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Printable version of itinerary Images from Shikoku Slide Show   |
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The 88 Temple pilgrimage is an eleven-hundred-year-old, 800 mile-long
route that encircles the Japanese island of Shikoku, the smallest of
Japan's four principal islands. The route links the sacred sites
associated with the ninth century, Shikoku-born Buddhist monk, Kūkai, who after death became known as Kōbō Daishi ("dharma master")—a figure
much revered in Japan for his wisdom and benevolence. The route of this
pilgrimage has been followed by pilgrims for over a millennium. It's
a Japanese "Camino de Santiago" undertaken in whole or in part by
thousands of pilgrims (known as henro) each year. Shikoku
provides the finest of backdrops for the pilgrimage. The island is the
epitome of the "old Japan," the "off-the-beaten-path Japan"—a Japan that
has in many ways been "lost" beneath the bustle of its ultra-modern
cities like Tokyo, hundreds of miles away. It's an island full of natural
and cultural landscapes right out of a Japanese storybook, as one writer
put it. Join us to explore this ancient pilgrimage route on foot following in the footsteps of Kōbō Daishi during either the autumn foliage or cherry blossom seasons. Enjoy hiking mixed with architecture, food, village life, and perhaps even the prospect of personal enlightenment! You'll hike the best, most beautiful segments of the 88 Temple pilgrimage route as well as ascend to the summits of two of Shikoku's sacred peaks—Ishizuchi-san (the highest peak in western Japan) and Tsurugi-san—nestled in the mountainous interior of the island. Be among the first to uncover an experience still largely unknown to travelers outside Japan. Along the way, you may feel the spirit of Kōbō Daishi with you as you walk, hence the pilgrimage's motto, Dōgyō Ninin, ("we two, traveling together").
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Shikoku
remains a mystery to the average Japanese. |
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Day 1 Overnight in Tokushima Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Travel by vehicle to Ryozen-ji (Temple 1) from where the pilgrimage traditionally begins. It is said that Ryozen-ji was founded in the eighth century, but the current temple was rebuilt in the early 1960s. There is a shop at Ryozen-ji where pilgrims may purchase the accoutrements associated with the pilgrimage like the conical straw hat (sugegasa) and walking staff (kongozue). Hike from Ryozen-ji to Gokuraku-ji (Temple 2) with its red and white entrance gate, a beautiful garden of sculpted plants, and a thousand-year-old cedar tree. Continue on, passing fields where lotus root is grown, to reach Konsen-ji (Temple 3) and later the peaceful Dainichi-ji (Temple 4) surrounded by wooded hills. Finally, arrive at Jizo-ji (Temple 5) where today's hike ends. Today’s hike covers a distance of about 8 miles with about 300 feet of elevation gain and loss; a shorter option is also available. From Jizo-ji, travel by vehicle back to your hotel in Tokushima. This evening, enjoy a performance of Tokushima's signature dance, the Awa Odori ("dance of Awa"), at the Awa Odori Kaikan. ("Awa" is the ancient name of Tokushima prefecture.) |
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Day 2 Overnight in Tokushima Breakfast and lunch included Travel by vehicle from Tokushima to Fujiidera (Temple 11) also known as the Wisteria Temple. From Fujiidera, a challenging hike leads across the mountains to Shosan-ji (Temple 12) along a preserved section of the old pilgrimage route. You'll encounter isolated springs, shrines and ancient Japanese cedar trees along the way. Shosan-ji (Burning Mountain Temple) is the first mountain temple on the 88 Temple circuit. Because of their locations, mountain temples on the pilgrimage are often referred to as nansho ("difficult place"). From Shosan-ji, return to Tokushima for the evening. The complete hike from Fujidera to Shosan-ji is about eight miles in length and involves a cumulative elevation gain of about 3,500 feet and a loss of about 1,300 feet. A shorter hiking option is also available. |
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Day 3 Overnight at Cape Muroto Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Transfer by vehicle to the small coastal town of Hiwasa where you'll visit Yakuo-ji (Temple 23) with its striking red and white pagoda; Yakuo-ji is one of the most popular temples on the entire pilgrimage route. From the temple's hillside location, you can enjoy the views of the town's small reconstructed castle and the islands in Hiwasa Bay. Today's hike leads from Yakuo-ji along Shikoku's beautiful and rugged eastern coast full of rocky promontories, wave-dashed islets and sandy coves. This one-way hikes ends at the Uchikoshi shrine from where you'll travel by vehicle to your ocean-side hotel at Cape Muroto at Shikoku's southeastern tip. Upon arrival, you can set off on a short optional hike to Hotsumisaki-ji (Temple 24). Legend says that Kobo Daishi achieved enlightenment after spending three years in a cave below this temple. The one-way hike from Yakuo-ji to Yamagawachi station is about eight miles in length over rolling terrain. The optional hike to Hotsumisaki-ji is about three miles in length (round trip) with an elevation gain and loss of about five hundred feet. A shorter hiking option is also available. |
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Day 4 |
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Day 5 Overnight in the Iya Valley Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Travel by vehicle through central Shikoku's mountainous landscapes to the Minokoshi Pass. From there, begin your hike to the summit of Tsurugi-san, one of Shikoku's sacred mountains. (A chairlift may be available to take you from the pass part way up the slopes of Tsurugi-san.) Enjoy far-ranging views across the mountainous heart of Shikoku from the summit of Tsurugi-san, then walk west along an open ridge covered in meadows to reach the Maruishi Hinan mountain hut. The trail then descends into the Iya Valley where it ends at the Okuiya Kazurabashi, a paired set of vine bridges. The complete hike is about seven miles in length and involves about 2,200 feet of elevation gain and about 2,400 feet of elevation loss; a shorter hiking option is also available. Transfer back to your Iya Valley hotel for a second night. |
