Shikoku 88 Temples by Motorcycle: 1,200 km of Buddhism

The Shikoku Henro is one of the world’s oldest continuously walked pilgrimage routes. Founded in the early ninth century by the monk Kūkai, later posthumously titled Kōbō Daishi, the 88-temple circuit around Japan’s fourth-largest island has been walked by pilgrims for roughly 1,200 years. The traditional foot pilgrimage takes 40 to 45 days. The bus-tour version takes 10 days. The motorcycle version takes 9 to 12 days. Of the 150,000 pilgrims who complete the circuit each year in 2026, only 1 to 2 percent now walk the entire route. The vast majority use buses, cars, bicycles, or motorcycles, with the motorcycle option occupying a particular niche — fast enough to do the whole route in a foreign visitor’s holiday window, slow enough to engage with the temples and the Henro etiquette properly, and emotionally honest about the fact that you are doing a foot pilgrimage in a way that the original 9th-century monks did not foresee.

Who Kūkai was and why all 88 temples claim him

Kūkai was born in 774 CE in what is now Zentsuji City, Kagawa prefecture — on Shikoku itself. He travelled to Tang-dynasty China in 804 on a Japanese embassy ship, studied esoteric Buddhism in the capital Chang’an for two years, and returned to Japan in 806 to found the Shingon school of Buddhism. Shingon is the Japanese branch of the Vajrayana esoteric tradition that also includes Tibetan Buddhism. Kūkai established the headquarters of Shingon at Mount Kōya in modern-day Wakayama prefecture, where the school still operates as one of the major Buddhist denominations in Japan with around 12 million adherents.

The 88 temples of the Shikoku circuit all claim association with Kūkai — either he founded them, trained at them, or performed a notable act at them during his lifetime. The historical truth is that some of the connections are documented and others are later attributions, but the cultural truth is that the entire circuit operates as a unified pilgrimage in the spirit of his teaching. The number 88 itself carries symbolic weight in Japanese Buddhism. The character for the number 88 can be visually decomposed into the characters for “rice” and “mountain,” giving the pilgrimage an additional poetic association with the agricultural land and the sacred peaks of Shikoku.

The historical pattern of the pilgrimage spread slowly through the medieval Japanese period and became a mass phenomenon during the Edo era (1603-1867), when settled peace and improving roads made long-distance religious travel feasible for ordinary people. National Geographic’s 2023 feature on the Henro estimates that the pilgrimage carries the longest continuous tradition of any extant Buddhist circuit in East Asia, having outlasted both the Tang-dynasty Chinese pilgrimage routes (which Buddhist persecution eliminated in the 9th century) and the historic Indian Buddhist circuits (which Islamic conquest disrupted from the 12th century onward). For a foreign motorcycle rider, joining this tradition for nine to twelve days is participation in something genuinely old.

Tomohiko, a Tokyo-based corporate lawyer on a 2024 BBT-organised Shikoku Henro motorcycle ride who himself converted to Shingon Buddhism in his thirties, said the moment that stayed with him longest was arriving at Temple 88 (Ōkubo-ji) on day eleven and understanding, finally, that the temple meant something to his grandparents that he had not understood until he had ridden the route. The Henro carries personal weight for Japanese pilgrims and acquires equivalent weight for foreign ones who do it properly. Doing it as a pure tourism exercise misses the point.

The four prefectures, the four spiritual phases

Shikoku is divided into four prefectures: Tokushima in the east, Kōchi in the south, Ehime in the west, and Kagawa in the north. The 88 temples are distributed unevenly across the four, and the traditional pilgrimage assigns each prefecture a phase of spiritual progress. Tokushima (temples 1 through 23) is the Dōjō of resolution, where the pilgrim makes the commitment to undertake the journey. Kōchi (temples 24 through 39) is the Dōjō of discipline, the ascetic training phase, where the route is longest and the temples furthest apart. Ehime (temples 40 through 65) is the Dōjō of enlightenment, where the lessons of the previous phases consolidate. Kagawa (temples 66 through 88) is the Dōjō of nirvana, where the pilgrim returns to Kūkai’s birthplace and closes the circle.

The geography of the four phases produces four genuinely different riding characters. Tokushima is densely temple-packed and the riding distances are short, with rural roads through agricultural valleys and small mountain passes. The first 23 temples can be done in two riding days at motorcycle pace. Kōchi is the long open phase: the south Pacific coast of Shikoku is the wilder side of the island, with surf-pounded headlands and longer temple-to-temple distances. The Kōchi section often takes three to four days. Ehime turns inland again and adds elevation: several of the temples sit in mountain valleys at 400 to 800 metres. Kagawa is the gentlest of the four, with smaller distances between temples and the gradual return to the starting point near Tokushima.

For motorcycle riders the phase structure matters because the temple-stamp ritual is the same at each temple, but the spacing between temples affects the pace. In Tokushima you can visit five or six temples per day. In Kōchi the daily count drops to two or three because the riding distance dominates. This pace variation is part of the experience, and rushing it (visiting seven temples a day on long days) defeats the meditative dimension that the pilgrimage was designed to produce.

