What the circuit is
The Shikoku pilgrimage is a circuit of 88 temples that runs around the whole of Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands. It is traditionally linked to the monk Kukai (774-835), later known as Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon school in Japan. The people who walk or travel it are called henro, and the route itself is often called the henro michi.
Most of the temples belong to Buddhist schools of the Japanese Mahayana tradition, and many of them are Shingon temples, though not all. The route is a living practice rather than a museum trail: temples are working religious sites, and many of the people on the road are there for reasons of devotion, memorial, gratitude or reflection. Others come out of curiosity or for the walking, and the circuit has room for all of them provided they behave respectfully.
A circuit rather than a line
Unlike many pilgrimages that lead to a single destination, this one is a loop. The temples are numbered, and the usual order begins at Temple 1, Ryozen-ji, in Tokushima Prefecture, and ends at Temple 88, Okubo-ji, in Kagawa Prefecture, after travelling clockwise around the island. Many pilgrims then return to Temple 1 or visit Mount Koya, the Shingon centre on Honshu associated with Kukai’s resting place, to give thanks.
The route is traditionally divided into four stages, named after the four prefectures it crosses and described in terms of the path to awakening:
- Tokushima: the stage of awakening or the aspiration to begin.
- Kochi: the stage of ascetic training.
- Ehime: the stage of enlightenment.
- Kagawa: the stage of nirvana or completion.
These labels are traditional interpretations. Readers will find slightly different wording in different sources, and they are best treated as a way of giving the journey a shape rather than as a strict doctrine.
Length and the number 88
The full circuit is commonly described as being roughly 1,200 kilometres by the walking route, though the figure varies with the exact path taken, so treat it as an approximation. Distances between temples vary enormously: some are a short walk apart in towns, while others are separated by long stretches of coast, mountain road or rural lowland.
Why there are 88 temples is explained in several ways, and no single explanation is settled. Some traditions connect the number with the 88 worldly passions or defilements that pilgrimage is said to help ease; others point to numerological or historical reasons. It is wiser to say that the number is traditional than to claim one origin for it.
Ways of making the journey
Pilgrims travel the circuit in several ways, and each has its own character. Walking is the most traditional and the most demanding. Others cycle, take buses or guided group trips, or travel by car or train and taxi. Many people complete the circuit in sections over several visits, an approach discussed in more detail under walking henro choices. Because the route can take anywhere from a matter of days by vehicle to many weeks on foot, the pace is up to the individual.
Practical details such as timings, costs, bookings and temple hours change over time, so they are deliberately left out here. Check current information from official tourism and temple sources before planning.
Common elements of the practice
A few customs recur across the circuit, and each has its own article on this site:
- Pilgrims often wear traditional clothing, including the white vest, sedge hat and staff, the subject of the article on henro attire.
- Visitors follow a general sequence at each temple, described under henro temple rituals.
- Many keep a stamp book, which is explained in the article on the nokyocho stamp book.
- Local people sometimes offer small gifts to pilgrims, a practice known as the osettai custom.
- Overnight stays range from temple lodging to ordinary inns, covered under shukubo lodging.
The staff is traditionally understood to represent Kukai himself, which is why pilgrims treat it with care. The idea of “two travelling together”, with the pilgrim accompanied by Kukai, is often mentioned in connection with the route, and the origins and legends are explored in the article on the Kukai legend.
Respect and preparation
Because these are active temples, the usual expectations apply: modest dress, quiet behaviour, and following guidance from temple staff. Japanese temple etiquette differs from shrine etiquette, and visitors who are unsure should observe what others do and ask politely. Customs differ between temples and communities, so there is no single universal rule.
Walking long distances in Japan can mean summer heat and humidity, typhoon season, winter cold in the mountains, and stretches of busy road without a wide verge. Readers planning any long walk should take medical advice, think carefully about long-distance pilgrim walking preparation and pilgrim travel insurance, and check current official guidance, including government travel advice, before they go. Conditions along the route can change, and nothing here should be taken as a promise of safety or ease.
Why the circuit endures
The Shikoku route is often described as one of the few Japanese pilgrimages to be walked continuously in a loop, with an unbroken tradition reaching back many centuries. Its appeal appears to lie in the combination of religious practice, ordinary hospitality and a long walk through varied landscape. For some it is an act of devotion, for others a way to remember a family member, and for others simply a long journey made slowly. All of these motives are accepted on the road, and this guide does not rank them.