The 88 Temple Pilgrimage, Shikoku Island

A Shikoku pilgrim stops for refreshments. Photo Etsuko Shimabukuro.


A vine bridge in Iya Valley, Shikoku Island. Photo under GFDL.


A pilgrim braves the rain on the Shikoku circuit. Photo under GFDL.


Horned roof of Temple 78. Photo Sam Bowman.


A welcoming sign for pilgrims at Temple 79. Photo Sam Bowman.


Jizo statues at Temple 80. Photo Sam Bowman.


Statue of Kobo Daishi at Temple 88, the end of the Shikoku pilgrimage.
Photo Etsuko Shimabukuro.

Location map and aerial view of Shikoku Island. For a larger view,
see our Japan Map or get our free Google Earth download.

The 88 Temple Pilgrimage (八十八ヶ所巡り hachijūhakkasho-meguri) is a 1,647-kilometer Buddhist pilgrimage circuit around the island of Shikoku, Japan.

The circuit loops around the entire island of Shikoku through 88 temples plus an optional 20 "unnumbered" (番外 bangai) temples. All the temples are said to have been founded by monk and scholar Kūkai (空海), better known by his posthumous title Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師), who among his many achievements created the kana syllabary, brought the tantric teachings of Esoteric Buddhism from China, developed it into the uniquely Japanese Shingon sect and founded Shingon's headquarters on Mount Koya near Osaka.

While most modern-day pilgrims (an estimated 100,000 yearly) travel by bus, a minority still set out the old-fashioned way on foot, a journey which takes about 60 days to complete. Pilgrims, known as o-henro-san (お遍路さん) or henro in Japanese, can be spotted in the temples and roadsides of Shikoku clad in a white jacket emblazoned with the characters Dōgyō Ninin (同行二人), meaning "two traveling together" — the other being the spirit of Kobo Daishi. Most (but not all) temples offer basic but affordable lodging for pilgrims.

Many henro begin and complete their pilgrimage by visiting Mount Kōya in Wakayama Prefecture, which was settled by Kūkai and remains the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. The 21km pilgrim route up to the mountain still exists, but most henro use the train.

Completing the course the traditional way on foot is a serious undertaking that demands several months of time. Good physical fitness and stamina is required to endure the stress of constant walking up and down the hills of Shikoku, in the burning sun and the pouring rain.

More Information

• Wikitravel: Shikoku (text used for this article under GFDL)
• Shikoku: Pilgrimage to 88 Holy Sites - A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japan's Buddhist & Shinto Deities
• Photos of Kagawa, Shikoku - by "amareyui" at Flickr
• Photos of Shikoku - by "mmulibra" at Flickr

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