Earphones recommended
Snapshots of our adventure together on the Shikoku Henro pilgrimage trail in April 2024.
Laura and I walked together until Zenjibuji 禅師峰寺 Temple 32 (approx 350km) in Kochi before parting ways - she will continue on hoping to reach Temple 88 in mid-May! Follow her journey on Instagram @thequietplaceart
The Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, set on the picturesque island of Shikoku, encompasses 88 sacred temples and various sites historically tied to Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi), a revered monk from the 9th Century. This extensive trail spans 1,200 kilometers and is traditionally completed on foot over approximately 40-50 days.
Participants of this pilgrimage are driven by a myriad of reasons. Some seek spiritual solace, others crave adventure, and many, like us, pursue a period of deep self-reflection. The pilgrimage is inclusive, welcoming not only Japanese or Buddhists but anyone respectful of the local customs. You also do not have to complete the journey on foot or in one go. For me, the journey provided moments of 'yutori' - a sense of spaciousness and peace that allows one to savour life free from everyday constraints. Although I didn't finish the trail, walking over 350km in two weeks was a humbling experience and profound achievement, inspired greatly by Laura's companionship.
Shikoku is a relatively unknown part of Japan - it's the smallest and least developed of the main islands. However the people we encountered, be it the guesthouse owners, station attendants or random people giving us 'osettai' (free gifts for the journey), Shikoku folk have been kind AF. It's a side of Japan I've never experienced, and I hope to pick up the journey from where I left off someday! If you're considering this journey yourself I highly recommend you train, do a lot of research, join the 'Shikoku 88 Ohnero Pilgrimage' Facebook group and learn some basic Japanese. Ganbatte!
2024年4月，我們在四國遍路之旅的合影。Laura和我一起走到高知的第32座寺廟禅師峰寺再分道揚鑣 - 她將繼續前進，希望在五月中旬到達第88座寺廟！在Instagram上追蹤她的旅程 @thequietplaceart。
四國八十八處朝聖之旅設在風景如畫的四國島上，包括88座神聖寺廟和多個與九世紀崇拜的僧侶空海（弘法大師）歷史相關的地點。這條長達1,200公里的路線通常需要步行大約50天才能完成。
朝聖者參與這次旅行的動機各不相同。有些人尋求精神慰藉，有些人渴望冒險，還有許多人像我們一樣，追求深度的自我反省。這次朝聖是包容性的，不僅歡迎日本人或佛教徒，而且歡迎任何尊重當地習俗的人。對我來說，這段旅程提供了「餘裕」的時刻--一種空間感和平靜，讓人能夠享受生活，擺脫日常生活的束縛。雖然我沒有完成整條路線，但在兩周內走了350公里，這是一個深刻的成就，很大程度上是受到Laura的陪伴啟發。
四國是日本相對不為人知的一部分--它是主要島嶼中最小、開發最少的島嶼。然而，我們遇到的人，無論是旅館老板、車站工作人員還是隨機給我們「お接待」（旅途中的免費禮物）的人，四國人都非常友好。這是我從未體驗過的日本的一面，我希望有一天能從中斷的地方繼續進行旅行！如果你自己也在考慮這樣的旅行，我強烈建議你訓練，做大量研究，加入「四國88 Ohnero朝聖」Facebook小組，並學習一些基本的日語。加油！
This entire journey was captured on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, faithfully recording every step of our adventure.
Music: As it Will Be by Jameson Nathan Jones (Artlist)