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Day 6 Overnight in Matsuyama Breakfast included Depart the Iya Valley this morning and transfer by vehicle heading north through the Oboke Gorge before turning west toward Matsuyama, capital of Ehime prefecture. Today you'll have the opportunity to complete the hike from Temple #46 (Joruri-ji) to Temple #51 (Ishite-ji). You'll pass by six temples en route, plus the temple of Monjuin, one of the twenty other sacred temples (called bangai) that are found along the route of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage though not officially part of it. This is a delightful hike offering a variety of sights and sounds along the way. The complete hike is about in 8.5 miles in length with only a few hundred feet of elevation gain and loss. A shorter hiking option is also available. |
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There is
something magical about setting off on a pilgrimage of this nature. As
you walk, the world reduces itself and things become more simple...you
and your steps one in front of the other. You can't help but think about
all the others who, over the course of nine centuries, have passed this
way before you. |
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Day 7 Overnight in Saijo Breakfast and lunch included Travel by vehicle from Matsuyama to the Ishizuchi-san cable car. From the cable car's upper station, set off on a hike to the summit of the sacred peak known as Ishizuchi-san ("stone hammer"). Ishizuchi-san, whose rocky summit rises to 6,500 feet, is the highest peak on Shikoku (and in all of western Japan). The peak and surrounding area is protected in the Ishizhuchi Quasi National Park. Though the ascent of Ishizuchi-san is not officially part of the Shikoku pilgrimage, Kōbō Daishi is said to the climbed the peak in the late eighth century and the mountain has long been known as a place of pilgrimage. At the summit of the peak is a small shrine from where you'll enjoy the classic view of Tengu-dake, the shark-toothed pinnacle that is the mountain's actual high point. Retrace your steps to the cable car and descend to the valley floor. Travel by vehicle to nearby Saijo city. The hike to Ishizuchi-san is about six and a half miles in length and involves an elevation gain (and loss) of just under three thousand feet over the course of the hike. A shorter hiking option is also available. |
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Day 8 Overnight at Takamatsu Breakfast and lunch included Today, hike the trail that leads up to Yokomine-ji (Temple 60), another nansho temple, often regarded as the temple with the most challenging access on the 88 Temple circuit. The trail climbs steadily and directly up the wooded hillside to reach Yokomine-ji. The origins of the temple date from the mid-seventh century at which time it was affiliated with the sacred mountain, Ishizuchi-san; it became a Buddhist temple in the mid-nineteenth century. From Yokomine-ji, the route descends via a different path to reach the lowlands at Kouon-ji (Temple 61) also known as the Incense Garden Temple. Though its origins date to the sixth century the main structures at Kouon-ji were recently rebuilt in a quite modern style so, visually, it stands in marked contrast from most of the temples on the pilgrimage route. From the end of the hike at Kouon-ji, travel by vehicle to Takamatsu, the principal city of Kagawa prefecture. The hike today covers about eight and a half miles and involves an elevation gain of about 1,800 feet and an elevation loss of about 2,500 feet. A shorter hiking option is also available. |
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The Nōkyōchō (納経帳) Most pilgrims carry with them a temple stamp book called a nōkyōchō. At each temple office, you can have someone stamp your book with the vermilion stamps bearing the temple's name. Then, using a calligraphy brush, symbols representing the main deity of the temple are handwritten in your book. You pay about 300 yen to have someone enter these in your nōkyōchō. You can purchase a nōkyōchō at just about any temple for about 2,000 to 3,000 yen depending on how elaborate you want your book to be. The nōkyōchō pictured here was made specifically for the Shikoku pilgrimage; there is a page for each of the 88 temples on the pilgrimage route. The stamps in your nōkyōchō serve as evidence that you have visited the temples, so they're similar to passport stamps, and they make memorable souvenirs! |
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Day 9 Your breakfast tomorrow morning is included in the trip price. |
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Other Details about this
Trip Trip Dates: November 9-17, 2012 or April 5-13, 2013 Price: $4,895 Single Room for entire trip: $560. Single accommodations are subject to availability and may be limited. Meeting Point: Tokushima, Japan (TKS) Departure Point: Matsuyama, Japan (MYJ) Accommodations: Nine nights in hotels/inns with private bath except on Days 4 and 5 when you'll enjoy traditional Japanese-style shared bathing facilities. Nine breakfasts, eight lunches and five dinners are included. Note: Your accommodations on the evening of November 8, 2012 or April 4, 2013 (prior to the start of the trip) are not included in the trip price, but we are happy to assist you with booking accommodations for that evening.
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Other Resources
Read the
National Geographic Traveler Magazine's article, "Japan's Past Perfect,"
in the January/February issue of the magazine. Author Don George
describes the "off the beaten track" flavor of this Japanese island, a
place full of images straight out of a Japanese storybook! Discover it
for yourself! Read a
short biography about Kobo Daishi. |
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All photos on this page are by
John Osaki |
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© Mountain Hiking
Holidays, Inc. |
Moonset above Shikoku's mountains as seen
from Tokushima.
