■Reasons for wanting to do the Shikoku pilgrimage on Ogijima
I became interested because Ogijima often appears in yoga books and other publications.
The Shikoku pilgrimage is 1400 km, but Ogijima is 150 km, so I thought of it as an introductory pilgrimage.

Preliminary investigation.

■Basic Information
Shodoshima 88 Temples Pilgrimage - Shodoshima Pilgrimage Association
You can find information on the website: http://reijokai.com/.
Bus information is available on the Shodoshima Olive Bus website: http://www.shodoshima-olive-bus.com/.

It is said to be 88 locations, but including special locations and sub-temples, there are 94 locations. There are 30 temple sites, a little over 10 mountain sites, and 50 halls and sub-temples.
It seems that not all locations have both the main hall and the Daisho-do hall, so it might be okay to bring a slightly smaller amount of incense and candles. (Added: There was quite a bit left over.)

■Preparation
The basic information is listed on the website above.

The equipment list seems excessive. Are they trying to make people buy things?

■Things not to bring

- Rin-kesa (Buddhist necklace): Do not use.
- Suga-kasa (traditional straw hat): Do not use. I will bring a regular hat.
- Hakui (white robe, also known as koshiki): Do not use.
- Jishin (small bell): Not necessary. It is not necessary unless I have a kongō-jō. Even if I have one, it might not be necessary. → Not necessary.
- Kongō-jō (ritual staff): I am considering whether to bring the kongō-jō I bought at Mount Fuji. It is bulky and heavy. → Not necessary. From a trekking perspective, holding it in only one hand can disrupt balance and easily cause bone misalignment, which is not good for the body.

■ Things to bring

- Prayer beads: I will bring the lapis lazuli prayer beads I bought in India. → Because Shikoku is a relatively understated place, blue prayer beads might stand out too much. Maybe sandalwood prayer beads would have been better.
- Incense: Three sticks of incense are offered for each visit, representing body, speech, and mind. Three sticks are offered at the main hall and three at the Daishi Hall, for a total of six. However, sometimes only one side is used. The maximum is 564 sticks. Since buying them at the temple or locally would be expensive, I will buy a large quantity beforehand at a 100-yen shop.
- Candles: One candle is offered at the main hall and one at the Daishi Hall, for a total of two. The maximum is 188 candles. I will also prepare these beforehand at a 100-yen shop.
- Lighter: I will prepare a lighter with a long nozzle. A small lighter might burn my fingers. I will get one at a 100-yen shop.
- Sutra: I will not buy one, so I will create and print my own (see below).
- Offering slips: Each location provides a PDF for making your own. I will imitate that and create and print my own, and bring them with me (see below).

■ I am having a problem.

- Do you need a prayer book? I don't want to increase the amount of luggage I have at home. Things like this are difficult to throw away, and I can't sell them, so they just end up being useless.

■Basic Strategy
Walking, bicycle, motorcycle, or car? → Walking

If walking, how about accommodation?

Initially, I considered changing accommodations every day, but since there wasn't necessarily a reasonably priced accommodation near the end of the walking route, I decided to stay at the Tonomine Port on the west side of the island, leave my luggage there, and use a bus to travel around lightly.

This method cannot be used in Shikoku, but it works on the small island of Shodoshima.

■Walking Route
You can buy maps on the spot, but someone had published a walking route on Google Map's "My Maps," so I created the route based on that. I will walk while displaying it on Google Map. I will print it out for reference.

This map can be viewed on smartphones by anyone, not just me.
If you open "Shodoshima 88 Temples Pilgrimage - Google My Map" (https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1z8tqFQTGzpBcegVhD-uvA6L5SCtbzDpc&usp=sharing) while logged into Google, it should be saved in your history, and that history should allow you to open the map from your smartphone. Then, you can check the map on your smartphone while walking. Since there are places with poor reception, it is safer to cache all the maps on your smartphone in advance at your lodging.

Basically, follow the recommended route and number of days listed on the official page. I plan to walk for 7 days.

■Map app (Android version)
I created an Android app for this later.
Shodoshima Pilgrimage Walking Route Map
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.matsuesoft.shodoshimamymap → I left it unattended, and the account was deleted, and the app disappeared. Please use the map mentioned above.

It has simple functions, but I think it's sufficient for now. It's the same when viewed in My Maps, but I somehow feel that the dedicated app is easier to use.

■Offering slips
I created something like this in Excel and printed it. The Buddha statues are national treasures or something, and they are not from Shikoku Island.


For reference, I'm also providing a PDF template for creating pilgrimage prayer slips:
fuda.pdf.

