Shikoku 88 Temples

About This Challenge

The Shikoku 88 Temples Challenge is a very well-known pilgrimage hike and walk. It is a full 1,200 kilometers, or 750 miles, long. It follows the coastline and outline of Japan's Shikoku Island and binds together 88 Buddhist temples. It is tied to the monk Kūkai, or Kōbō Daishi, and generally walked most often in a clockwise loop. It passes through four regions of the island, each representing a spiritual stage: Awakening, Austerity, Enlightenment, and finally Nirvana. If you're walking on foot, it will generally take you six to eight weeks to finish the full circuit. It can be explored through sections, and it follows coastal roads and forest paths. But that is not everything—it also has numerous mountain passes to cross, as well as rural villages to go through.