Just kidding! Because this site is new, I haven't gotten any questions. However, I imagine these would be common questions asked if I were to be interviewed (although, fun fact: I actually was interviewed!). It might give you insight into my experiences in a nutshell.
Why did you do the Shikoku Pilgrimage?
I first learned about the pilgrimage in an elective university course about religion in Japan. I'm not entirely sure why but the idea of walking around an island and visiting these temples was appealing to me, and it stuck with me even after I finished that course. However, I had extremely little experience traveling before I graduated from university, so I spent several years doing short trips to Europe, Asia, and South America. Despite experiencing all sorts of places, the Shikoku Pilgrimage was still in the back of my mind, nagging at me to do it. Still, the logistics surrounding its completion were daunting. How would I get the time off of work? How much money did I need to save up? What sort of equipment did I need to buy?
Finally, in 2013, I made my first trip to Japan along with my sister and her husband, not to do the pilgrimage but just regular tourist stuff. Even so, I put Matsuyama, Kochi, and Takamatsu (three major cities in Shikoku) in my itinerary and even visited Ishiteji (Temple #51) and Chikurinji (Temple #31). I loved everything that I saw and experienced there, including the two temples I did manage to visit. Once I returned home, I felt Shikoku's - and the Pilgrimage's - pull. I knew I had to do the pilgrimage and my goal was to do it before I was 30. I started doing research, reading past henro blogs, and saving money. In late 2016, I made my official request for a leave of absence from work to do it, and to my delight, it was approved...and the rest is history!
Finally, in 2013, I made my first trip to Japan along with my sister and her husband, not to do the pilgrimage but just regular tourist stuff. Even so, I put Matsuyama, Kochi, and Takamatsu (three major cities in Shikoku) in my itinerary and even visited Ishiteji (Temple #51) and Chikurinji (Temple #31). I loved everything that I saw and experienced there, including the two temples I did manage to visit. Once I returned home, I felt Shikoku's - and the Pilgrimage's - pull. I knew I had to do the pilgrimage and my goal was to do it before I was 30. I started doing research, reading past henro blogs, and saving money. In late 2016, I made my official request for a leave of absence from work to do it, and to my delight, it was approved...and the rest is history!
How did you prepare for the Shikoku Pilgrimage?
Honestly, besides doing a ton of research, I hardly prepared at all! Aaaaand that's why this blog is called "Couch to Henro" - I'm a couch potato. I didn't go to the gym. I wasn't an outdoors person. I didn't run marathons. However, being a nurse, I was well used to being on my feet all day and thought that would be enough. I ended up being wrong. Sure, I was used to walking all day, but that was on flat, smooth floors and without a backpack on my back. I also made the mistake of planning my pilgrimage in spring. Winter where I live is incredibly cold and snowy, so it does not lend itself to walking outdoors for lengthy periods of time. Looking back, I should have done the pilgrimage in autumn, because at least I could have done some hiking during the summer as practice. Where I live, there are no mountains to train on, either, so I was very unprepared for the steep mountain roads/trails. Lesson learned.
Do you speak Japanese?
The short answer is...extremely little.
The long answer is...I know "Survival Japanese." That is, I'm not even close to conversational but I know basic words and phrases, juuuust enough to slide by. I knew enough to make a basic reservation at a minshuku or hotel over the phone as long as they spoke slowly and clearly and kept to the standard questions (like asking for my name or phone number). As soon as we veered into specific instructions or a conversation, I would be lost. Or if the person I was talking to spoke very fast or with a thick dialect, it was virtually impossible for me to make anything out.
The long answer is...I know "Survival Japanese." That is, I'm not even close to conversational but I know basic words and phrases, juuuust enough to slide by. I knew enough to make a basic reservation at a minshuku or hotel over the phone as long as they spoke slowly and clearly and kept to the standard questions (like asking for my name or phone number). As soon as we veered into specific instructions or a conversation, I would be lost. Or if the person I was talking to spoke very fast or with a thick dialect, it was virtually impossible for me to make anything out.
What was the best part of the pilgrimage? What was the worst?