■Collection of Buddhist Prayers
I created a PDF of a collection of Buddhist prayers for pilgrimage, compiled from various sources and by ear. I printed it out and brought it with me, but on the second day, I spoke with the head priest of the 80th temple, Kannon-ji, and he suggested that it would be better to have a dedicated scripture (kyohon) with the Heart Sutra and the mantra of the principal image. So I bought one there for 400 yen. I had also printed out a version of the Heart Sutra because I had an image of it being very "muddy," but in practice, the Heart Sutra didn't feel that way, and I feel that the Heart Sutra is not as suitable for pilgrimage as the Heart Sutra. This scripture is dedicated, so it's lightweight and thin, and the pages are easy to turn and read. I think it would have been better to have this from the beginning. However, I learned a lot by researching the Heart Sutra and its origins, so in the end, it was a good thing. This head priest chanted the Heart Sutra with drums, even though I was the only one there. His version of the Heart Sutra was quite clear, so I thought that maybe the Heart Sutra wasn't necessary, and the Heart Sutra would be fine. It seems that the recitation varies greatly depending on the person. Later, when I read the Heart Sutra myself, I was able to read it quite normally, so I thought it was a good thing.

Arrived the day before.

After arriving, I will first take a walk around the Tsuchuo area. I will start walking from tomorrow.


On the first day of arrival, Shikoku Island was surprisingly a smoking paradise, and the smell of cigarette tar gave me a headache, which was too much for me. I never expected to experience the "baptism" of Shikoku Island even before I started walking. There were no non-smoking rooms in the cheap accommodations, and the room I'm staying in today still gives me a headache even after using air freshener. In the dining hall, the owner smokes next to me, which gives me a terrible headache. When I went to the main headquarters of the pilgrimage, the office was filled with a strong smell of cigarette tar, and I felt like I was going to faint. I suddenly wanted to go home. Fortunately, I was later moved to a different room, so I avoided the worst-case scenario of sleeping in a room filled with cigarette smell.

Shodoshima pilgrimage, day 1.

And the first day.

Today is the first day, so I still have some leeway.
20km is quite easy.

Today is completely different and comfortable. There is absolutely no smell of cigarettes. The route is almost flat, so it feels like a warm-up. At a temple along the way, I received juice as a form of hospitality. The famous hospitality started right away. Today is flat, which is good, but there will be days with uphill sections for the same distance, so I need to slightly increase my pace. There are also time constraints with the bus.

I still don't fully understand how things work, but it seems like I can walk without any problems.

Shodoshima pilgrimage, day 2.

Today, I had a mountain climb planned, but it was faster than expected, and I reached the top quickly. It was more like a hike.

The temple started to have a good atmosphere. It's finally here.

At the 80th temple, known as "Udon Reception Temple," I not only had udon served to me, but because I was the only one there, they recited the Heart Sutra. I used to have a scary image of the Heart Sutra, but it was a refreshing one, so I bought a small booklet with sutras for pilgrims, recommended by the priest. I tried reciting it myself, but the effect or feeling is not much different from the Heart Sutra. From now on, I will recite the Heart Sutra normally during my pilgrimage. It might be nice to recite it together with others, since everyone else is reciting the Heart Sutra. It's usually empty, and I haven't been with anyone else until the end, but maybe I'll be with someone at least once.

Because it's a weekday, I often don't encounter other people from the time I enter the temple until I leave. I have the large temple all to myself. Sometimes there's only the priest, and other times there's no one there at all. This feeling of being alone is wonderful. Shikoku has 1 million pilgrims annually, but Shodoshima has 50,000.

It seems that you can leave the Kongō staff at the temple and just leave it there. I'd like to bring my Mount Fuji Kongō staff, which I'm not using at home, and leave it there if I have the chance. I probably won't use it again on Mount Fuji. I bought a heavy wooden one, so it's difficult to even carry it.

Today, there was absolutely no smell of cigarettes. It's comfortable. Was the first day extremely bad, or have I adapted to Shodoshima quickly?

Because I had time before the bus, I decided to visit the 81st temple, Emon no Taki, which I had planned to visit early in the morning the next day. It's about a 2-hour round trip. Even when I visited this place, I walked for 2 hours and the only person I met was the priest. It's quiet, and the atmosphere is wonderful. It's a luxury.

Shodoshima pilgrimage, day 3.

Today, it looks like it will rain in the evening, so I want to finish early.
The other day, I added the 81st temple, Emon no Taki, so the schedule for today isn't going to be that long.

