1,200 kilometres, 88 temples, one white vest — how a 9th-century route still changes people today

The pilgrimage is one of the few great walks on earth you can still do with almost no Japanese, on a modest budget, and in the same form people have used for centuries.

By the end

You will be able to follow the Shikoku pilgrimage on foot or from your armchair — recognising the rituals, the clothes, the chants, the costs, and the etiquette that hold the whole route together.

Who this is for

Curious travellers, armchair walkers, and anyone drawn to slow journeys, Japanese Buddhism, or the idea of doing something hard on purpose.