Two of Eighty-Eight

My First Temples on the Shikoku Henro

Ever since first learning of the Shikoku Henro Pilgrimage’s existence many moons ago, my heart has been yearning to embark on this journey. This epic experience comprises a circuit of eighty-eight temples that are strewn across Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four major islands. Spanning over 1,200 kilometers in total, the Shikoku Henro Pilgrimage route requires one to two months to complete the passage on foot. Not for the faint of heart, this arduous trek is one thing that I hope to tackle in its entirety at a later point in my life. Given the length of the popular pilgrimage though, I’ll likely need to either crowdfund it or collaborate with a sponsor.

Anyway, while it only amounted to metaphorically dipping my toes into the water, I recently had an opportunity to visit two of the eighty-eight temples on the Shikoku Henro Pilgrimage. The objective of this week-long outing across much of western Japan was to explore several of the regions that will be hosting events for the 10th installment of the World Masters Games. Originally slated to be held in 2021, this competition has been rescheduled for the following year due to everyone’s favorite, the coronavirus. If you’re planning to be in Japan for the World Masters Games and itching to get active, I’ve included some sporty options in the “Other Attractions” section of…