I did it! I strolled into Temple #1 late yesterday afternoon to complete the circle – kechigan!

The hike up to Temple 88 was tough, and it was cold but there were fantastic views to reward the hardy pilgrim. It was busy too. Temple 88 is famous for its many maple and ginkgo trees and people throng there to see the beautiful autumn leaves, giving the place a festive, ceremonial atmosphere.

Leaf-lookers arrive on foot from the parking lot, but I came into the compound from the forest trail behind the main building which made it obvious that I was a walking pilgrim (that and my disheveled appearance). A number of people asked me if I’d walked, and congratulated me on reaching 88.

Pilgrims who’ve walked the entire circuit receive a formal certificate with their name written in tidy script. I have mine tucked proudly in my pack.

The pilgrimage wasn’t over though. I stayed the night at the aging but still comfortable Shirotori Onsen hot spring 10 kilometres from Temple 88 then the next day I walked out and returned to the area near Temple 10 and on to Temple 1.

Once you’re finished the walk at 88 there are three ways to return back to Temple 1 and complete the circle: direct, via Temple 3, and via Temple 10.

The route I took to Temple 10 is the longest (by about 15 kilometres) but I loved that area of Tokushima Prefecture I saw during the first few days of the journey, and wanted to end the walk back through the same streets. From Temple 10 to Temple 1 I was walking in reverse, and a number of pilgrims stopped and asked me whether I was finished or whether I was doing the whole thing backwards. They all looked fresh and clean and enthusiastic, just starting out on their walk.

According to my journal I walked 1,135 kilometres in total over 48 days. I was short by 65 kilometres, but I know why. The official distance – the one on my certificate – is 1,200 kilometres, but depending on the exact route you take the total mileage can be anywhere between 980 and 1,550 kilometres.

There are multiple routes possible for nearly every stage of the walk. In fact there are two other competing walks in Shikoku, both at times crossing over the Henro 88 route. One of them, the Shikoku no michi (四国のみち) follows more of a nature trail, often taking detours off the road to small lakes and rivers. I liked those routes and took many of them.

To make matters more complicated there are often two or even three henro routes on many days, taking pilgrims to other temples and shrines not included in the 88 but that are important for historical or religious reasons – bangai temples (bangai means “outside numbers”, as in “outside the main numbered temples”). Thus the difference in mileage. I actually thought I would be over 1,200, but according to my daily journal entries I’m right at 1,135. That’s good enough for me.

I missed four of the temples. Two of them I missed altogether as they were on the top of mountains and I was suffering from blisters that day and simply couldn’t face the hike. I walked around the mountains instead, adding around 30 kilometres to the trip but allowing me to walk on (mostly) flat roads for a couple of days.

I saw one of the temples but didn’t go into it (it was about 200 meters away but I simply didn’t have the juice to walk up to it) and one temple I just ignored as it was about three kilometres away from where I was down a traffic congested main street in the pouring rain and I was beat.

I saw probably a dozen of the extra bangai temples though, and that’s good enough for me too.

So that’s it, the Shikoku 88 Henro Pilgrimage done and dusted. I’ll put out one more post once I’m home with some collected photographs and a quick summary of the trip, and my thoughts and feelings on the journey.

In the meantime I’m going to the pub.

Stay tuned!