Outside the cafe window, I gaze at a flooded rice paddy, small green rice plants poking above the water. An elegant snowy egret gracefully harvests insects. In Japan, the egret, or yukikosagi, symbolizes good fortune. I can’t think of a better image to summarize the Shikoku island walking tour.
One of the few circular pilgrimage loops in the world, the Shikoku route is a 750-mile (1,200-kilometer) journey to 88 Buddhist temples. The entire trail takes about 45 days on foot. My tour with Walk Japan was a brief excerpt — five days and nine temples. It was supposed to be 10 temples, but an afternoon of heavy rain and winds cut one day short.
Shikoku, known for its beautiful nature, is surrounded by the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Less populated than the other islands, it’s a relatively off-the-beaten path destination, with a rural population, and a lot of farmland and fruit orchards.
Buddhist temples in Japan feature hand basins with running water, where visitors, or pilgrims, should clean their fingers and palms as a purification ritual before approaching the temples. At top, although you can visit the temples in any order, many pilgrims start at temple one, Ryozen-ji in Bando. (Kate Robertson photos for VacayNetwork.com)
Temples are scattered mostly along the perimeter of Shikoku, some on the coast, others nestled in the island’s abundant mountainous regions. It’s not unusual for temples to be located at the top of a mountain, for symbolic reasons.
The pilgrimage route is associated with the Buddhist monk Kukai, who founded the Shingon school of Buddhism after returning from China in the ninth century. When Kukai died in 835, pilgrims started visiting the sites he was affiliated with and later sites were linked and temples were formally numbered.
You, of course, don’t need to hike the route for religious reasons, and many people do it now for recreational purposes. It’s a great way to have a slow travel adventure, immerse yourself in Japanese culture, and spend quiet time in reflection. Unlike some other pilgrimage trails, we met very few people on the route.
Temple Etiquette
Traditional henros (pilgrims) wear a sedge hat, white robe/shirt and carry a wooden staff as they approach Dainichi-ji Temple on Shikoku Island. (Kate Robertson photo for VacayNetwork.com)
If doing the pilgrimage for spiritual purposes, there’s a certain set of behaviors that you should undertake: bow at the main gate entrance; wash hands at the wash basin; ring the bell one time at the bell tower; pray at the butsuden main Hall (which houses the main deity that the temple is dedicated to); and then the daishi hall (which honors Kobo-Daishi, the posthumous name for Kukai in Buddhism).
Our Walking Route
This symbol for the Shikoku pilgrimage trail is well placed along the route, ensuring travellers remain on track to reach their destination. (Kate Robertson photo for VacayNetwork.com)
I had worried somewhat that because our tour was self-guided that there might be plenty of wrong turns and backtracking. However, thanks to the 144-page Walk Japan “route booklet”, which I received when I checked into my accommodation, my concerns were addressed. The booklet provides not only instructions for every junction, but also street-level photos, Google map screenshots, and QR codes that would take you to “real-time” locations on Google Maps.
The first day walking from Bando, where Temple No. 1 was located to the monastery at Anraku-ji (Temple No. 6) was the most challenging route-finding day as I became familiar with the noted signs and symbols. The route went through several small villages, forests, and alongside country lanes and rice fields.
A resplendent section of the Shikoku Island pilgrimate trail leads through a thick bamboo forest. (Photo supplied by Kate Robertson for VacayNetwork.com)
The routes on days two and three were up over forested mountain passes, so route-finding became much easier. These trails were through lush red cedar and bamboo woodlands, forest floors heavily blanketed with ferns. Although I had missed sakura (cherry blossom) season, in early May there were countless bright, blooming azalea and camelia trees along the way. The last day of walking was on the coastal cliffs at Hiwasa, where the views of the Pacific were stunning.
Distances ranged from 10.9 miles (17.5 km) of mostly flat walking the first day to 6.7 miles (10.8 km) of coastal cliff trails on the final day. Although we never took them up on it, each day Walk Japan provided a “more relaxed option” to cut walking distances, if we were feeling like the longer route was too much.
A Typical Day
The trail at Hiwasa winds past the the area’s namesake castle and along the cliffs with plenty of viewpoints that provide splendid spots for a picnic lunch. (Kate Robertson photo for VacayNetwork.com)
Generally breakfast was at a set time (as discussed with the receptionist upon check-in), around 7 a.m. I was on the trail, or in a taxi ordered by the company, to take me to the trailhead, by 8 a.m. The route booklet suggested spots to eat the lunch that I had bought in the morning from a convenience store, which was well set up with freshly packaged goodies like noodle dishes, vegetables, and rice balls.
