88 Temple Pilgrimage

From Wikitravel

This article is an itinerary.

The 88 Temple Pilgrimage (八十八ヶ所巡り hachijūhakkasho-meguri) is a 1,200-kilometer circuit around the island of Shikoku, Japan.

[edit] Understand

Pilgrim traveling on foot, Kubokawa

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" (番外 bangai) temples. Many of the temples are said to have been founded or restored by the monk and scholar Kūkai (空海), better known by his posthumous title Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師), 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 (お遍路さん) in Japanese, can be spotted in the temples and roadsides of Shikoku clad in a white jacket emblazoned with the characters Dōgyō Futari (同行二人), meaning "two traveling together" — the other being the spirit of Kobo Daishi. Most (but not all) temples offer basic but affordable lodging for pilgrims.

[edit] Prepare

Completing the course the traditional way on foot is a serious undertaking that demands several months of time. 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:

• byakue — 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
• kongōtsue — walking stick, and the one indispensable sign that identifies you as a pilgrim

In addition, most pilgrims carry a book called nōkyōchō, which is stamped by each temple you visit. All of these items can be purchased at Mount Koya or at Ryozenji, the first temple.

[edit] Get in

It is traditional to prepare by visiting Mount Koya, but the route itself starts at Ryōzenji, 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, in no small part 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 — but 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.

[edit] 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:

[edit] Stay safe

Travelling in Shikoku is very safe, especially when you wear the traditional henro robes. People will be very helpful when they recognise you as pilgrim, and 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 civilisation in case of emergency.

July and August are very hot and attempting to walk the pilgrimage in this time is asking for a bad case of heatstroke. 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 5000 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.

[edit] 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.