Day 43 Shikoku Pilgrimage – Day 4

:Pheasants, Pilgrims and Unexpected Kindness

Temples 13–17

We did it! Four days of walking, and we’ve reached Temple 17, completing the first section of our Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.

Today’s walk took us out of the mountains and gradually down toward Tokushima. Another beautiful day, with sweeping views of forested valleys, little farming communities, traditional houses, shrines, and, of course, more temples. We covered 18 miles in nearly ten hours, carrying our packs.

But the two highlights of the day had little to do with temples.

First, a magnificent copper pheasant appeared beside the trail. Rather than disappearing into the undergrowth, he accompanied me for about 100 yards, showing off his beautiful plumage and extraordinarily long tail. Apparently, after four days of pilgrimage, I had earned a personal wildlife escort!

Later, as we passed a house, a Japanese woman held out a sign in English inviting us to stop for tea. She had a table set up outside her front door, complete with a world map, flags, snacks, and locally made pickled plums.

She spoke no English, but with the help of her phone, we managed a lovely visit. It seemed she was prepared to welcome pilgrims from all over the world.

This is osettai, the wonderful Shikoku tradition of offering hospitality to pilgrims. No money expected, no shared language necessary. Just genuine kindness from a complete stranger. These unexpected encounters are often the best part of traveling.

Along the way, Cindy discovered a small Shinto shrine with five adorable rabbit figurines, including one reading a book. We later learned that rabbits feature in an ancient Japanese legend involving a rabbit tricking sharks, getting skinned, and being rescued by a compassionate god. Japanese mythology certainly doesn’t lack imagination!

We also encountered some rather lifelike elderly figures sitting outside a building. Cindy joined them for a photograph. They looked about as tired as we felt, although they weren’t complaining about their feet.

At Temple 17, we ran into Josh, the young American pilgrim from Georgia whom we’d met yesterday. He’s attempting the entire 88-temple circuit, carrying camping equipment and planning to camp about a third of the way. We enjoyed catching up and wishing him well on the long journey ahead.

And that was it. Seventeen temples visited, four days of walking, and our first Shikoku pilgrimage adventure complete.

We made our way into Tokushima, where there was one more important mission: finding Cindy some padded cycling shorts for our upcoming bike ride. Success! We even had time for a little helmet modeling.

Dinner was burgers and beer. Both burgers were good, although they didn’t quite measure up to the wagyu burgers we’ve enjoyed elsewhere in Japan. After nearly 30 kilometers on foot, however, we weren’t inclined to complain.

Tomorrow we trade the peaceful pilgrimage trails for the thunderous excitement of the Niihama Taiko Festival, followed by cycling the Shimanami Kaidō.

Four memorable days. Beautiful scenery, fascinating traditions, friendly pilgrims, and extraordinary hospitality.

We came for the temples, but we’ll remember the people.Read more