I am heading to Japan for a month starting mid May, and in the last week of May I want to hike part of the Shikoku Henro trail. Seems like an amazing experience and something different from what I normally get up to.
Has anyone here hiked it? If so would love some help:
-I reckon people tend to start at temple 1 rather than jumping in somewhere?
-Any idea how many people will be setting off late May? Given the weather shift I can’t imagine many. Wouldn’t mind some company here and there
-How will the weather be for hiking late May? I looked up some averaged and seems manageable, but hard to gauge
-How does one go about booking accomodations? All through booking.com and such?
-What can I expect to spend on cheap accommodation? I looked up a few and seems like I can manage for 4-6k yen?
-Will I have to book beforehand?
-Where does one buy the traditional clothing? Should I buy it all?
-Do people wear their own clothing underneath? Especially given the warmth?
-What are the odds of it fitting if you’re 6’8″?
Also considering perhaps going a week earlier but I doubt that matters much.
Thank you in advance!
3 comments
This page seems to have a lot of information and recommends various books: http://shikokuhenrotrail.com/shikoku/pilgrimagebooksGuidebooks.html#SacredSitesOfKukai
> start from temple 1
The Shikoku Tourism bureau explains a couple segments that people tend to choose, such as starting from #1, 13-17, or 71-77: https://shikoku-tourism.com/en/shikoku-henro/shikoku-henro
> 6’8″
Probably not? I’m nearly a foot shorter than you (female) and I am often getting offered larger male sizes for yukata and such for length, so I imagine the male sizes would top off a few inches above me.
> Book beforehand
(presumably) you don’t speak Japanese and can’t exactly be calling places for day-of bookings, so would at a minimum want a shortlist so that the staff at the previous lodging or Japanese pilgrims or staff at tourist info centers can help you call. once face to face with someone you can do anything armed with Google translate.
Some of these areas don’t have much accommodation on booking and the majority is local places that you’ll have to reserve by phone (Japanese only).
May is pretty good in terms of temperature for Shikoku, pleasant but not yet hot.
I would book everything beforehand, you’ll be tired at the end of the day and not wanting to deal with finding accommodation.
I’ve hiked/biked a lot on Shikoku and saw people walking it all the time. No idea how it is nowadays.
I think the temples are nice but it’s not really hiking. You’re often just walking along the road. Maybe you can pick some sections that are more like a hike and less roadwalking.
I did the pilgrimage back in 2017.
Most people start at Temple 1 but you don’t have to. You can buy all your equipment there. Other temples will sell things but I think T1 has the biggest henro shop.
You don’t have to buy all the traditional henro gear. Most people buy the white jacket or vest at a minimum because it identifies them as a henro. People on the island will know what you’re doing and will do their best to help you. Buying the staff is also considered important because it represents Kobo Daishi walking alongside you, but many henro choose not use it (either choosing their own poles or walking without).
Your best reference will be the pilgrimage guidebook. They just released the newest edition but if there are changes, it’ll contain a note inside it with the changes. This guidebook will tell you everything you need to know about the pilgrimage and has detailed maps with accommodations listed with their phone numbers. You can use Booking.com (or other sites) in larger cities but most places in Shikoku won’t be that big. Use the guidebook or ask people.
I would book in advance. I haven’t been to Shikoku since 2017 but from what I hear, a number of smaller inns closed during the pandemic. Outside of the more urban areas, accommodations are few and far between. I’ve read of recent henro finding it difficult to find accommodations in certain areas.
Best of luck! If you’re on Facebook, there’s a henro group where you can ask more questions. A few people in that guide are experts and guides, so they can answer some of the more specific questions!