Shikoku Pilgrimage

The or is a pilgrimage of 88 temples on the island of Shikoku, Japan. It is believed all 88 temples were visited by the famous Buddhist monk Kūkai, founder of the Shingon school, who was born in Zentsūji, Shikoku in 774. However, Kūkai only mentions visiting two of them in his own extant writings.
In addition to the 88 "official" temples of the pilgrimage, there are over 200 bangai — temples not considered part of the official 88. To complete the pilgrimage, it is not necessary to visit the temples in order; in some cases it is even considered lucky to travel in reverse order. The pilgrimage is traditionally completed on foot, but modern pilgrims use cars, taxis, buses, bicycles, or motorcycles. The walking course is approximately 1,200km long and can take anywhere from 30 to 60 days to complete. is the Japanese word for pilgrim, and the inhabitants of Shikoku call the pilgrims , the being a beautifier and the a title similar to "Mr.". They are often recognizable by their white clothing, sedge hats, and walking sticks. Many pilgrims begin and complete the journey by visiting Mount Kōya in Wakayama Prefecture, which was settled by Kūkai and remains the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. The 21km walking trail up to Koya-san still exists, but most pilgrims use the train. 
In addition to the main pilgrimage on the island of Shikoku, there are miniature versions of the pilgrimage north of Takamatsu on the island of Shōdoshima, and on the grounds of Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto. A much larger scale imitation of the Shikoku pilgrimage is located on Chita peninsula, near Nagoya.
==The 88 Temples==
Collectively, the 88 temples are known as or simply the .
thumb|A female pilgrim
No.	Temple 	City/Town/Village	Prefecture
1 	Ryōzenji (霊山寺) 	Naruto 	Tokushima
2 	Gokurakuji (極楽寺) 	Naruto 	Tokushima
3 	Konsenji (金泉寺) 	Itano 	Tokushima
4 	Dainichiji (大日寺) 	Itano 	Tokushima
5 	Jizōji (地蔵寺) 	Itano 	Tokushima
6 	Anrakuji (安楽寺) 	Kamiita 	Tokushima
7 	Jūrakuji (十楽寺) 	Awa 	Tokushima
8 	Kumataniji (熊谷寺) 	Awa 	Tokushima
9 	Hōrinji (法輪寺) 	Awa 	Tokushima
10 	Kirihataji (切幡寺) 	Awa 	Tokushima
11 	Fujiidera (藤井寺) 	Yoshinogawa 	Tokushima
12 	Shōzanji (焼山寺) 	Kamiyama 	Tokushima
13 	Dainichiji (大日寺) 	Tokushima 	Tokushima
14 	Jōrakuji (常楽寺) 	Tokushima 	Tokushima
15 	Kokubunji (国分寺) 	Tokushima 	Tokushima
16 	Kan'onji (観音寺) 	Tokushima 	Tokushima
17 	Idoji (井戸寺) 	Tokushima 	Tokushima
18 	Onzanji (恩山寺) 	Komatsushima 	Tokushima
19 	Tatsueji (立江寺) 	Komatsushima 	Tokushima
20 	Kakurinji (鶴林寺) 	Katsuura 	Tokushima
21 	Tairyūji (太竜寺) 	Anan 	Tokushima
22 	Byōdōji (平等寺) 	Anan 	Tokushima
23 	Yakuōji (薬王寺) 	Minami 	Tokushima
24 	Hotsumisakiji (最御崎寺) 	Muroto 	Kōchi
25 	Shinshōji (津照寺) 	Muroto 	Kōchi
