88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage - Day 9
Day 9 - Sunday, 2016-04-10
Takamatsu / Tokushima
Today is our last hiking day. we are walking from temple 87 to temple 88, the last temple in the 88 temple circuit. We will stop and visit the Henro Museum along the way.
After being dropped at the trailhead with our purchased lunch in our backpacks we started or hike to temple 87 (Nagao-ji).
Bowing at the gate to the temple:
Temple 87 main hall:
After visiting temple 87 we walked through streets in the outskirts of the town, on a flat terrain for about 4.5 Km until we reached the Henro Museum (Maeyama Ohenro Koryu Salon) at the edge of town, at the foot of the steep mountain range we have to cross to reach temple 88, the final temple. The museum was small but interesting It filled some holes in our knowledge of the pilgrimages history.
After the visit came a decision point: walk or ride? The remaining 8Km were going to be challenging, with some ups and downs and culminating with a net ascent of 850m to summit the mountain, followed by a precipitous descent of 300m on the other side of the mountain to reach temple 88. Two of our group decided to take the bus to temple 88 and wait for us there, the rest decided to walk.
We passed a small recently planted rice field with an elderly farmer tending the field. All the farmers I have seen on this hike were elderly, I guess the younger generation prefers to work and live in the cities.
And the climbing continues...
One of the several breaks from the steep hike:
This trail marker was ominous and inauspicious. It was really going to be a steep ascent!
We had to scramble on all fours!
Finally, breathlessly, we reached the top, where it was a bit hazy but beautiful.
Small Shinto shrine at the top of the mountain, the abode of the mountain god.
Going down was also steep, it consisted of steps made with logs all the way to the temple. Uneven steps, some small others large., My thighs were burning, my legs were cooked noodles by the time I reached the temple 88 , Okubo-ji.
These pilgrims came by bus:
Main gate:
Lighting incense:
Chanting the Heart Sutra:
I lingered a bit at the main hall, listening to the various groups chanting the sutras, taking in the atmosphere of the place. Our trek is over.
I am glad I came. I enjoyed the beautiful rugged scenery, the alluring simplicity of the wooden-built temples, the Buddhist rituals and the company of my fellow hikers.
Before starting this pilgrimage I did not quite know what to expect, I had some of the usual fears people have about going to foreign places with quite different culture of theirs - the food, language barriers, local protocols, etc. The food was varied and excellent, I experienced Japanese food quite different from what is found in the typical Japanese restaurant in the USA. The language barrier left me feeling that I missed out on what for me is one of the best experiences of a pilgrimage, the interaction with fellow pilgrims to learn about their motivations and aspirations and for the camaraderie. As far as the local customs, I am sure I raised many eyebrows when I unwittingly broke many of the uncountable rules and protocols that are second nature to the Japanese people. But I felt welcome and was helped many times by locals,. Even when communication was a challenge, they tried to help.
88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage - Day 8
Day 8 - Saturday, 2016-04-09
Matsuyama / Takamatsu
We left the hotel by bus at 8 AM and drove to the foothills to start our hike, stopping on the way at a convenience store to buy lunch. I have become very predictable, once again buying a mix green salad, a rice cake (a ball of rice filled with a cooked fish, today’s is salmon) and a banana or an apple.
We finally reached temple 60 (Yokomine-ji) where we met a group of school children on an excursion to visit the temple:
From there we continued on the other side of the mountain, mostly downhill on an easier slope. We went down about 1,200m in 10 Km to reach temple 61 (Kouon-ji). Temple 61, originally from the 6th century, is completely different from all the others. It was rebuilt in concrete 40 years ago after having being rebuilt many times previously after fires. I didn’t like it very much, hence no pictures.
Father and son visiting the temple 61:
88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage - Day 7
Day 7 - Friday, 2016-04-08
Matsuyama
We boarded the bus at 8:30 right after breakfast and rode an hour to reach the trailhead, including the time to buy lunch at a convenience store.