Each day, I reached my final destination by around 4 p.m, in time for check-in at the next accommodation. The onsens (public baths) at the inns are usually open from 3 p.m., so I would go for a shower and a soak before dinner, which was usually booked for 6 p.m.
Kaiseki Dining
The kaiseki dinner at Hotel Shiki-no-Sato in Kamiyama is an example of the meticulous attention to detail and artistic presentation that’s traditional in Japan. (Kate Robertson photo for VacayNetwork.com)
I was provided with traditional, kaiseki dining at the inns. Kaiseki is a small plate, multi-course meal of Japanese food, considered haute cuisine. Presentation is as important as taste and meticulous attention to detail and choice of dishware is critical.
Common elements are appetizers (like pickles and sashimi served on a long tray), a grilled dish or hot pot, a deep-fried dish (often tempura), soup, lots of fish and seafood, rice and pickled vegetables, and a dessert (often fruit or light sweet treat). Regional delicacies and seasonal ingredients are incorporated into kaiseki dining, like the bracken mochi which I had at Hotel Shiki-no-Sato at Kamiyama Onsen.
Breakfast, also small plate and multi-course, was steamed rice, salad, an egg dish, grilled whole fish, miso soup, and a selection of side dishes like vegetables, pickles, and seaweed.
Traditional Ryokans and Onsen Inns
The futons at Hotel Shiki-no-Sato are laid out by the housekeeping staff while guests enjoy dinner. (Kate Robertson photo for VacayNetwork.com)
Accommodation each night was traditional, either at small ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) or onsen (hot springs) hotels. Traditional Japanese rooms look different from your average hotel room. The main room is floored with tatami mats, a flooring made out of woven straw, with a low coffee table and mini-fridge often being the only furniture in the room. Futon beds and pillows are stored in a closet with sliding doors. Slippers are provided to wear around the hotel, and you must never wear slippers on the tatami mat. Yukata, an unlined kimono, is provided, to also wear around the hotel, including to dinner in the dining room. There may or may not be a shower or tub in the bathroom.
At all but one of our ryokans, there was a public onsen bath house, divided by sex. Inside the onsen there is a separate washing station where you do your personal washing and showering, and then go into the pool for a soak. After our long days of hiking, a soak in the hot springs felt pretty good on the well-used leg muscles.
Japan’s Revitalization Efforts
At Hotel Shiki-no-Sato. the lush green forest surrounding the town of Kamiyama is in view. (Kate Robertson photo for VacayNetwork.com)
It’s no secret that Japan’s population has been declining since approximately 2010 and there is a trend for young people to migrate to urban areas. Statistics show that half of Japanese live in cities of more than 300,000 people. As Japan’s smallest, least populated island, Shikoku has really felt the trend and had difficulty maintaining services and infrastructure in its rural communities. It has also been flagged as the region with the greatest proportion of communities likely to disappear. The impact was evidenced as I walked through small towns where stores and services were shuttered. Often, there were no people on the streets.
In recent years, the Japanese government has implemented various policies and financial incentives for families to move to rural areas and support local businesses. One small town that we stayed at, Kamiyama, historically dependent on forestry, sudachi citrus and plum farming, had been flagged as being at high risk of disappearing. In 2004, the community founded a revitalization plan to stimulate the economy and encourage cultural development through arts programs, forestry management, a movement for organic farm products, and IT satellite offices. Businesses like bistros, a local brewery, and delis have re-purposed vacant houses. Now, the beautiful community is starting to thrive.
I hope that tourism on the Shikoku Pilgrimage trail can also help revitalize the island, so that the inhabitants can carry forward their rich, enduring culture into the coming centuries.
More About Hiking the Shikoku Pilgrimage
Getting There: Osaka Kansai International Airport is the nearest international airport to Shikoku. Air Canada has direct flights to Osaka from Vancouver. From Osaka, you can take a bus or a train across the bridge to Shikoku island. The bus is significantly cheaper, takes less time, and has great views.
Currency: In the rural communities, cash is often the only form of currency accepted. Lawsons and Family Mart convenience stores are usually your best bet to withdraw cash. Foreign Exchange Rate: $1 USD is equal to approximately 145 Japanese yen ($1 CAD is equal to approximately 105 JPY).