During the walk, there was a group of people traveling by bus. Surprisingly, even though they were on a bus, I, who was walking, arrived at the next pilgrimage site before them, and we walked together again. Then, I arrived at the next temple before them again, and we walked together again. We also recited the Heart Sutra together, and I learned a lot about the pronunciation. The scary image I had of the Heart Sutra disappeared. It's quite natural.

Finally, I had a little extra time, so I thought about going ahead and crossing the mountain pass to the 88th temple, Nanshoan. However, I mistakenly entered a bush, and suddenly the path became very steep. I wandered around for about an hour and a half, and ended up returning to the original spot. The next day, when I entered the correct path, it was a well-maintained walking path, so it was easy. But I briefly thought, "Maybe this steep mountain path is a kind of trial that only those guided by the Great Master can pass." But it was just that I had taken a wrong turn. Perhaps in the past, it was only those guided by the Great Master who could complete the 88 temple pilgrimage. Now, it's easy. I briefly glimpsed the difficulty of the past. There were a lot of thorny plants in the mountains, and I got a hole in my raincoat. Oh no. It's surprisingly cold when it rains.

Shodoshima pilgrimage, day 4.

The other day, I got lost, so last night, I carefully checked the route at the inn before tackling the mountain pass, and it was easy once I was on the right path. Thorough preparation is important.

Today, there are many soy sauce factories along the road. It seems there used to be even more, but now there aren't that many. Still, I feel like there are a lot, even for such a small island. There was also quite a bit of mountain climbing today. When I went to the temple in a cave on the mountain, there were a few tourists in a Mercedes-Benz. Maybe it's because it's the weekend.

My walking pace is still light, but I might be feeling a little bit of fatigue accumulating gradually.

Shodoshima pilgrimage, day 5.

Today, I walked a small mountain. From around this day, my muscles started to feel stiff little by little. I don't usually walk for five days in a row, so I'm glad I was able to experience this change in my muscles.

There are few restaurants on Shikoku Island, but there was an okonomiyaki restaurant that was just right for lunch.

Today's course also had very few people, but I met a group of people along the way, and we walked together for about two places. It seems that walking is faster for local people, but even though I was walking, I arrived before the group who were using a shuttle bus. They were a group from Himeji, and the women were very energetic, talking from the beginning to the end, and they were bright and powerful. They shared some candy with me that they had received as a gift somewhere.

Perhaps the pilgrimage is a form of communication. It feels much healthier than people who go to the hospital frequently and say they want to communicate.

Shodoshima pilgrimage, day 6.

Today was a day with a lot of walking, but the mountain passes weren't too difficult, and I was able to complete the route faster than planned. So, I decided to visit the temples I had planned to visit tomorrow morning: the 40th temple, Hoanji, the 41st temple, Bukkokusan, the 42nd temple, Nishino-taki, the 35th temple, Hayashi-an, and the 39th temple, Matsukaze-an.
It was a bit of a mountain climb, so I wondered if I would have enough time, but there are many buses in this area, and it was still early, so I decided to go.

It was the 6th day, and I had already walked 20km, so I was starting to feel a little tired. But, maybe this kind of load is good. It wouldn't be good if it was too easy. At the 42nd temple, Nishino-taki, there was a notice that said there would be a yoga study session. I see.

Shodoshima pilgrimage, day 7 (final day).

Today, I decided to make a detour to "Special Head Temple - Kobo-no-Taki Gokoku-ji Temple" which I had been interested in. It is said that a certain yoga master practiced here in his youth, being struck by the waterfall, so I wanted to visit. It seems that you can still be struck by the waterfall if you wish, but the water flow was a trickle, perhaps due to the season. I tried drinking the water, and it was quite invigorating. It's amazing. It's something strange. Some people might call it "water filled with spiritual energy." I'm glad I came. Because I had some extra time recently, I decided to visit it, and as a result, I had enough time to easily add it to my itinerary.

And so, the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, 7 days, 150km, is complete. It wasn't too difficult, but not too easy either; it was a fun and brisk pilgrimage, like a hike. Even though they are called "passes," you can climb them quickly, and even though they are called "mountains," you arrive quickly, so you can visit the temples at a good pace and it doesn't get boring. It's like a mini raining. Saying that this is a Training is almost disrespectful to those who are seriously training, but I was able to enjoy it comfortably. It's like a mini raining because you can feel a little bit of the training spirit.

I heard that there were some sections with chains, but in reality, it was only a short distance. Even elderly people should be able to manage it.