Today we visited two mountain temples, temples 44 and 46. It was a challenging hike with steep segments going through forests, including some patches of ancient tree groves Just a few remain in the island. The scenery was stunningly beautiful!
The weather cooperated. It was overcast in the morning and gradually cleared, but some stretches of the trail was rather muddy because of yesterday's heavy rain. My hiking shoes were supposed to be waterproof, but yesterday I found out they are not, my feet got thoroughly wet and the shoes did not dry overnight. Today I am walking in wet shoes.
The first 4 miles of the hike were tough, we were constantly going up and down steep mountains until we reached temple 44 (Daiho-ji):
After visiting temple 44 we took a break for lunch. On our way to the next temple we stumbled upon an old Japanese woman foraging by the side of the road. I truly wished I could speak Japanese to learn what she was doing.
After lunch we had one difficult ascent and then it turned into a beautiful hike on the ridge of the mountain range.
The easy hike along the undulating ridges continued until we started our descent to the second mountain temple (temple 45, Iwaya-ji) we are visiting today.
This is the gate to the temple to the temple grounds when coming down the mountain, note the massive, ancient cedar tree.
The other side of the gate:
Pilgrim praying:
Temple 45 bell. Oh, what a magnificent sound it made when rung!
There is a massive, almost vertical cliff on one side of the temple grounds, with caves dug out in it’s face that are used by monks for meditation.They use ropes or step ladders to reach the caves. There is a small chapel dug out deep at the base of the mountain, where I took the picture below:
More temple Jizo statues:
Temple 45, Iwaya Jizo, is for me one of the most beautiful ones that I have visited, it was definitely worth the hike to it.
88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage - Day 6
Day 6 - Thursday, 2016-04-07
Iya Valley / Matsuyama
We woke up to a rainy day. Breakfast was at 7:30 and typical Japanese food. Got on the bus immediately afterwards and drove almost 3 hours to the the first temple of the day. We are back on the pilgrimage trail.
We are visiting temples 46 to 51, they are all in the outskirts of the Matsuyama city, one of the largest of the island, so it will be mostly flat and walking along suburban roads and streets. It rained all day long, sometimes just a drizzle, other times it poured. But it was not too bad, the visit to six temples made it interesting.
Pilgrims performing the prescribed rituals at temple 46:
Temple 47 (Yasaka-ji):
Our group waits in the rain to cross the street. There was no traffic, but no one jaywalks in Japan:
Temple 48 (Sairin-ji):
Temple 49 (Jodo-ji):
Fully decked out pilgrim group guide at temple 49:
Pilgrim lighting incense sticks at temple 49:
We had to do a dash to the last Temple, temple 51, to reach it before 5 PM when the office that stamps the pilgrim's book closes. We barely made it.
Wooden tablets inscribed with the wishes of faithful asking for grace (Temple 51, Ishete-ji):
Delio and Erico, wet but still in good spirits at the end of the day, at Temple 51:
We were bused to downtown Matsuyama. We are staying in a typical drab, uninteresting business hotel, smack in the commercial center of the town. Efficient, clean, confortable, but no character.
88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage - Day 5
Day 5 - Wednesday, 2016-04-06
Iya Valley
After a good traditional Japanese breakfast we boarded our bus carrying a bento box of food prepared by the hotel for our lunch. Today we are not walking the pilgrimage trail, we are going to a nature preserve about 2 hours away by bus and we are going to hike a pair of steep mountains. Two members of our group decided to take a rest day, one was the oldest member of our group (in her eighties) and the other was the youngest member, resting his blister ravaged feet.
The bus took us to the trailhead at about 1,200m altitude. We have to climb 755 meters (about 2,500 feet) to the top of Tsurugi-san, one of Shikoku’s sacred mountains and the island’s second highest.
And the climbing begins:
We huffed and puffed our way to the top of the mountain, it took us 2 hrs to get there and we felt a celebratory picture was in order:
Delio and Erico at the mountain top.
The area circled by the rope in the picture above demarcates the very top of the mountain and the abode of the mountain deity.
