What is the Shikoku pilgrimage? (Temples 24 – 26)
Gordon: I recently realized that we have provided no background information regarding the Shikoku pilgrimage. It is a circuit of the island of Shikoku (the ... Read More
Passing the Spiritual Checkpoint: Temple 27
Gordon: Temple 27 is a henro-korogashi temple located near the top of a mountain and accessed by a spur road 3.2 kms in length. Ruth ... Read More
Tsunami Zone
Ruth: Except for our brief excursions up to the mountain temples, we spend much of our time here in Japan within the tsunami inundation zones. ... Read More
Golden Week: No Room at the Inn (Temples 28-30)
Ruth: On this pilgrimage each of the four prefectures that we pass through offers a different stage in spiritual development. Tokushima Prefecture is the place ... Read More
Kindness on Shikoku: Temples 31-34
Ruth: I’m feeling very grateful tonight. We found a shelter behind a Shinto shrine between Temples 34 and 35. It has a roof, two walls and ... Read More
Life on the Floor: Temples 35-37
Gordon: Last night, together with two Japanese cyclists, we slept in a small dormitory. The notable aspect of this experience was that we were ... Read More
My complicated relationship with Tunnels: Temple 37
Ruth: Each day we pass through a number of tunnels. Two days ago the daily count reached eight! On the downside they are not very ... Read More
Southwestern Shikoku
Gordon: We are currently staying near Temple 38, at the far southwestern point of Shikoku. It is a wild and beautiful area, with substantial distances ... Read More
Konbini: The Henro’s Best Friend
Gordon: The Japanese language has incorporated a surprising number of English words. They are generally unrecognizable, however, because Japanese pronunciation splits the consonant combinations with ... Read More
Approaching Enlightenment: Temple 38
Ruth: I can feel that we are getting closer to the edge of the Kochi Prefecture, and with that the end of the period of ... Read More