ABOUT OHENRO

What’s “OHENRO”?

“Ohenro” is the pilgrimage around the island of Shikoku in Japan. People have walked it since ancient times.

Around the year 800, the monk Kukai — known as “Kobo Daishi,” who spread Buddhism in Japan — traveled to the 88 temples tied to his teachings. The route he left behind is unlike any other pilgrimage in the world.

Many faiths have their own sacred journeys — in Christianity, Judaism and Islam — but Japan’s pilgrimage tradition is quite different.

The Camino de Santiago covers about 800 kilometers, but the Ohenro is longer and harder: roughly 1,400 kilometers, and more than 40 days on foot.

*Kukai (Kobo Daishi) was a deeply respected monk who helped bring Esoteric (Shingon) Buddhism to Japan. He also opened a school that ordinary people could attend, was a gifted artist and calligrapher, and made his mark in many other fields.

Learn more here ↓↓
https://88shikokuhenro.jp/en/

 

What happens when you do the pilgrimage?

So what do people get out of the pilgrimage?

There are many stories and old beliefs, but the ones you hear most often are these:

• Wishes are fulfilled.
• Your troubles ease, and good fortune comes.
• A chance to meet Kukai (Kobo Daishi).

 

Wishes are fulfilled

People walk for many reasons — sightseeing, spiritual practice, making a wish, or simple devotion. It’s said that if you visit all 88 temples and finish the journey with a sincere heart, your wish can come true.

Here are a couple of the stories people tell:

“Someone whose rheumatoid arthritis had grown so bad they could barely walk slowly got better by walking a little at a time along the route.”

“Someone who felt stuck in work and love found relief on the pilgrimage, let go of their frustration, and turned their life around.”

Stories like these can make you believe in miracles and want to set out yourself. Even so, it’s worth remembering that not every wish will be granted.

 

• I want to live a longer life.
• I want to become wealthy.
• I want a romantic partner.
• I want to find myself.
• I want to make up for my mistakes.

 

Wishes like these can’t be handed to you by someone else. They come only from your own effort.

 

Your worries ease, and good things follow

The pilgrimage changes something inside you. It’s a journey where you face yourself and grow.

As you grow calmer and more grounded, worry and stress fade — work goes more smoothly, and good relationships can follow.

“Feeling a little unsatisfied… always wanting what you don’t yet have…”

That kind of constant wanting is what leads to suffering.

Walking the long road with a quiet mind clears your head and helps you see what really matters.

 

You might meet Kukai (Kobo Daishi)

It may sound hard to believe, but some say you can meet Kukai (Kobo Daishi) himself along the way.

The legend goes that if you walk the route in reverse, you may cross paths with Kukai, who is said to still be making the rounds in the usual direction.

On my own pilgrimage, while camping in the mountains, I once heard an animal breathing right next to my tent — a bear or a wild boar, I couldn’t tell which.

I braced myself, ready for it — but within a few seconds, it was gone.

I like to think it was Kukai, walking the route, who came to my aid.

 

What does a Goshuin mean?

Collecting goshuin (temple and shrine seals) is popular in Japan, but the one you receive on this pilgrimage is different.

*Strictly speaking, it’s called a “nokyo” (a sutra record), not a goshuin.

At each temple, the priests recite sutras to the main image and to Kukai, and the seal you receive is a “mark” of that spiritual bond.

These seals are seen as a kind of “passport to heaven,” or a charm that protects you after death — which is why they are traditionally placed in the coffin.

For the Shikoku pilgrimage, the seals are laid inside the coffin before cremation.

In short, it’s nothing like collecting stamps in a passport or at tourist spots — it carries far more meaning.

 

What visitors say

Can’t undertake the 1,400 km journey yourself? Through daisan (proxy pilgrimage), Ohenro Gift can walk the 88 temples on your behalf and deliver an authentic nokyocho — a record recognized by the Shikoku Temple Association just like one walked in person.