We had our lunch at the mountaintop and hiked to the summit of Jirogyu mountain, a bit lower than this one, but still the third highest in the island, about 6Km away.
And in the background is the summit from which we came.
Up we go:
We made it:
Group picture (minus three):
And now we head back to the trailhead and the bus:
On the way to the hotel we stopped at a place in a deep valley with a couple of vine rope bridges with wooden slats to cross the river to the other side..The bridges are called Okuiya Kazurabash and have been built and rebuilt in this spot for centuries. It was an interesting experience crossing the swaying bridge above the river and rocks below!
Bridge detail:
There are two bridges almost side by side, the higher one is nicked - named the “man’s bridge”:
And the lower one is the “woman’s bridge” because being lower, it less scary:
We arrived back at the hotel at the Iya Valley and we dashed to the onsen to clean up and to soak up our tired muscles in the soothing hot water before the 7 PM dinner. Dinner was again a multi-course affair of typical Japanese. Food with many different colors, textures, flavors and cooking methods. Most of the dishes were quite delicious, but some were a bit foreign to me - a bit gooey or with artificial looking colors.
88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage - Day 4
Day 4 - Tuesday, 2016-04-05
Cape Muroto / Iya Valley
Woke up at 5 AM to watch the sunrise, this hotel and the cape we are in are known for the spectacular sunrises, I could not miss this opportunity to see the sunrise in the land of the Rising Sun.
However, it was way overcast, could not see the sun rise from the ocean, when I first saw a glimpse of it it was already a few degrees above the horizon. but took a few pictures anyway.
However, it was way overcast, could not see the sun rise from the ocean, when I first saw a glimpse of it it was already a few degrees above the horizon. but took a few pictures anyway.
After a fantastic multi-course gourmet breakfast we walked along a path along this rocky shore for about 45 minutes to the caves where Kobo Daishi meditated for 2 years after his return from China. He went to meditate until he reached enlightenment.
Along the way we saw the another reminder that this area is prone to tsunamis:
Kobo Daishi’s statue:
This is the cave where legend says Kobo Daishi lived while meditating until he reached Enlightenment:
After visiting the cave and we hopped on the bus for a one hour drive to the trailhead for our 2 hour hike trek to Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji).
Hiking up to Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji):
Gate to Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji):
Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji) pagoda style hall:
Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji) main hall:
A red Buddha statue is sometimes found at the temples, if you are injured or feel pain if you pray and touch the statue at the injured/painful body part, you will be healed:
Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji) has one of the more colorful altars:
Pilgrims lighting incense at Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji):
Pilgrims praying at Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji):
Monk doing calligraphy on my pilgrims book at Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji):
Temple 24 (Hotsumisaki-ji) bell:
From Temple 24 we were picked up by our bus and driven a few miles to the base of a mountain to start our long hike to mountain Temple 27 (Konomine-ji), stopping to buy lunch along the way. I got a salad and a piece of cooked salmon wrapped in rice and seaweed.
We started our climb at noon, walked for about one hour before we stopped for lunch. Two hours later we arrived at the Temple 27 (Konomine-ji) after an 1800 feet ascent through a beautiful wooded area.
A walk in the woods:
Two tired pilgrims on arrival at Temple 27 (Konomine-ji):
Zen style garden at Temple 27 (Konomine-ji):
Main hall, Temple 27 (Konomine-ji):
After visiting the temple we hiked down for about half an hour to meet our bus. The final stretch of the road to reach Temple 27 was so narrow and winding the bus could not come up to meet us..
It took us 2 hours by bus to reach our new hotel, a traditional Japanese hotel (ryokan) in the higher mountains in the center of the island at the Iya Valley. The hotel has onsen, hot springs baths, but we arrived at 1800 and the dinner was set for 1900, so we just dropped the bags in the room and headed straight to the onsen for get clean and to soak a bit on the hot pools before dinner.
