card payment does not work. Japan is a very safe country and the risk of the money being stolen is close to zero.
Cash can be withdrawn at ATMs in post offices and 7-Eleven convenience stores. However, some of the other ATMs do not accept foreign credit cards, even if they carry the Visa- or Mastercard logo.
You do not need much. Every hostel or guesthouse offers laundry. I have been on the Shikoku pilgrimage 5 times and managed to reduce the weight of my backpack down to 6-7 kg, including the backpack and a jacket. Everyone is different, but you might take this adventure to find out how light you can really travel.
To start with, here is a list of what you DON’T really need.
Remember, no one cares if you look stylish:
Here is what I recommend to take along:
Should you intend to walk the entire pilgrimage, you should make sure to keep your backpack as light as possible. Check the weight of every item you intend to take along, make a list, including the weight of the backpack itself, check the total weight of your luggage and set yourself a maximum weight limit. It should be possible to get below 8kg.
You can start anywhere you want, but most people start in Tokushima which is close to Temple 1.
By plane: The closest international airport is KIX Kansai. From Kansai airport there are direct busses to Tokushima, the 3-hour journey costing 4.200 yen one-way. Tickets are sold outside the airport terminal at vending machines and ticket booths, with English explanations. A more laid-back approach is to take the train from the airport to Wakayama and from there take the ferry to Tokushima. This will be a little longer than going by bus. The long-distance busses are very comfortable with generous seat pitch and Wi-Fi. You can also fly via Tokyo and take a connecting domestic flight (from HND Tokyo Haneda Airport) to any of the four larger cities in Shikoku.
By train: Japan has the world’s most dense and reliable railway system. Take the Shinkansen bullet train to Okayama, from there, a limited express (JR Seto Ohashi Line) will take you over one of the bridges onto the Island to Utazu (near T78), once you are here, there are trains that can take you to T1 with a transfer in Takamatsu if that is where you wish to start. Tokushima is a convenient hub to start from. Allow yourself some time to stroll around and visit the Awa-odori souvenir shop to buy your first pilgrimage gear on the first night. After that, a short visit to a hot spring will help you sleep well after the long trip.
The basic idea is to move from temple to temple but there are no rules, and everyone may choose the mode of transportation, length of trip and direction they wish, according to their abilities. Many locals go in organized tours or by car, many overseas visitors walk or do a mix of walking and public transportation for some of the longer or more difficult stretches. Your daily distance should be in line with your endurance, but remember you are in an interesting place and there will be many reasons to take a break, so do not plan your distances with too much ambition.
Some people manage to walk 40 km a day and do the entire pilgrimage in one month, but I recommend planning 20 km per day which is approximately 5 hours of pure walking with time to rest and to enjoy the most beautiful moments or discover unusual places. Remember this is not a race, on the contrary, one intention might be to let go of the daily pressures of your life and to find your personal flow. Even if at some stage it might become clear that you will not be able to finish (due to lack of time or injury). Take that as a good reason to come back. Some pilgrims also do it by bicycle. I once did T33 to T88 by bike, it was a wonderful experience done on a women’s shopping bike which I had purchased locally, but some of the climbs are really tough and some stages cannot be done on the official route. It was a great experience which allowed me to take along more luggage, but my average speed was only 12-14 km/h.
The stages between the Temples can be anything between a few 100 meters and 84 km. At the temple you take a rest, follow the ritual as you wish, receive a stamp and calligraphy for a small donation, enjoy the marvelous architecture and gardening and visit the rest rooms. (more about the temple rituals later), maybe chat with other pilgrims. Slowly, you make your way around the island, finally making it to T88, the last temple. From there, you may close the loop by returning to T1 and later continue to Koyasan if you want.
Not everyone is strong enough to do the pilgrimage on foot. And even on foot, you might find yourself in a situation where you might prefer getting a ride, due to pain, frustration, schedule or bad weather. Nothing wrong with that, there are no rules, and it is not a race. Trains and busses will take you to most parts of Shikoku, but you should be aware of the schedules, as many connections are not even covered on an hourly basis.
To make travelling convenient for foreigners, the JR stations are numbered so that station names need not be remembered.
