A 35-Day Journey of Steps and Reflections
This category is a daily record of my time on the trail, capturing the path from Temple No. 1, Ryozen-ji, to Temple No. 88, Okubo-ji. Over 35 days and approximately 1,200km, these logs document the quiet reality of the pilgrimage—the physical challenge of snowy mountain passes, the timeless beauty of the sanctuaries, and the unexpected warmth of Osettai hospitality.
Rather than a definitive travel guide, this collection is a personal account of how each day’s walk gradually transformed into a deeper journey of reflection. Whether you are a future pilgrim seeking a glimpse of the trail or a curious traveler joining me from afar, I hope these entries allow you to feel the enduring spirit of the Shikoku path at your own pace.
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Probably I looked bit strange while I’m heading to Tokyo Haneda airport because of Kongo-zue I had with me. At the airport, I was wondering how it would be handled, then staff at the check-in counter kindly wrapped it. It seemed that they know what it is. I was bit surprised to myself, because I’m …
After the flight from Tokyo to Tokushima, I used bus & train to come here. From now on, I’ll walk around 1200 Km to visit 88 sacred temples…wow! I try to follow what to do at each temple. Unfortunately the main temple is under construction, so everyone has to worship in the quite narrow space. …
During 1.4 Km short walk from No.1 Ryozen-ji, I noticed that there’re some sign posts for walking pilgrims, and it’s pretty easy to find a way to next temple. There’re pretty big Japanese sedar called Chomei-sugi (長命杉) in Gokuraku-ji. It is said that Kobo-daishi founder of Shikoku Pilgrimage planted it. There’re relatively small number of …
OK, even though my backpack is pretty heavy, I’m OK after 4 Km walk from No.1 Ryozen-ji. However, I noticed that the challenge could be that there’re actually many pilgrims using bus tour…just after arriving at this main gate, the tour bus also arrived… hmm. Precincts of Konsen-ji looks bit like Chinese style (maybe because …
Aizen-in is located along the route from No.3 Konsen-ji to No.4 Dainichi-ji. In addition to 88 sacred temples, there’re actually more temples that is somewhat connected to Kobo-Daishi. Aizen-in is one of them and it is known from its special temple stamp written by wide-brush. However, I was stuck by this small hall dedicated to …
Continue reading “Day 1: Aizen-in, inner shrine of No.3 Konsen-ji (金泉寺奥の院 愛染院)”
After leaving Aizen-in, it started to rain a lot… So I had to use foldable umbrella… but then my both hands are occupied (the other one hold Kongo-zue). I now realized that Sugegasa (Sedge hat) seems to be a good choice. This main gate is interesting, because it has the bell inside. Usually there’s separated …
Walking along the Henro route, I noticed that I’m already in the precincts in the temple 😉 So I once moved out, then once again move in from the main gate. The main gate is rather small comparing others I visited already today. At every temple, I noticed this cute young priest is standing either …
The entrance of Morimoto-ya is unexpectedly neat (sorry, but I expected these guest house would be old and so so). The old landlady welcomed me. She told me that she will wash my Kongo-zue (Pilgrim’s stick), and then guided me to this cozy room after showing me where is the bathroom. She then suggested me …
I woke up at 2:30… I could not sleep very well, maybe because I went to sleep early last night or maybe I’m excited… Last night, I asked the landlady if I can have a breakfast at 6:00 a.m. According to her, it is natural for walking pilgrims to have a breakfast early in the …
When I left the guest house around 6:30 a.m, it was quite dark and chilly outside. After a while, I noticed that I may have missed sign post, and that I probably lost the Henro route. I understood it could happen, since Henro route is old historical route, and it is sometimes apart from roadway, …
Interestingly, the main gate of Jyuraku-ji is similar as the one of No.6 Anraku-ji because of it’s Chinese style look. It’s actually pleasant to conduct religious services step by step in this chilly and quiet morning. I went to Nokyo-jyo to get the stamp, after finishing those. However, there’re no one. After calling via extension …
The main gate of No.8 Kumadani-ji is said to be one of the largest wooden main gate in all the 88 sacred temples. Interestingly, it is located bit isolated from the other buildings of the temple. Indeed, it’s not like a main gate. In addition to the old but refined main gate, I was also …