Pilgrimage routes often provide good hiking routes. They’re typically well-marked, offering scenic beauty and a chance to encounter interesting cultural artifacts along the way. This is precisely what drew me to the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage (also known as the Shikoku Henro) on the island of Shikoku, one of Japan’s four main islands.
Over the years, I’ve visited 26 of the 88 temples.
The full pilgrimage is about 750 miles, not a distance I would ever cover in one shot! I’ve visited some temples two or three times, so this is not a race to “collect” all the temples.
On my most recent (2024) visit to Japan, I hiked to four temples.
The title of this post implies I might be writing about the well-maintained public toilets along the pilgrimage route and at each temple.
The plumbing I’m referring to in this post’s title is a different story entirely! On my Shikoku 88 temple visits, I have a tradition of photographing the temizuya (purification stations). Here’s the crop from my most recent trip to Japan.
Temple 24 (of 88): Hotsumisakiji
Temple 25 (of 88): Shinshōji
Temple 26 (of 88): Kongōchōji
Temple 83 (of 88): Ichinomiyaji
Last summer, with our nephew and his dad, we hiked to temples 80, 81, and 82. The hike ended at a small, rural train station, Kinashi. On my recent (2024) trip I took a train to Kinashi Station then walked to the next temple, Ichinomiyaji, temple 83.
