Shikoku Pilgrimage

Shikoku Pilgrimage circuit consists of 88 Buddhist Temples in the Shikoku Region.  Shikoku region, which is also called Shikoku island is the smallest of the four main Japanese Islands.  Shikoku in Japanese literally means "Four Countries", contains four prefectures.  They are Kagawa, Tokushima, Ehime and Kochi.  The old names for these prefectures are Awa, Sanuki, Tosa and Oyo. 

The Shikoku region is famously known as the birthplace of the revered Buddhist Monk Kobo Daishi Kukai.  It is believed that Monk Kukai spent his formative years in the Shikoku Island as a student and young aspiring monk of Buddhist studies, until he was sent to China to study with the best religious teachers by then Japanese Emperor. 



The eighty eight Buddhist temples of the Shikoku pilgrimage are closely associated with Monk Kobo Daishi during his formative years.  It is believed that after coming back from China and establishing the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism, Monk Kukai devised a pilgrimage that covered the eighty eight temples that he was associated with in Shikoku region.  Some reports say that the pilgrimage was not devised until the late 1400s and put the timeline same as the Chichibu Kannon pilgrimage.  In any case, the Shikoku 88 Buddhist temple pilgrimage is considered one of the oldest and most practiced pilgrimage circuit in Japan.


Unlike the 100 Kannon Pilgrimages (Saikoku, Bando and Chichibu), the Shikoku 88 Temple pilgrimage is centered around Buddhist Temples or places where Buddha is the main object of worship.  Please visit my pages about Shintoism and Buddhism, to find more about Japanese Buddhist deities.

This pilgrimage has a total walking distance of over 1100 kilometers, covering all the four prefectures of Shikoku Islands.  In addition to the ascetic aspect of this pilgrimage, there is a great touristic aspect to it, as most of the temples are located on the borders (edges) of the shikoku Island rather than in the inland.  There are beautiful views of the Pacific ocean and the Seto Inland sea at almost every temple you visit.

Here is the list of all the temples of the Shikoku Pilgrimage.

1) Ryozenji Temple	2) Gokurakuji Temple	3) Kosenji Temple
4) Dainichiji Temple	5) Jizoji Temple	6) Anrakuji Temple
7) Jurakuji Temple	8) Kumataniji Temple	9) Horinji Temple
10) Kirihataji Temple	11) Fujiidera Temple	12) Shosanji Temple
13) Dainichiji Temple	14) Jourakuji Temple	15) Kokubunji Temple
16) Kanonji Temple	17) Idoji Temple	18) Onzanji Temple
19) Tatsueji Temple	20) Kakurinji Temple	21) Dairyuji Temple
22) Byodoji Temple	23) Yakuoji Temple	24) Hotsumisakiji Temple
25) Shinshoji Temple	26) Kongochoji Temple	27) Konomineji Temple
28) Dainichiji Temple	29) Kokubunji Temple	30) Zenrakuji Temple
31) Chikurinji Temple	32) Zenjibuji Temple	33) Sekkeiji Temple
34) Tanemaji Temple	35) Kiyotakiji Temple	36) Shoryuji Temple
37) Iwamotoji Temple	38) Kongofukuji Temple	39) Enkoji Temple
40) Kanjizaiji Temple	41) Ryukoji Temple	42) Butsumokuji Temple
43) Ageishiji Temple	44) Daihoji Temple	45) Iwayaji Temple
46) Joruriji Temple	47) Yasakaji Temple	48) Sairinji Temple
49) Jodoji Temple	50) Hantaji Temple	51) Ishiteji Temple
52) Taisanji Temple	53) Enmyoji Temple	54) Enmeiji Temple
55) Nankobo Temple	56) Taisanji Temple	57) Eifukuji Temple
58) Senyuji Temple	59) Kokubunji Temple	60) Yokomineji Temple
61) Koonji Temple	62) Hojuji Temple	63) Kisshoji Temple
64) Maegamiji Temple	65) Sankakuji Temple	66) Umpenji Temple
67) Daikoji Temple	68) Jinnein Temple	69) Kanonji Temple
70) Motoyamaji Temple	71) Iyadaniji Temple	72) Mandaraji Temple
73) Shusshakaji Temple	74) Koyamaji Temple	75) Zentsuji Temple
76) Konzoji Temple	77) Doryuji Temple	78) Goshoji Temple
79) Koshoin Temple	80) Kokubunji Temple	81) Shironineji Temple
82) Negoroji Temple	83) Ichinomiyaji Temple	84) Yashimaji Temple
85) Yakuriji Temple	86) Shidoji Temple	87) Nagaoji Temple
88) Hojuji Temple

 
As you can see in this list there are some temples repeated with the same names, but if you pick up the Temple Guide, they will have different addresses.  The reason for the same names is because of the worshiped deities.  At almost all of these temples Kobo Daishi statues or Halls dedicated Kobo Daishi are present.

I hope to provide you with more information about these temples, once I start visiting them.