Two tired pilgrims dressed in yukatas say thanks for the dinner to come:
88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage - Day 3
Day 3 - Monday, 2016-04-04
Tokushima / Cape Muroto
After breakfast we took a 45 minute bus ride and were dropped off at Temple 23 (Yakuo-ji) to start today’s hike. On the way we stopped, again, at a convenience store to buy lunch, I am getting better at buying lunch, I am sticking to a mixed green salad and a rice ball with salmon filling.
Temple gate:
Temple courtyard:
Main hall altar:
This is a small Shinto shrine inside the Yakuo-ji temple, this is quite common in Japanese Buddhist temples, showcasing the transformation of, integration with and influence of the native Shinto religion on Buddhism as it was adopted in Japan:
Cherry blossoms and praying pilgrims:
After touring the temple we took a trail along the rugged and mountainous shore, called Hiwasa coastal trail. It's not part of the pilgrimage route but it is a scenic trail following the ragged and hilly coastline. We were up and down the whole time, no flat segments, the steps built with logs on the slopes made you feel that you were on a step machine, my leg muscles were burning. But it was beautiful walking through a forested area with frequent glimpses of the crashing surf 300-500 meters below sheer cliffs. And, when we could not see the water, we still could hear the waves crashing on the rocky shore. Our lunch break was on an overlook with a great view of the ocean and mountains.
View of the bay and mountains across the bay:
The climbing begins:
The staircases:
Finally a downhill short stretch:
We finished the hike at around 4 PM and took us a one and a half hour bus ride to the ocean- side hotel at Cape Muroto at Shikoku’s southeastern tip where we are overnighting. Our rooms had great views of the rugged shore, just a few meters from the breakwater. We had a fantastic multi course gourmet dinner, the cooking style was occidental, but the ingredients were all local.
88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage - Day 2
Day 2 - Sunday, April 3, 2016
Tokushima
Today we are walking from Temple 11 to Temple 12, the distance is about 12 Km, and the trail is all through the woods and and is one of the toughest of our itinerary, with two major hills and a few minor ones. Temple 12 is classified as a “Nansho” temple,a mountain temple in a hard to reach place. Today’s trail is called “nenro-korogashi,” literally meaning “where the henro falls down” - a trail so steep that pilgrims often stumble. The first major ascent is a climb of 1,500m (4,500 feet) followed by a descent of 700m, which will take us to the midway point where we will stop for lunch. At this point people have the chance to bail out and take a taxi to the end of the route, temple 12, for the following segment is much tougher with steeper inclines culminating with a very steep 1,000m (3,000 feet) ascent.
We woke up to an overcast day with a light drizzle. The group departed by bus at 8 AM to Temple 11, Fujiidera, about 45 minutes away, stopping to buy lunch in the freshly prepared food section of the Lawson convenience store.
After visiting Temple 11 we started our hike under a light drizzle. It drizzled on and off all day long. I was wearing my rain jacket, but as soon as the inclines began I (and everyone else) began to sweat. Some took their jackets off, until they became cold and then put the jacket back on. I kept mine but left it unzippered to ventilate a bit. It was cold on the mountain tops, in the low 40s. We would stop for breaks and soon would start shivering, but after getting moving again it was back to sweating. In spite of the discomfort, drizzle and fog, the steep ascents and descents, I found it peaceful and kind of beautiful.
We reached the midway point, 6 Km in about 3 hours and stopped for lunch. There are 3 guides, one walks in the front, another walks with the main group and the third one is the sweeper, bringing in the stragglers. I confess that I was not at the head of the pack. At this mid-way point you could decide to get a taxi to the Temple 12, our destination for the day, or continue walking, but if you continue, you have to finish, and the second half is much tougher than the first half and there is no place to be rescued by car. A couple of the pilgrims decided that they had enough of the steep hiking and caught the taxi to the destination temple to wait for our arrival. Delio and I decided to continue hiking.
