A recent Mastercard Trends Report shows people hike trails for wellness, nature, digital detox and cultural immersion, offsetting the stress that builds up over time from daily life, notes the Japan National Tourism Organization.
The NTO therefore recommends several options including the Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage, which it says around 150,000 people undertake each year.
The circular 1400km route connects 88 Buddhist temples around the island of Shikoku and takes 30-60 days on foot. However, it can also be broken down into stages or combined with transport.
Participants can follow a centuries-old sequence of rituals focused on gratitude and reflection.
They include ritual purification of the body and mind, ringing temple bells, lighting candles and incense, prayer, and receiving a stamp in their nokyocho, which is a spiritual record of the entire journey.
The JNTO says one of the most moving elements of the trip is the strong connection to nature as the walk passes through extraordinarily beautiful mountains, forests, coastal roads and rural villages providing many opportunities for quiet reflection.
Highlights include the Iya Valley with its steep forested gorges, the Kazurabashi traditional suspension bridge, Shimanto River, and Mt Ishizuchi, the highest mountain in western Japan and one of the country’s most sacred peaks.
Many of the accommodation options along the way—traditional inns, temple lodgings and guesthouses— have hot springs (onsen) to soothe weary hikers.
See more details on Japan’s pilgrimage options HERE and the Mastercard Trends Report HERE.