The motorcycle pace, by the actual numbers

The motorcycle Henro at a comfortable pace fits in 9 to 12 days. Total distance is around 1,200 to 1,300 kilometres including the temple access roads. Daily averages run from 100 to 150 kilometres of actual riding, plus six to eight hours of temple visits at 30 to 60 minutes each. The compressed version (9 days) requires longer riding days and shorter temple visits. The extended version (12 days) allows for proper meditation time at the larger temples and the optional bekkaku (auxiliary) temples that some pilgrims include.

The standard clockwise direction starts at Temple 1, Ryōzen-ji in Naruto, Tokushima prefecture, accessible from Tokushima city in about 30 minutes by motorcycle. The historical justification for clockwise is rooted in Shingon ritual geometry: the route mirrors the directional flow of the dharma. Counter-clockwise (gyaku-uchi) is also done by some pilgrims and is believed to grant additional merit because of the increased difficulty of completing the circuit against the standard flow. For a first-time foreign rider, clockwise is the right choice. The signage assumes clockwise direction. The pilgrim accommodations are organised around clockwise sequence. The Osettai (local offering) tradition responds more readily to clockwise pilgrims because the locals recognise them as following the standard direction.

Marie-Hélène, a Geneva-based art historian who rode a Honda CB500X for her 2024 Henro pilgrimage, structured her trip as 11 days with two rest days in Kōchi and Ehime. She averaged seven temples per day on the dense days and three on the long-distance days. Her stamp book (nōkyōchō) is now framed on her office wall. Her conclusion: the 11-day pace was right, the 9-day compressed version would have felt rushed, and the full 40-day walking version would have required more time off work than she had available.

Henro etiquette, the part most foreign riders don’t know

The pilgrim costume is the visible signal that you are doing the Henro properly. The white hakui (cotton vest, around 2,000 to 4,000 JPY) is the minimum dress. The conical sugegasa (sedge hat, around 3,500 JPY) is the second piece. The kongōzue (walking stick) is symbolic — it represents Kūkai walking with you — and is genuinely useful for foot pilgrims, less practical for motorcycle riders. Many motorcycle pilgrims still carry one strapped to the bike as a gesture of respect. The complete costume set, including a wagesa (small ceremonial collar) and a juzu (string of prayer beads), runs around 10,000 to 15,000 JPY purchased at Temple 1 on day one. The shop at Ryōzen-ji is the standard outfitter for foreign Henro pilgrims and the staff speak English.

The ritual at each temple has a defined sequence. Arrival: bow at the temple gate (sanmon). Wash hands and rinse mouth at the water pavilion (chōzuya). Ring the bell once. Approach the main hall (hondō), light a candle, light three incense sticks, drop a small coin (5 JPY is traditional) into the offering box. Recite the Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyō) or read it from the Henro guidebook in Japanese phonetic transliteration. Bow. Move to the Daishi hall (Daishi-dō), where Kūkai is enshrined, and repeat the candle-incense-sutra sequence. After both halls, walk to the temple office (nōkyō-jō) and present your nōkyōchō stamp book for the calligraphic stamp and red ink seal. Cost is 300 JPY per temple for the stamp, which adds up to around 26,400 JPY for the full circuit. Place a printed osamefuda (small slip with your name, address, and prayer intention) in the receptacle at the hondō. Bow at the gate as you leave.

The ritual takes 20 to 30 minutes per temple done properly, 10 to 15 minutes done quickly. Skipping the ritual makes the visit a museum stop rather than a pilgrim stop, and the temple staff notice the difference. The Heart Sutra recitation is the part foreign visitors most often skip; the phonetic transliteration in the standard guidebook makes it pronounceable in five minutes of practice. Stefan, a Munich-based commercial photographer on a 2025 Henro tour, learned the sutra phonetically before the trip and recited it at all 88 temples. The temple staff at Temple 71 (Iyadani-ji) invited him to tea afterward because the effort had been noticed. The Henro responds to sincerity in proportion to the sincerity offered.

The Osettai tradition that catches foreigners off guard

Osettai (お接待) is the practice by which local Shikoku residents offer food, drink, accommodation, or small gifts to passing Henro pilgrims. The tradition is rooted in the belief that Kōbō Daishi himself walks alongside every pilgrim, and that hosting a pilgrim is therefore equivalent to hosting Kōbō Daishi. The practical effect is that Shikoku villagers will stop you on the road, offer you a rice ball, a bottle of cold tea, a piece of fruit, or sometimes a 500 JPY note pressed into your hand. The pilgrim cannot refuse Osettai — refusal is considered a refusal of Kōbō Daishi’s blessing. The correct response is to accept gracefully, offer the giver one of your osamefuda slips in return, and continue.

For motorcycle pilgrims, Osettai still happens, though less often than for foot pilgrims because the rider passes the village too quickly for the local to flag them down. The encounters that do happen tend to be at temple gates or at small restaurants where the rider has stopped for lunch. The owner of a noodle shop in rural Kōchi will refuse your payment when they see your hakui vest. The right move is to thank them, offer an osamefuda, and remember the gesture. Pierre, a Strasbourg-based commercial pilot on a 2024 motorcycle Henro, was given three rice balls, a packet of biscuits, two bottles of cold barley tea, and a 1,000 JPY note over his 11 days. He recorded each encounter in a small notebook and the names of each giver, and posted the receipts back from home with a thank-you card translated into Japanese. The cultural exchange runs both directions.

