Shikoku Pilgrimage

The Shikoku Pilgrimage is a 1,200-kilometre circuit of eighty-eight Buddhist temples encircling the island of Shikoku, honouring the ninth-century monk Kūkai, known posthumously as Kōbō Daishi. White-clad pilgrims, or o-henro, have walked it for centuries as an act of devotion, mourning or self-discovery.

Its distinction is the completeness of the loop: the temples range from grand mountain complexes to tiny village halls, and the walking passes through cities, rice country, coastline and steep forested passes. The pilgrim's staff is said to embody Kūkai himself, who walks alongside every henro.

On the trail completing the full circuit on foot takes roughly thirty to sixty days, though many pilgrims now travel by bus or car, or walk it in sections over years. Graded moderate overall, it mixes long road stretches with genuinely steep temple ascents; endurance, foot care and route-finding through towns are the real challenges.

Practical notes: no permit is needed, and the island's transport allows flexible section-walking, while traditional pilgrim lodging and temple stays punctuate the way. Spring and autumn are the classic seasons, mild and scenic, whereas summer is punishingly hot and humid and typhoon-prone; winter is walkable in the lowlands but cold on the mountain temples. The white vest and conical hat remain customary.