With a few exceptions, most of the 88 Temples can be accessed by public transportation and some walking (many of the temples are located on hills).
When taking the train, on major lines you proceed as follows:
Smaller train lines and busses operate by the “one man” principle:
In case you are not sure about where to get off to visit your temple, tell the bus driver the name of the temple. Bus drivers are familiar with foreigners in this situation and will tell you where to get off.
There is some etiquette in public transportation:
Traditionally, there was no particular attire the pilgrims were wearing. People were on the pilgrimage in their regular traditional clothes, as you can see in old pictures. Their head was protected by a sedge or bamboo hat, because that was the way hats were made, and pilgrims were walking with a staff because that is helpful when walking or in case protection is needed.
White attire came up in the 20th century with the industrialization of the textile industry as clothes became more affordable and temples recognized there was money to be made selling pilgrimage wear. Again, there are no rules but you might enjoy wearing this “uniform” to trigger your mindset.
Today, some temples and shops offer a wide range of pilgrimage clothing gear. The sedge hat is a protection against sun and rain. It may also be worn at an angle so as to avoid eye contact which might improving internal focus during walking meditation. It comes in an inexpensive version (c. 2000 yen) which needs an additional plastic cover against rain, but also in beautiful hand-made lacquered versions (from 15.000 yen). You will also need a small towel to wear on your head for it to sit tightly and comfortably. (Personally, I prefer wearing a soft hat instead, which I can squeeze into my backpack and a “bandana” which I can dip into cold water, and use to cool my head when the sun burns too hot.) The traditional hat has four phrases written on it.
It is worn with the Sanskrit character towards the front.
The staff (walking stick) also symbolizes the presence of Kobo Daishi walking along with you. It is made of wood and has a brocade top for the hands and to make it recognizable. Carry it with respect, and clean its bottom end when you arrive at your destination. Also, do not tap it on the ground as you walk over a bridge. As your pilgrimage comes to an end, the staff can be left at Temple 88 and burned in a ritual fire, but if you decide to take it home, you can check it in on your flight. Many pilgrims reported the airline staff taking good care of it and not charging any extra fee. Many pilgrims attach a small bell to it. Its ringing makes the pilgrims heard as they approach, the noise could chase away animals in the forest and the ringing in the rhythm of the steps creates a particular mindset when walking. Personally, I prefer a pair of trekking poles, two of them, they will make steep climbs and descents a lot easier and safer to walk.
The stamp book (Nokyosho) is a book with white pages. After every temple visit, you may go to the temple office (Nokyocho) and collect a calligraphy and 3 large stamps as a documentation of your visit. As you continue your pilgrimage, the book is gradually filled with more and more stamps and calligraphies, documenting your journey, until it is completed and contains stamps of all 88 temples. This should not be missed. To many pilgrims the stamp book is one of the most cherished things they own. Keep it in a separate plastic bag and protect it from moisture (e.g., when hiking in heavy rain). These books come in various sizes and versions, make sure you get one large enough to fit more stamps in case you return to Shikoku another time, and with enough pages to fit stamps for all 88 temples and some additional white pages for Bekkaku temples. Some stamp books only have white pages, some have 1 or 2 pages dedicated to every temple. If you choose a neutral stamp book not exclusively designed for the 88 temples, you may also use it in other temples.
The white Vest (Hakui) is worn by many pilgrims. There are many good reasons to wear it. It can change your mindset once you put it on, you can be recognized by others as being a pilgrim, it makes you more visible in situations where you might be walking in the dark. In the past it was also considered to be the pilgrim’s death shroud, showing that the pilgrim was prepared to pass away. The Hakui has sleeves and usually a convenient zipper pocket on the front. There is also a version without sleeves called Oizuru which can be worn on top of regular clothes. In my opinion the sleeve version has the benefit that it is convenient to wear on very sunny stages as it covers your arms, and you may wear nothing or very little underneath, and still be properly dressed, as it is very airy and provide a bit of ventilation. Some people have stamps put on the vests. In that case, it should be considered that the vests can no longer be washed as the stamp ink is not waterproof. The ink will also dilute in rain or by sweat. This type of apparel is usually made of light cotton fabric, the sort used for men’s shirts. There are also versions made of breathable technical fabric.
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