Shikoku Pilgrimage: spiritual from Japan

A pilgrimage of 88 temples spread over Shikoku, an island in Japan, tied to the monk Kūkai, remembered after his death as Kōbō Daishi. The pilgrims who travel between the temples are called henro, and islanders greet them with alms known as osettai.

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Eighty-eight temples on the Japanese island of Shikoku form a long pilgrimage tied to the monk Kūkai, known after his death as Kōbō Daishi. People have walked it for centuries, out of devotion, for discipline, or simply for the road. The pilgrims are called henro, and the islanders who feed and shelter them on the way greet them as o-henro-san.

What it is

Eighty-eight temples spread across the island of Shikoku make up one long route, and all of them are linked to the monk Kūkai, remembered after his death as Kōbō Daishi. Together they are called Shikoku Hachijūhakkasho. People who make the journey are henro, and islanders greet them as o-henro-san. Walking the whole circuit covers about 1,200 kilometres, or 750 miles, and can take between a month and two months. Many now travel by car, taxi, bus, bicycle or motorbike, and add train rides. Temples may be visited in any order, and some pilgrims go the opposite way round, which is called gyaku-uchi.

Origins and history

Pilgrimage has mattered in Japanese religious life since at least the Heian period. Such journeys usually go to Buddhist sites, often to holy mountains or places tied to a revered person. Kūkai was born in 774 at Zentsū-ji, which later became Temple 75. He studied in China, came home to teach esoteric Buddhism, began a Shingon retreat on Kōya-san, wrote, and ran public works. Tradition says he founded or stopped at many temples on his birth island and carved their images. Monks from Kōya-san travelled Shikoku to spread Shingon teaching, keeping his legends alive, among them the tale of Emon Saburō. In the Edo period, movement was controlled, and pilgrims needed permits plus a stamp book as proof of their route.

How it is kept

A pilgrim arriving at a temple washes first and then enters the main hall, the Hondō. Coins, incense and a printed name slip, the osame-fuda, are offered. The Heart Sutra is chanted, followed by the mantra of the temple's main image and the Mantra of Light. Prayers are said, and merit is dedicated. The pilgrim then goes to the Daishidō, the hall of Kōbō Daishi, offers coins and a slip again, and chants, this time adding the Gohōgō Mantra. A stamp is collected for the pilgrim's book at each stop. Along the road, residents give alms known as osettai. Certificates mark the end, and the last temple issues the kechi-gan-shō, a name that speaks of wishes fulfilled.

Dress and belongings

Pilgrims are recognisable by a white shirt called the oizuru, a sedge hat, and a staff, the kongō-zue. Over the shirt some wear a ceremonial stole, the wagesa. A bag on the shoulder, the zuda-bukuro, carries what the journey calls for: printed name slips, prayer beads, a stamp book, incense sticks, and coins set aside for offerings. Pilgrims who follow the rites closely may also take a book of sutras and a bell for singing the go-eika verses. The white clothing, the hat and the staff have long marked a henro out from other travellers on the road.

Today and change

People still set out for many reasons: discipline, faith, the pleasure of the walk, or tourism. Since 2010, the island's local governments, nonprofit groups and community leaders have worked to win UNESCO World Heritage status for the pilgrimage. Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs now counts it as a provisional candidate, meaning preparations should go ahead, though it is not yet on the country's World Heritage Tentative List. Smaller versions of the circuit have been made since the eighteenth century, among them a short loop inside the Ninna-ji temple grounds in Kyoto, one near Nagoya on the Chita Peninsula, and circuits in the Edo area and Chiba. Another lies on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

How Shikoku Pilgrimage is kept

Anyone may go, alone or in company, and there is no fixed order to the temples. A pilgrim reaches a temple, washes, and enters the main hall. Coins, incense and a printed name slip are left as offerings, then the Heart Sutra and the temple's mantras are chanted, with prayers and a dedication of merit. The same is done at the hall of Kōbō Daishi. A stamp is added to the pilgrim's book. Residents give food, drink or lodging as osettai. Walkers may take 30 to 60 days; others drive, cycle or use buses and trains.

When and where

There is no set date for the Shikoku Pilgrimage. It is not tied to one festival, month or season; each pilgrim decides when to go. The walking circuit covers about 1,200 kilometres and is usually spread over 30 to 60 days for those on foot.

It belongs to Japan. The 88 temples stand across the island of Shikoku, within the four old provinces of Awa, Tosa, Iyo and Sanuki, which became Kagawa, Ehime, Kōchi and Tokushima in the Meiji era. Many pilgrims also travel to Mount Kōya in Wakayama Prefecture, the Shingon centre Kūkai founded.

What Shikoku Pilgrimage means

Those who keep it often describe the circuit as a picture of the religious path. The four provinces stand for four stages: the first 23 temples for the awakening of the wish to seek enlightenment, temples 24 to 39 for discipline and effort, 40 to 65 for reaching understanding, and the last group, 66 to 88, for entering nirvana. Walking the whole island becomes an outward form of an inner journey, and the completion certificate speaks of wishes fulfilled.

Questions people ask about Shikoku Pilgrimage

What is the Shikoku Pilgrimage?

It is a journey through 88 temples on the island of Shikoku in Japan, all of them associated with the monk Kūkai, known after his death as Kōbō Daishi. Collectively the temples are called Shikoku Hachijūhakkasho, and the people who travel between them are henro.

Who was Kōbō Daishi?

Kūkai was a Japanese monk born in 774 at Zentsū-ji, later counted as Temple 75. He studied in China, returned to promote esoteric Buddhism, and founded the Shingon retreat on Mount Kōya. After his death he was known as Kōbō Daishi, and tradition credits him with founding or visiting many Shikoku temples.

Do pilgrims have to walk the whole way?

No. The route is traditionally walked, roughly 1,200 kilometres over 30 to 60 days, but pilgrims also drive, cycle, take buses, taxis or motorbikes, and often add trains. The temples need not be visited in order, and some pilgrims complete them backwards, a practice called gyaku-uchi.

Where is it kept?

It is kept in Japan, on the island of Shikoku, where its 88 temples stand. Many pilgrims also begin or end at Mount Kōya in Wakayama Prefecture, the headquarters of Shingon Buddhism, which Kūkai established.

What do pilgrims wear and carry?

A white shirt called oizuru, a sedge hat, a kongō-zue staff, and a bag holding name slips, prayer beads, a stamp book, incense and offering coins. Some also carry a sutra book and a bell for the go-eika chants.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Shikoku Pilgrimage", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryParampara rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.

Shikoku Pilgrimage