By far, it was the people I met, from the locals, to the temple staff, to other henro. Everyone was so warm, kind, helpful, and supportive. If it wasn't for people's kindness towards me, I would not have finished the pilgrimage. This was despite language barriers and cultural differences. I will never forget the father and daughter duo who made me laugh when I was feeling depressed and lonely. I will never forget the man who literally waited for me to finish ascending a long flight of stairs in order to point out the henro route to me so I wouldn't get lost. I will never forget the monk who gave me little origami girls in kimono as osettai during another period when I was feeling like quitting, and then insisted I take another to take home to my mom.
The worst was definitely the pain. The pain of my inflamed knees. The pain of my twisted ankle. At one point, I could hardly walk. I thought for sure these injuries meant I wouldn't be able to finish, but thankfully, with lots of rest and ibuprofen and with the help of my kongozue, I managed. Second worst was probably the loneliness at times. The vast majority of henro are elderly Japanese, so English along the Shikoku Pilgrimage is sparse at best. Because my Japanese is not nearly conversational level, it was difficult to connect to anyone who didn't have a decent command of English, and I would sometimes go for days without meaningfully talking to anyone.
The worst was definitely the pain. The pain of my inflamed knees. The pain of my twisted ankle. At one point, I could hardly walk. I thought for sure these injuries meant I wouldn't be able to finish, but thankfully, with lots of rest and ibuprofen and with the help of my kongozue, I managed. Second worst was probably the loneliness at times. The vast majority of henro are elderly Japanese, so English along the Shikoku Pilgrimage is sparse at best. Because my Japanese is not nearly conversational level, it was difficult to connect to anyone who didn't have a decent command of English, and I would sometimes go for days without meaningfully talking to anyone.
What equipment did you bring?
My backpack was a 36L Osprey Stratos. I did not bring any camping equipment because I was afraid of the extra weight on my back. I've had previous back injuries due to my job, and unfortunately, if I hurt my back, I can't work, and if I can't work, I don't get paid. As a result, I knew I had to pack light and would have to suck up the costs of paying for lodging every night in order to save my back. Other than that, I mostly brought along clothes, personal products (i.e. soap, toothbrush), medications, band-aids, etc.
For a full packing list, click here.
For a full packing list, click here.
Why didn't you use free/cheap lodging?
I considered it, I really did. However, most places only provide shelter with only a few providing bedding and/or blankets. Some huts didn't even provide much shelter and would have required a tent for better protection from the elements. Without knowing which places provided bedding and which places did not, I decided to stick to paid lodging because I knew for sure I'd have a bed/futon.
I did consider buying a little tent and a sleeping bag, but ultimately decided against it. I work as a nurse and have strained my back multiple times with a possible slipped disc. As a result, I often have back pain just from daily activities. I did not want to risk injuring my back by carrying more weight than I needed. If I hurt my back, I can't work, and if I can't work, then I don't get money, and I have rent and bills to pay. It was a hard choice, but ultimately, my physical health was more important and I decided to lessen my backpack weight and pay more money for lodging.
I did consider buying a little tent and a sleeping bag, but ultimately decided against it. I work as a nurse and have strained my back multiple times with a possible slipped disc. As a result, I often have back pain just from daily activities. I did not want to risk injuring my back by carrying more weight than I needed. If I hurt my back, I can't work, and if I can't work, then I don't get money, and I have rent and bills to pay. It was a hard choice, but ultimately, my physical health was more important and I decided to lessen my backpack weight and pay more money for lodging.
What did it cost you?
To be quite honest, I never tracked my expenses, probably because I don't really want to know! Because I paid for lodging every night, I racked up quite a few expenses in addition to all the other stuff I needed to buy, like food. What also complicates my calculations is that I bought quite a number of souvenirs, especially on my rest days in Kyoto, and some souvenirs were not cheap because I had special interest in them. However, if I were to estimate how much I spent on just the pilgrimage (so, total expenses minus souvenirs), it's probably around $8,000-10,000 (Canadian dollars), including flights from Toronto.