The second part was really much tougher than the first, very steep, rocky, and slippery because of the rain. My legs felt like cooked noodles. For the final 3,000 feet ascent I took my jacket and hat off, to avoid overheating. It took us more than 3 hours to walk the final 6 Km. It was very strenuous and challenging, but at the same time it was an amazing hike, with a cumulative gain of 3,500 feet and loss of 1,500 feet. We were all relieved when we saw the gate to Temple 12 Shosan-ji, Burning Mountain Temple.
After accomplishing the rituals at Temple 12, we got back on the bus and rode for an hour and 15 minutes to get back to the hotel, arriving at 6 PM. We are on our own for dinner tonight, Delio and I decided to go to an Italian restaurant near the hotel, we shared a pizza, lasagna and a bottle of wine, I was very hungry after the strenuous hiking and found the Italian dinner surprisingly good and a welcome break from Japanese food.
Fujidera Main Hall:
Pilgrims chanting the Heart Sutra at Fujidera’s Main Hall:
The climbing starts...
On this stretch steps had been built to help the pilgrims:
Hiking along the ridge of a hill, steep slopes on either side:
We crossed paths with a walking henro doing the circuit in reverse order:
These wooden tablets contain encouraging messages to pilgrims (so I am told, I don’t read Japanese.)
Legend says that Kobo Daishi used to rested in the shade of this ancient tree while doing the circuit from temple to temple, his statue marks the spot:
Deep valleys and mountains shrouded by mist:
Another sleeping Buddha statue on the side of the trail:
At long last, the gate to Temple 12 - Shosan-ji:
A Jizo statue (deity protector of stillborns) on temple grounds:
Pilgrims praying at Temple 12:
Main hall at Temple 12:
Pilgrim ringing the bell at Temple 12:
88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage - Day 1
Day 1 - 2016-04-02 - Saturday
Tokushima
Got up early to pack our bags and go down to the restaurant for breakfast at 7:30, followed by an all hands meeting at for introductions and a short briefing. We will depart immediately after the meeting. Breakfast was buffet style, with both Japanese and Western food. I ate from both cuisines: cold cooked veggies, scrambled eggs and bacon. Delio got a hard boiled egg, and when he cracked it he discovered it was raw not the cold, hard boiled egg that he assumed it to be. The Japanese like to crack a raw egg on top of the rice in the rice bowl, mixing the two together, the hot rice warms the raw egg, but does not quite cook it. Guess they are not afraid of salmonella.
At the meeting the guides gave an overall briefing, described the walk for today and we all introduced ourselves. There are 12 customers and 3 guides. Of the customers we have 6 men and 6 women, we are mostly middle-aged with two outliers, one in late twenties the other in early eighties. There is a couple, a mother-son team, and two groups of friends. Five are from Australia, two from Brazil, two from Canada, and the rest from USA. We have quite a diverse group, but I guess we all like to hike, or else we wouldn’t be here.
After the briefing we got on a bus and took off to temple 1, today we are visiting temples 1-5. On the way we stopped at a convenience store to buy lunch. That's how we'll do lunch everyday. The store (Lawson) has a large section of prepared meals and sandwiches. we each choose what we want and the head guide pays for everybody. I got a "bento box " containing rice, pickled vegetables and breaded pork, and a bottle of unsweetened green tea. It took a while for us to make our lunch selection as we had to inspect the packages carefully to ascertain the contents by looking through the plastic wraps. Sometimes we could guess what it was, but most of the time we couldn’t, so the local guide was quite busy helping us out with translations.
Lunch bought and packed in our backpacks, we were driven to Temple 1, Ryozen-ji, but before entering the temple grounds we were taken to a store to buy the things the Shikoku pilgrims wear and carry. Most people bought the white jacket and the conical straw hat, typically used by the Japanese henros, but Delio and I didn't. We bought the other stuff: candles, incense, a small stole and a book with sketches of the 88 temples and blank pages for the stamps and calligraphy you can get at each temple. This book is the equivalent of the “pilgrim passport” of the Camino de Santiago, the Way of St. James.
We then walked to the temple and were briefed on the ceremony described in the introduction one performs at each temple. It’s optional but is performed by all Japanese henro.
