Fields and Faith:
A Beginner’s Guide to the 88 Temple Path
Shikoku is fast becoming famous for the 88 temple pilgrimage. Often listed with the Camino de Santiago as one of the most moving pilgrimages in the world, walking the entire path would take at least 30 days. Most of us don’t have that much time, so we’ve taken the liberty of planning a short two temple pilgrimage. Maybe this will give you the inspiration to come back for the whole 1,200 kilometers!
Meeting Time
10:00 a.m.
Meeting Place
Noichi Station
*For an additional fee transport can be arranged from Kochi New Port.
Access to the meeting place
25 min by train from Kochi Station via Gomen-Nahari Line
Details of Tour / Activity
Meet your English speaking guide at Noichi station. A quick taxi ride will bring us to the Dainichi-ji Temple. The Dainichi Buddha housed here is often likened to the sun, because both shine their light impartially upon all beings. Your guide will teach you the appropriate rituals and lead you in saying the mantra for this temple: “On Abira Unken Bazara Dadoban.”
Now it is time to walk! Descending from the hills we enter the Monobe river basin. Green rice fields with croaking frogs are intermingled with houses and neighborhoods in a way unfamiliar to many in the west. Be mindful of residents privacy, but feel free to look in the greenhouses and backyards for a sense of how people live their lives. You might even get a chance to ask a farmer about his crops!
As we pass through the fields we’ll soon come to the Matsumoto Taishi-do. This small temple is dedicated to Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shikoku pilgrimage. Nestled in a neighborhood this is a rest stop to catch our breath. All along the pilgrimage locals have a practice known as osettai. They offer gifts, food or even money to pilgrims. It is here at the Taishi-do that we might experience this kindness.
We’ve been walking for almost two hours now and I bet you’re getting a little hungry. We’ll make a stop at the Henro Ishi Manju shop. The delicious sweet buns we get here will give us the energy to make the push to our last stop, Kokubun-ji, the 29th temple.
Take in the beauty of this temple, and notice how different it is from Dainichi-ji. Where Dainichi-ji is nestled in the mountains on a steep hillside, Kokubun-ji is on a flat plain surrounded by rice fields. Pray at the main temple with your guide, stroll through the gardens and step inside for a cup of matcha tea. Quietly reflect on the day as you sip your tea. Surrounded by the peaceful garden our day comes to an end.
A quick taxi ride will bring you to the Gomen station from which you can soon return to Kochi city.
Details
Availability
All year around
Regular holidays
Undecided
Required time
4 hours
Price
20,000 yen per person
Included
- English speaking guide
- Taxi from Noichi Station to Dainichi-ji Temple
- Matcha or coffee at Kokubun-ji Temple
- Taxi from Kokubunji Temple to Gomen Station
Min./Max. participants
Min. 2 people
Max. 8 people
Cancellation Policy
-Up to 7 days before the start of the trip: 20%
-6 days before, to the day before: 50%
-Cancellation on the day of the trip or after the trip has started or no contact or non-participation: 100%