I heard from the staff that there are many stories, such as that some people have encountered Kobo Daishi (the founder of Shingon Buddhism) during the pilgrimage, and when they turned around, there was no one there, or that some people who went on the pilgrimage regained their sight. Also, many people used to seclude themselves for training until the early Showa period. There was also a story that a miracle occurred at the very place where the staff manages the pilgrimage, where the sight of a person who could not see was restored, and when that person came out of the cave, it seemed like the eyes of the statue of Kobo Daishi glowed, and then their sight was restored.

I didn't encounter Kobo Daishi, but apparently, there are several places where you might encounter him, and there are regular gatherings with the purpose of "trying to encounter Kobo Daishi." I was a little surprised. I wonder how serious they are? It might be a story to promote the Shikoku pilgrimage, but the legend is actually passed down.

I had never recited the Heart Sutra before, but I'm starting to get used to it.

During this walk, I started to feel stiffness in muscles I don't usually use around the 5th day, so I discovered muscles that don't get sore easily, which is a good thing. This time, I walked with light luggage, leaving my luggage at the hotel, but for long trails in the United States, the passes are much more difficult, the distance is 1.5 to 2 times longer, and you have to carry a tent, food, and water, so the difficulty is completely different. This might have been a warm-up for a long trail in the United States. It might be a good idea to go on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain before going to the United States, as it's a step up. In the United States, there is a risk to your life if you make a mistake.

This time, it was also interesting as a pilgrimage, but it was also good preparation for a long trail.

While the walking itself was not a problem, a future challenge is that the muscles became stiff and flexibility was lost as the days went by. There were no physical problems.







■Bus Timetable Notes (as of April 2018)

Purchase a multi-ride ticket for 3000 yen (worth 3400 yen).

Day 1: Shikai Line
Nagahama → Tsuchu Port: 300 yen
16:46 → 17:09 (rode this)

Day 2: Shikai Line
Tsuchu Port → Nagahama: 300 yen
7:00 → 7:23 (rode this)

(Northern Route) Fukuda Line
Kobushi → Former Toyo Spinning Fuchizaki Factory Site → Tsuchu Port: 300 yen
17:37 → 18:07 (rode this)
18:08 → 18:15 (rode this)

Day 3: (Northern Route) Fukuda Line
Tsuchu Port → Former Toyo Spinning Fuchizaki Factory Site → Kobushi: 300 yen
7:55 → 8:02 (rode this)
8:23 → 8:49 (rode this)

I had some time, so I tried to go over another mountain pass, but I ended up going up to the place just before it, and I wandered around in the bushes for about an hour before returning to the original spot, so I decided to retreat for the day. The next day, I checked the correct entrance on the map, and the correct path was easy to find.

Sakate Line & Southern Fukuda Line (Uphill): 300 yen
Tachi → Tsuchu Port
15:52 → 16:38 (rode this)

Day 4: Sakate Line & Southern Fukuda Line (Downhill): 300 yen
Tsuchu Port → Tachi
7:55 → 8:41 (rode this)

Sakate Line & Southern Fukuda Line (Uphill): 300 yen
Ashino-ura → Tsuchu Port
16:54 → 17:37 (rode this) I had some time, so I walked to Anda Station, which is a branch point, and then got on the bus.

Day 5: Sakate Line & Southern Fukuda Line (Downhill): 300 yen
Tsuchu Port → Anda → Ashino-ura
7:40 → 7:21 → 8:25 (rode this) Got off at Anda.

Sakate Line & Southern Fukuda Line (Uphill): 300 yen
Olive Park Entrance → Tsuchu Port
16:35 → 17:14 (rode this) At this time, it comes right in front of the roadside station, so I visited the roadside station and then got on the bus.

Day 6: Sakate Line & Southern Fukuda Line (Downhill): 300 yen
Tsuchu Port → Olive Park Entrance
7:40 → 8:10 (rode this)

I had some time, so I added a mountain temple walk for the early morning of the next day, and ended the day.

Sakate Line & Southern Fukuda Line (Uphill):
Shodoshima Central Hospital → Shodoshima Central High School: 250 yen
16:47 → 16:54 → 17:14 (rode this)

7th day
Sakamichi Line, South Loop, Fukuda Line (downward) 250 yen
Tsuchu Port → Shodoshima Chuo High School
7:40 → 7:55 (board this)

Since I had time, I also visited "Byakko-honzan - Kobo Falls, Gokoku-ji."

■Standard Walking Pilgrimage Model Course, 6 Nights 7 Days
http://reijokai.com/course/walking.html
The official website may change, so I've copied the content from that time here.

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