IMAGES: ALAMY; KANSAI TOURISM BUREAU; SHIRAHIGE SHRINE/ BIWAKO VISITORS BUREAU TOKUSHIMA PREFECTURE


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PAID CONTENT FOR KANSAI TOURI SM BUREAU


Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest lake — and a worthy place for visitors to immerse themselves in the country’s spiritual life. Watching over this shimmering body of water is the holy peak of Mount Hiei, measuring 848m. Mount Hiei is known as the ‘mother mountain of Japanese Buddhism’ as many high-ranking monks have trained here. Monks still visit Mount Hiei to take part in a gruelling 1,000-day pilgrimage where they repeatedly walk around the same route, known as kaihogyo (circling the mountain). Perhaps most peaceful of all is Shirahige Shrine on Lake Biwa’s western shore. Here, visitors can kayak up to a vermilion-coloured Torii gate — a structure symbolising a threshold between the material and divine worlds.


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S H I G A P RE F E C TU RE KAYAK TO A TORII GATE


The Shikoku Pilgrimage measures some 745 miles, passes by 88 temples, takes roughly six weeks or more to complete and welcomes 100,000 participants annually. At the same time, it has a magic that cannot be expressed in numbers. Outsiders can join this legendary circular pilgrimage route that traces the coast of the island of Shikoku, passing a rich mosaic of landscapes, from noisy cities to serene forests. The route follows in the footsteps of Kobo Daishi, the 8th-century monk who spent time here. The defining sight of Shikoku is that of the henro — pilgrims adorned in the traditional attire, featuring a straw hat, white garments symbolising purity, and a kongozue staff to use as a walking stick representing the companionship of Kobo Daishi.


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T O K U S H IM A P RE F E C TU RE JOIN A HISTORIC PILGRIMAGE


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