Below are photos of the Temple 1.
Delio ringing the temple’s bell:
A small altar:
Group of pilgrims reciting the Heart Sutra at the main hall:
A Pagoda style temple:
On Temple 1 there was a group of volunteers offering oranges and orange juice to pilgrims as osettai - small gifts to show compassion and support for the pilgrim in his trek:
At Temple 1 we also came across a small pilgrim:
She was visiting the temples with her grandma:
The first five temples are in the suburbs of Tokushima, so today’s hike was mostly on sidewalk or pavement along narrow streets. Most of the neighborhoods had simple houses, many with small plots of vegetable gardens. There was something being cultivated in any available space. But there were a couple of nice neighborhoods also, with houses like the one below.
Small Shinto shrine by the side of the street:
Gate to Temple 2, Gokuraku-ji:
Temple 2 garden:
Gate to Temple 3, Konsen-ji:
Temple 3 main hall:
A pilgrim Buddhist monk praying at Temple 3:
After visiting the Temple 3 we took our lunch break. There was no trash can at the temple, there were no trash cans on the streets, the houses can only put their trash can out on the day of the collection and the empty trash cans cannot be left on the street. In spite of this absence of trash cans, there is no trash anywhere. We had to carry our trash back to the hotel for disposal. This is quite different from the experience of the Camino de Santiago, where you find litter along the trail and toilet paper strewn behind bushes.
After our lunch break we continued on to Temple 4.
88 Temple Pilgrimage Trail marker:
Walking between small plots being prepared for rice:
We had a short break from pounding the pavement, before going back to walking on streets:
While walking from temple 3 to 4, we went by a house where there was a large family celebration and they invited us to stop, offered us tea, cookies, beer and sake. We accepted the osettai of cookies and tea, but politely declined the liquor. It seemed that some of the celebrants were well into enjoying their booze. As in most Japanese celebrations, they had a karaoke machine going:
Temple 4 gate:
Fully decked out pilgrim leaving Temple 4:
Temple 4 main hall:
Temple 4 main hall altar:
Our cohort at Temple 5, Jizo-ji:
Temple 5 main hall:
We were back at the hotel in downtown Tokushima by 5 PM, with just enough time to hit the onsen and go to the 6:30 dinner at a private dining hall. Onsen is the hot spring baths. The hotel is in the downtown area, the mountains are several miles away, but the water from the hot springs is piped into the hotel. Baths from hot springs are prized by the Japanese. This onsen was located on the top floor, with separate baths for men and woman.
As everything in Japan, there is a protocol to be followed at the onsen. First you must take your shoes or slippers off before entering the changing room, usually a tatami covered raised floor. After taking all of your clothes off you proceed to the pool area carrying only the small hand towel/washcloth provided to you. Along one of the walls there is a row of washing stations, each with a low stool, a mirror, a handheld shower-head, a bucket, soap, and rinse cream. You take a seat at one of the stations and proceed to completely wash yourself, scrubbing with the provided soap and towel. Rinse yourself quite thoroughly, it's not acceptable that you leave a film of soap as you enter the hot pool! Do the same with the hand towel.
Thoroughly clean and rinsed, fold the hand towel and put it over your head, you are now free to immerse yourself in the hot pool. Why the folded towel on top of your head you may ask? There is no place to hang it, even if there were, they all look alike, it would be possible to mistakenly take someone else’s towel when leaving, what a horror that would be! Additionally, due to condensation, drops of cold water may came down from the ceiling, the towel protects you from being startled by a drop of cold water while you are peacefully relaxing in the hot water. Oh, under no circumstance let the towel touch the pool water.
There is also a cold shower and a tank filled with running cold water that you scoop with buckets to pour over yourself to cool your body down before repeat immersions in the hot pool. Clean, relaxed and refreshed, you use the same little towel to dry yourself off, twisting off the excess water. The onsen was fantastic.
