A resident of Saint-Martin passionate about travel, tells us about his pilgrimage to Japan and brought back exceptional photos.
The pilgrimage of the 88 temples on the island of Shikoku is also called the “Japanese Compostela”.
He is probably one of the most famous Japanese pilgrimages. Dedicated to the monk Kûkaï, it offers a 1.200 km circuit through the 4 prefectures of the island. This very dense circuit is also reputed to be one of the most difficult in Japan. Not only do several tens of kilometers separate some temples, but the majority of the last sites being in the mountains, it is sometimes difficult to overcome the pilgrimage on foot. This is why of the 500.000 pilgrims who make the pilgrimage each year, only 5.000 of them manage to do so, most of them preferring to use the car, the bus or even the train at some point during the journey to access the most isolated areas.
At the end of the journey, the pilgrim goes to the Kûkaï mausoleum on Mount Koyasan, to thank him for his protection.
Shikoku residents spend a large part of the year with pilgrims.
The culture of “Settai“ (hospitality) is therefore very strong in this region where the inhabitants are particularly welcoming. It is not uncommon to come across them offering you drinks or food. In this case, we give them “osamefuda“ to thank them. These gestures, united and convivial, bring the energy necessary for the successful pursuit of the adventure.
The ideal seasons to make this pilgrimage are spring and autumn. Summer and winter are to be avoided due to extreme temperatures or snow.
Each pilgrim has his own goal… A spiritual quest, a search for oneself, a personal challenge, a disease to be cured…
Whatever the goal, the Shikoku pilgrimage is an adventure rich in encounters, lessons and memories that mark a life.
This travel and photography enthusiast well known in Saint-Martin, it is Didier Rouxel who, alone, left Osaka on March 28, 2019 (in the middle of the Sakura period - cherry blossoms -) to arrive in Koyasan on May 7, 2019, with his backpack and changing accommodation every evening ... from Minshuku (the traditional Japanese inn) through the Ryokan (typical Japanese inn) and Shukubo (accommodation in temples including vegetarian Buddhist cuisine ). He brought us this summary and thousands of photos, the most beautiful of which will be exhibited in February at Sm'ART FaxInfo above FaxInfo in Bellevue.
Japan, nicknamed "the land of the rising sun" is an archipelago of 6852 islands with an area of 378.000 km², 126 million inhabitants and the longest life expectancy in the world. Founded in the 7th century BC, it is today the 3rd largest economic power in the world.
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