The Shikoku Pilgrimage: Japan's Great Solo Walk
The 88-temple pilgrimage circuit of Shikoku island is 1,200 kilometers long and has been walked continuously for over a thousand years. A guide to starting.
Eisuke Kameta
March 15, 2026
The Shikoku Ohenro pilgrimage is Japan’s most significant long-distance walking route. It visits 88 temples associated with the Buddhist monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) across Shikoku island, covering approximately 1,200 kilometers. It has been walked continuously for over a thousand years.
Walking the full circuit takes 40–60 days. Many people walk sections. Many people do it more than once.
What It Is
The pilgrimage is a Buddhist practice — most people who complete it do so at least partly for spiritual reasons — but it is not necessary to be Buddhist to walk it, and many walkers come for reasons that are personal, secular, or simply physical. The route is open to anyone who shows up.
The pilgrim’s outfit — white jacket (hakui), conical hat (sugegasa), walking staff — is recognizable throughout Shikoku. Wearing the full outfit is traditional but not obligatory. Many contemporary pilgrims wear modern hiking clothes.
The Support System
Shikoku has a culture of osettai — gifts given to pilgrims by local people, asking nothing in return. The osettai might be a can of coffee, a rice ball, money, accommodation. It is given in the name of Kukai, who is believed to walk alongside each pilgrim. Refusing osettai is considered impolite.
This system means that the Ohenro pilgrim is never entirely alone, even in remote sections. The generosity is genuine and, for many walkers, one of the most affecting aspects of the experience.
Accommodation
Shukubo (temple lodgings), minshuku (family guesthouses), and dedicated pilgrim lodges (zenkonyado, free accommodation) exist throughout the circuit. The logistics of accommodation have been managed by pilgrims for centuries and the infrastructure works.
Starting
The pilgrimage begins at Ryozenji Temple in Naruto, Tokushima — accessible by bus from Tokushima Station.
Most people walk clockwise (junrei). The circuit passes through all four of Shikoku’s prefectures: Tokushima, Kochi, Ehime, and Kagawa.
Walking the full circuit is a serious physical undertaking — approximately 30–40 km per day, with mountain sections. Walking sections of 3–7 days is entirely valid and gives a genuine sense of what the pilgrimage is.
For the Solo Traveler
The Ohenro is, structurally, a solo experience. Even people who walk it together tend to walk at their own pace and converge at temples and accommodation. The trail is well-marked, the distances are known, and the osettai culture means that kindness will find you even if you don’t seek it.
It is one of the most singular walking experiences available to a solo traveler anywhere in the world.