We had a fantastic kaiseki, the traditional multi-course Japanese food dinner. Afterwards we went to a folklore dance show, the Awa Odori (“dance of Awa”), at the Awa Odori Kaikan Theatre in Tokushima.
88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage - Introduction
Introduction
My friend Delio and I were looking for our next extended, challenging hike. Together we had completed two pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, known as “Camino de Santiago” or the “Way of St. James.” One from Roncesvalles, following the "French Way" and the other along the Caminho Portuques (the "Portuguese Way") starting in Oporto in Portugal. While researching our next adventure, Delio discovered Japan’s “Camino”, the Shikoku Pilgrimage. We we were hooked.
The Shikoku Pilgrimage follows an 800 mile route linking 88 Buddhist temples associated with the monk Kukai He lived between 735 and 835 and was also called Kobo Daishi after his death. A Shikoku Island native, he disseminated and popularized Buddhism in Japan and is a much revered figure. The tradition of this walking pilgrimage began more than a thousand years ago, but nowadays hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, called “henro” in Japanese, perform the pilgrimage visit the 88 temples each year mostly by train, bus or automobile. Many doing the loop several times. A few hardy henros are old fashioned and walk the route. The vast majority of pilgrims are elderly Japanese who are at the stage when one begins to contemplate the afterlife. Only recently westerners started to trickle in, with just a handful doing the whole circuit on foot.
Contrary to Santiago de Compostela’s pilgrimage that has several trails and starting points all leading to Santiago de Compostela, Shikoku’s pilgrimage follows a circular route, starting at the called Temple 1, proceeding in order to Temple 88 and closing the loop back at Temple 1.
Our research uncovered quite a bit of information in English about the pilgrimage, but not as much as is available for the Camino de Santiago, for which there is an enormous volume of information on the internet and dozens of guides and narrative books. The site www.shikokuhenrotrail.com contains a wealth of information and should be a go to site for anyone interested in this pilgrimage. It was our primary reference
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Two problems became apparent: Firstly, we do not speak Japanese and English is hardly spoken in Shikoku. It would be a challenge, if not impossible, to book accommodations. Secondly, although neither of is pondering the afterlife just yet, we did not have the time or stamina to walk the 800 mile loop. We had to select segments. A friend from the Camino di Santiago came to our rescue. Linda Lou suggested the “Shikoku Temple Trek, a nine day guided tour organized by Mountain Hiking Holidays of Seattle. The guided hike would lead us along some of the most important and beautiful temples and hiking paths. We were ready to leave tomorrow!
A pilgrim must be appropriately clothed and have the right gear. One can go “full henro” and dress as traditionaly as a traditional Japanese pilgrim can get, wearing the full symbolic clothing of a henro. Or you can be as informal as you want. But, be forewarned that the Japanese people frown upon shorts for men. Every component of the accoutrements has meaning and importance. Here is a picture of a museum exhibit showing the complete set:
And here is the picture of one of the most traditionally dressed henro I met on my pilgrimage:
However, not all henros dressed like this. However most, if not all, used the white vest or jacket (called “hakue”) and the wooden staff (Kongozue) with a bell attached. Other items are a conical straw hat (Sugegasa), a Buddhist stole (Wagesa); and Buddhist rosary;. A small side bag is used to carry the henro’s Noukyouchou), incense sticks, candle, and white strips of paper that are the henro’s “calling card” (Samefuda). The notebook is stamped at each temple visited. It and will be the record of your pilgrimage. On the Samefuda you write your last name, the city and country you came from. It’s deposited in a box in front of the temple’s main hall or given to fellow pilgrims or people you encounter in your pilgrimage.
The staff and the white jacket are important symbols. Almost all the Japanese henros carry them. The staff has Sanskrit writings for the basic elements Earth, Water, Fire, Air/Wind, plus Void/Sky and it represents Kobo Daishi accompanying you in your pilgrimage.
