1970
The Shikoku Pilgrimage (四国遍路) is a pilgrimage of 88 temples on the island of Shikoku, Japan. The Shikoku Pilgrimage is a distinctive feature of the island’s culture. The first references to the Shikoku Pilgrimage appear in 12th century documents; however, specific temples or routes for the pilgrimage are not recorded. The current pilgrimage, which consists of 88 temples, is thought to have been established between the late 16th and early 17th century.
The standard route is approximately 1,200 kilometers (750 miles). Traditionally, the pilgrimage is completed on foot, and walking the standard route can take anywhere from 30 to 60 days to complete. Modern pilgrims can still complete the Skikouku Pilgrimage on foot; however, many elect to use cars, taxis, buses, bicycles, and motorcycles to complete the journey.
Pilgrims are often recognizable by their white clothing, sedge hats, and kongō-zue (金剛杖, walking sticks). Most pilgrims start at Temple 1, Ryōzen-ji (霊山寺) in Tokushima prefecture, and continue following the route clockwise until they finish at Temple 88, Ōkubo-ji (大窪寺) in Kagawa prefecture. This method is considered easier to follow because pilgrims can follow path markers. Other pilgrims choose to visit the temples in a reverse order. In fact, there are no rules for which order to visit the temples or the time required to complete the pilgrimage. Today, it is becoming increasingly popular for people to complete the pilgrimage in several smaller sections because most people cannot leave their daily lives for an extended period of time. Following this method, pilgrims often either visit all of the temples in one prefecture or break the traditional pilgrimage into smaller “miniature pilgrimages.”
