I first heard about the Shikoku Pilgrimage from a friend I had met in Toronto, who took the time in a previous trip to Japan to complete the journey.
A little Google digging found this page which provides a good summary and an interesting insight into the history:
The pilgrimage known as Shikoku Henro or O-Shikoku san is the oldest and most famous in Japan. Circumambulating the island via the 88 Buddhist temples designated as Sacred Places of Shikoku is meant to follow the trail Kobo Daishi (Kukai) 弘法大師 (空海）walked in his youth for ascetic practice, searching for the Truth.
That is why the authentic pilgrims go on foot as the great saint did long ago. It takes about 60 days to hike the 1,647 km [1,000 miles], going deep into rugged mountains, plodding along sandy beaches, rocky coasts, through fields and hills, villages and towns. Indeed, it is a walking Zen.
The Shikoku Pilgrimage is nonsectarian, though Kukai was the founder of the Shikoku sect of Japanese Buddhism. Pilgrims seem to forget their Buddhist sects in worshiping Kobo Daishi who stands far beyond factionalism. Not all of the 88 temples are of the Shingon sect, either. It is impossible to discuss this pilgrimage without recounting the life of Kukai.
Don Weiss has written a book called "Echoes of Incense: A Pilgrimage in Japan" which recounts his experiences of the two times he has made the pilgrimage. Seeing as it was going out of print, he has made the entire book available online. Here's a snippet from Chapter 1:
Ryozenji is both the first and the last temple the pilgrim should visit on Shikoku, for the pilgrimage is a circle. You walk around the island, holding it in your mind as a great mandala, from the first temple to the last. Then you return, back here, to write your name in the book of completion.
My name appears twice in that book, on February 23 and May 5, 1993. In this book, I describe what I saw, felt and did in that time. As I walked, my mind tried to understand what my body saw, heard, smelled, tasted and touched. I invite you to do the same. Let your mind be in my body as I walked the pilgrim's path in winter and again in spring.
A journey I would like to make, one day.
Posted by sniffles at June 21, 2003 11:59 AM