The white jacket has Sanskrit writings to honor Koboi Daishi, and it’s what identifies you as a henro on the trail. The white signifies renunciation. The dead in Japan is buried in white robes and a dead henro is buried in his hakue. The Japanese wear a robe called the yukata for informal wear. The kimono is worn for formal occasions. Both robes are closed left over right, unless one is dead. The robe is worn right over left on that sad occasion. t’s a common “faux pas” for foreigners to wear right-over-left, to the consternation of the Japanese. Henroes wear their white jacket right-over-left, to symbolize spiritual death and rebirth through the pilgrimage.
The hat has four phrases of enlightenment written on it in Sanskrit to provide guidance to the pilgrim: “Being lost is due to the three large worlds of desire”. “With enlightenment, ten thousand skies will appear”. “Originally there was no East and West”. “Why is there a North and South?”
I did not get the white jacket, as I thought was going to be too hot wearing one but I regretted it. Buy one if you go. We didn’t get the staff as we already had hiking poles, or the hat. It would have been too large to carry home.
Another important aspect of the pilgrimage is the protocol to be followed during each temple visit. At the entrance of the temple compound there is always a gate, to separate and denote that you will be leaving the mundane and entering sacred grounds. Some of the gates are plain, basic structures such as this:
Others are ornate and imposing as this gate, inspired by Chinese architecture.
What is important is that you show respect by bowing at the gate’s threshold before entering the compound.
On either side of the gate there are fearsome deities (Nio or Kongorikishi) , guardians of Buddha and protectors against evil:
Beyond the gate you will find a water fountain with long handled ladles for the purification ceremony.
You scoop the water with one of the ladles with one hand and pour water on the other hand to ceremonially clean it, being careful not to spill water back into the fountain.
This is repeated to purify the other hand.
Form a cup with your hand, pour more water into it and “wash” your mouth.
Finally you empty the ladle by letting the water flow down the handle, to “clean” the handle, before putting it back in the fountain, cup side down.
Finished with your symbolic cleansing you can now approach the main hall (Hondo)
This is the typical hondo altar.
But before you step up to the hondo you should light a candle; if you have not brought one, you can buy one from the temple the honor system.
And then light three incense sticks, representing the Past, the Present and the Future.
Take the steps up the the main hall, and use the long rope dangling from the ceiling to ring the bell to announce your presence to the hondo’s main deity.
Bow and say your prayers or sing the Heart Sutra [hyperlink: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_Sutra] a popular Buddhist prayer/chant.
Quite often you see groups of henros that have bused in chanting the Heart Sutra. Stop and listen to their rhythmic chanting, it’s mesmerizing. The group’s guide uses wooden blocks or bells on a stick to establish the rhythm.
Now you drop your paper strip Samefuda in the urn or box in front of the temple and repeat the ceremonies of the candle, incense, bell and prayer at the secondary hall dedicated to Kobo Daishi (Daishido), usually a similar building structure on the side of the main hall. Finally, ring the temple’s main bell. It has a marvelous ring! Stay there for a moment feeling the resonations, the waves going through your body.
You have finished the ceremonial part, but you are not done yet. Go to the temple’s office to have you henro notebook stamped with the temple’s seal (Shuin) and calligraphed (for a fee of 300 yens. It’s your proof that you have been there. The page is stamped with three red stamps indicating the temple number, the name of the main deity in the hondo, and the temple’s popular name, all in kanji. The calligraphy is done in black ink and is the name of the main deity written in Sanskrit. On subsequent visits to the same temple, the page is just stamped with the red seals again. Returning henros have red stamps all over the page!
Stamping:
Calligraphy:
This is what you get.
You are now free to roam the grounds. It takes 15-20 minutes to finish this routine, longer if there is a line for stamps at the office. For groups of henros traveling by bus, the driver takes bags with 20+ books to the office to be stamped while his clients perform their rituals at the temple. Try to avoid being stuck behind such bus driver! I must confess that I did the whole routine for all the temples for the first couple of days, on the third day I did the first and last temple for the day, on the fourth day the first temple of the day, and then none. It’s the thought that counts (I hope). Here are the intrepid henros Erico and Delio:
