SHIKOKU HENRO : Pilgrimage to 88 Sacred Temples in Shikoku

When we talk about the 'Pilgrimage', we think of Jerusalem, Lourdes or Santiago de Conpostella for the Catholics, and Makkah or Medina for the Muslims. In Japan we have several sacred sites for Buddhists. Eighty-eight sacred temples in Shikoku are the sites where they eagerly want to undertake a pilgrimage.

One of the biggest travel agencies in Japan, named H.I.S. has been carrying out a series of Shikoku Pilgrimage for the people with disabilities, and I was assigned to support a lady in a wheelchair for the pilgrimage. In our group there was an old couple over eighty years old and the husband was in a wheelchair and the wife could not walk long distances, so they needed wheelchairs and supporters, too. The total number of the group was eight, including the tour conductor and the driver. All of us wore white clothes to show respect to Kobodaishi (another name was Kukai) who was the founder of the Shingon Sect of Buddism and after he was enlightened he visited Shikoku, the island of his birth, to visit many temples there. It was in the 8th century and people wanted to follow his way so the Shikoku Pilgrimage has played an important part in the Japanese religious practice, and is still alive among people today.

Now we are starting!

Many of the sacred temples in Shikoku are built on hills and mountains, and the pilgrimage in the old days was done only on foot, so it was very difficult for the people. Nowadays, we can take a car or a coach to move around, but still many try to visit the temples on foot one by one. Our barrier-free tour group are supposed to visit these 88 temples, dividing them up into four visits, but it still took five nights and six days to visit the first 23 temples. We mainly used a van, and on flat areas like paddy fields and farms, we sometimes enjoyed walking.

The most difficult points were the stone stairs in front of the temples, and gravel or pebbles and stone-paved paths in the precincts of the temples. Our tour conductor was a young and tough man and was well trained in manipulating wheelchairs, so he could manage to take a wheelchair up 20 or 30 stone steps with a little support from us supporters. Coming down was no difficulty, either.

Our tour conductor can do this easily!

On the gravel and the stone-paved path, I had already learned I had to lift the wheelchair up a little and push it just on its two rear wheels. Getting it balance was a bit difficult but soon I could manage it well.

On the stone pavement

At each temple, we dedicated a small candle just as European people offer a candle in a cathedral. We also gave a donation of five yen to each offertory box. Five yen is 'Go-en' in Japanese, which means good relationship, and we believe we can connect a good relationship with Buddha. After that we chanted a Buddhist sutra led by our driver. He was not only a driver but also a leader of our group.

After chanting Buddhist sutra, everybody looks happy.

Even in the rain, we moved.

During the tour of six days, the weather was not always fine. It rained heavily on the fourth day. Still we continued the pilgrimage and walked together with the wheelchairs, wearing wet weather gear. We also took an aerial cableway together with wheelchairs.

Aerial cableway



Enjoying a nice view through the window of the aerial cableway

In a precinct of a temple, there was a huge ceder tree about 500 years old. It is said that we will become happy and be able to get longevity, if we hug the tree. So we hugged it.

Now we will live happier and longer!

Japanese barrier-free tour has been developed very well both in the viewpoint of hardware and software. The facilities are well prepared and furnished, the transportation is well designed for people with disabilities and as for the software, the tour conductors and the supporters are well trained to take good care of the people with disabilities. Above all, we all know that even people with some disabilities can enjoy moving around, breathing fresh air and admiring the beautiful nature, and visiting any places they want. It is their right.

This is barrier-free travel!