26 	Kongōchōji (金剛頂寺) 	Muroto 	Kōchi
27 	Kōnomineji (神峰寺) 	Yasuda 	Kōchi
28 	Dainichiji (大日寺) 	Konan 	Kōchi
29 	Kokubunji (国分寺) 	Nankoku 	Kōchi
30 	Zenrakuji (善楽寺) 	Kōchi 	Kōchi
31 	Chikurinji (竹林寺) 	Kōchi 	Kōchi
32 	Zenjibuji (禅師峰寺) 	Nankoku 	Kōchi
33 	Sekkeiji (雪蹊寺) 	Kōchi 	Kōchi
34 	Tanemaji (種間寺) 	Haruno 	Kōchi
35 	Kiyotakiji (清滝寺) 	Tosa 	Kōchi
36 	Shōryūji (青竜寺) 	Tosa 	Kōchi
37 	Iwamotoji (岩本寺) 	Shimanto 	Kōchi
38 	Kongōfukuji (金剛福寺) 	Tosashimizu 	Kōchi
39 	Enkōji (延光寺) 	Sukumo 	Kōchi
40 	Kanjizaiji (観自在寺) 	Ainan 	Ehime
41 	Ryūkōji (竜光寺) 	Uwajima 	Ehime
42 	Butsumokuji (佛木寺) 	Uwajima 	Ehime
43 	Meisekiji (明石寺) 	Seiyo 	Ehime
44 	Daihōji (大宝寺) 	Kumakōgen 	Ehime
45 	Iwayaji (岩屋寺) 	Kumakōgen 	Ehime
46 	Jōruriji (浄瑠璃寺) 	Matsuyama 	Ehime
47 	Yasakaji (八坂寺) 	Matsuyama 	Ehime
48 	Sairinji (西林寺) 	Matsuyama 	Ehime
49 	Jōdoji (浄土寺) 	Matsuyama 	Ehime
50 	Hantaji (繁多寺) 	Matsuyama 	Ehime
51 	Ishiteji (石手寺) 	Matsuyama 	Ehime
52 	Taizanji (太山寺) 	Matsuyama 	Ehime
53 	Enmyōji (円明寺) 	Matsuyama 	Ehime
54 	Enmeiji (延命寺) 	Imabari 	Ehime
55 	Nankōbō (南光坊) 	Imabari 	Ehime
56 	Taisanji (泰山寺) 	Imabari 	Ehime
57 	Eifukuji (栄福寺) 	Imabari 	Ehime
58 	Sen'yūji (仙遊寺) 	Imabari 	Ehime
59 	Kokubunji (国分寺) 	Imabari 	Ehime
60 	Yokomineji (横峰寺) 	Saijō 	Ehime
61 	Kōonji (香園寺) 	Saijō 	Ehime
62 	Hōjuji (宝寿寺) 	Saijō 	Ehime
63 	Kichijōji (吉祥寺) 	Saijō 	Ehime
64 	Maegamiji (前神寺) 	Saijō 	Ehime
65 	Sankakuji (三角寺) 	Shikokuchūō 	Ehime
66 	Unpenji (雲辺寺) 	Miyoshi 	Tokushima
67 	Daikōji (大興寺) 	Mitoyo 	Kagawa
68 	Jinnein (神恵院) 	Kan'onji 	Kagawa
69 	Kan'onji (観音寺) 	Kan'onji 	Kagawa
70 	Motoyamaji (本山寺) 	Mitoyo 	Kagawa
71 	Iyadaniji (弥谷寺) 	Mitoyo 	Kagawa
72 	Mandaraji (曼荼羅寺) 	Zentsūji 	Kagawa
73 	Shusshakaji (出釈迦寺) 	Zentsūji 	Kagawa
74 	Kōyamaji (甲山寺) 	Zentsūji 	Kagawa
75 	Zentsūji (善通寺) 	Zentsūji 	Kagawa
76 	Konzōji (金倉寺) 	Zentsūji 	Kagawa
77 	Dōryūji (道隆寺) 	Tadotsu 	Kagawa
78 	Gōshōji (郷照寺) 	Utazu 	Kagawa
79 	Tennōji (天皇寺) 	Sakaide 	Kagawa
80 	Kokubunji (国分寺) 	Takamatsu 	Kagawa
81 	Shiromineji (白峯寺) 	Sakaide 	Kagawa
82 	Negoroji (根香寺) 	Takamatsu 	Kagawa
83 	Ichinomiyaji (一宮寺) 	Takamatsu 	Kagawa
84 	Yashimaji (屋島寺) 	Takamatsu 	Kagawa
85 	Yakuriji (八栗寺) 	Takamatsu 	Kagawa
86 	Shidoji (志度寺) 	Sanuki 	Kagawa
87 	Nagaoji (長尾寺) 	Sanuki 	Kagawa
88 	Ōkuboji (大窪寺) 	Sanuki 	Kagawa
==Further reading==
Books written in English about the Shikoku Pilgrimage:
* Oliver Statler, Japanese Pilgrimage (1983)
* Craig McLachlan, Tales of a Summer Henro (1997)
* Lisa Dempster, Neon Pilgrim (2009)
==External links==
* 
* Documentary movie about the 88 Temple Pilgrimage
*Guide to start the Shikoku 88 temples pilgrimage (french-english)
Category:Shikoku region
Category:Buddhism in Japan
Category:Buddhist pilgrimage
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it:Pellegrinaggio di Shikoku
ja:四国八十八箇所
zh:四國八十八箇所