A Buddhist pilgrimage route in Japan
Shikoku is known for its forested mountains and slow pace of life

Japan is crisscrossed with ancient pilgrimage routes, and walking them is a slow but rewarding way to experience the country’s religious art and architecture, its cultural traditions, and its wild landscapes.
Among the best known is the Shikoku pilgrimage, says Marta Giaccone in The New York Times – a 750-mile circumnavigation of Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four major islands, which takes in 88 Buddhist temples that all claim a connection with the celebrated 9th century monk Kukai, or Kobo Daishi. The route is popular with devotees of Shingon, the Buddhist sect he founded, but also with walkers of other faiths.
Shikoku, in the relatively balmy south of Japan, is known (among other things) for its steep, forested mountains, its traditional rural villages and its relatively slow pace of life. Kukai was born here into an aristocratic family in AD774, and travelled to the city of Xian in China in 804 to study the esoteric Buddhist traditions from which the Shingon sect – one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan – would develop. Among the temples on the Shikoku pilgrimage route are the sites of his birth and burial, and places where he is said to have meditated or performed particular rites. Some pilgrims visit them on bus tours, or combine walking and driving.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The route, 80% of which is on asphalt, takes you through open fields and small towns, along beautiful shores and, occasionally, over mountain passes. Accommodation is generally in family-operated bed and breakfasts and traditional inns, many offering “delectable” food.
The peace and “vastness” of the landscape, and the sometimes “stunning” views, make for “an abiding aura of serenity” – and so does the generosity of the local people, among whom “warmheartedness” towards pilgrims is a firm tradition, exemplified in the practice of osettai, or the giving of gifts, ranging from snacks and sweets to offers of lifts and even free overnight stays in temple lodges.
Sign up for The Week’s Travel newsletter for destination inspiration and the latest news and trends.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
July 30 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Wednesday’s political cartoons include a beast under the surface, new unemployment officers, and more
-
The Miami Showband massacre, 50 years on
The Explainer Unanswered questions remain over Troubles terror attack that killed three members of one of Ireland's most popular music acts
-
Tea app hack: user data stolen from women's dating safety app
In The Spotlight Data leak has led to fears users could be targeted by men angered by the app's premise
-
Aysegul Savas' 6 favorite books for readers who love immersive settings
Feature The Paris-based Turkish author recommends works by Hiromi Kawakami, Virginia Woolf, and more
-
Book reviews: 'The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century' by Tim Weiner and 'The Aviator and the Showman: Amelia Earhart, George Putnam, and the Marriage That Made an American Icon' by Laurie Gwen Shapiro
feature
-
The Coldplay kiss cam affair: a cautionary tale
In the Spotlight The pair became 'the most googled people on the planet' after getting caught having an affair at a Coldplay concert
-
Connie Francis: superstar of the early 1960s pop scene
In the Spotlight The 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Stupid Cupid' singer has died aged 87
-
Friendship: 'bromance' comedy starring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson
The Week Recommends 'Lampooning and embracing' middle-aged male loneliness, this film is 'enjoyable and funny'
-
6 head-turning homes for town house living
Feature Featuring a roof deck with city views in South Carolina and a renovated Harlem brownstone in New York City
-
Bookish: delightful period detective drama from Mark Gatiss
The Week Recommends 'Cosy crime' series is a 'standout pleasure' in an Agatha Christie-style formula
-
Music Reviews: Justin Bieber, Wet Leg, and Clipse
Feature "Swag," "Moisturizer," and "Let God Sort Em Out"