The other variant of Osettai is the temple-side accommodation called shukubō, the pilgrim lodging operated by some of the major temples. Shukubō nights cost 6,000 to 9,000 JPY including dinner and breakfast, and the dinner is shōjin ryōri (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) served in the temple dining hall. Foreign pilgrims should book ahead in cherry-blossom season (early April) and autumn-foliage season (November) when shukubō capacity fills. Outside those windows, walk-up availability is usually fine.

Logistics: bike, accommodation, the practical pieces

The motorcycle rental for the Henro is most easily arranged in Takamatsu, Tokushima, or Matsuyama — the three Shikoku-side cities with international airports or ferry connections. Honda CB500X, NC750X, and Africa Twin units are all available from the Rental819 and Rental2 networks. Daily rates run 10,000 to 16,000 JPY for a 650cc to 800cc bike, less for 250cc and 400cc options. For the Henro specifically, a 500 to 750cc bike is the right size: powerful enough for the mountain temple approaches, light enough to manoeuvre on the narrow temple-access roads, and comfortable enough for the long stretches in Kōchi prefecture.

Accommodation outside the shukubō network is the minshuku (family-run guest house, 7,000 to 12,000 JPY) and the small business hotel (Toyoko Inn, APA Hotel, 8,000 to 12,000 JPY) in the larger towns. Pilgrim-friendly accommodation along the route advertises with a Henro symbol at the entrance, and the operators are accustomed to receiving pilgrims with stamp books and white vests. Booking ahead during cherry-blossom and autumn-foliage seasons is mandatory; outside those windows, walk-up availability covers most days.

Fuel is widely available across Shikoku. The island has fewer remote stretches than Hokkaido, and the standard petrol stations are open from 7 AM to 8 PM in even small towns. The exception is some of the steep mountain temple access roads where the nearest petrol station may be 20 to 30 kilometres back at the foot of the mountain. Plan fuel stops before climbing to Temple 12 (Shōzan-ji), Temple 60 (Yokomine-ji), or Temple 66 (Unpen-ji) — three of the harder mountain temples to reach.

The mountain temples that test the riding

Around 15 of the 88 temples sit on mountain peaks or steep ridges that test the rider’s bike-handling more than the casual flat-temple stops. Temple 12, Shōzan-ji on Mount Shōzan, is the first hard one in Tokushima — a 400-metre climb on a narrow road with hairpins so tight that a Honda Africa Twin scrapes the centre stand. Temple 21, Tairyū-ji, has a cable car alternative for foot pilgrims and a still-steep motorcycle access road that climbs to 600 metres. Temple 60, Yokomine-ji in Ehime, sits at 750 metres on a road notorious for foreign pilgrim accidents; the gradient and the off-camber sections require sustained concentration.

For most foreign riders, these mountain temples are the highlight of the riding experience rather than the obstacle. The combination of climbing 400 to 700 metres up a narrow forest road, arriving at a centuries-old wooden temple complex perched on a ridge, completing the bell-incense-sutra ritual, and descending again, is the closest the Henro comes to traditional alpine motorcycling. The reward is the temple views back across the Shikoku interior, which for the highest temples extend to the Seto Inland Sea on clear days. Magdalena, a Kraków-based microbiologist on a 2024 Henro, said Temple 60 Yokomine-ji was the moment the trip stopped being a tourist exercise and started being a pilgrimage. She had ridden 70 temples by that point. The view from the temple, plus the sutra recitation in light rain, locked the experience together.

When to do this

The Henro is rideable year-round, but two windows dominate. Cherry blossom (sakura) season, late March through mid-April, attracts the highest pilgrim numbers and creates accommodation pressure. The temples themselves are at their most photogenic with the cherry blossoms framing the wooden architecture. Autumn foliage (kōyō) season, late October through late November, is the equally popular alternative, with the maple and ginkgo trees on the temple grounds turning red and yellow. The weather is cooler in autumn and the rain risk is moderate. December through February is feasible — most temples remain open and the lowland riding is fine — but the higher mountain temples can have icy access roads on cold mornings.

July and August are the months to avoid. Shikoku’s summer is hot and humid, with daytime temperatures often hitting 35 to 38 Celsius. Wearing the white pilgrim hakui over riding gear in those conditions is uncomfortable to the point of dangerous, and the cumulative dehydration risk over multiple consecutive days is real. The early summer rainy season (tsuyu) in June adds 10 to 15 days of rain to an already humid period. Most experienced motorcycle pilgrims choose either the April sakura window or the late October to mid-November maple window, in roughly equal proportion. Hiroshi, a Yokohama-based industrial designer on a 2024 motorcycle Henro in early November, said the autumn maple foliage at Temple 75 (Zentsu-ji, Kūkai’s birthplace) was the photograph that he printed and hung in his living room. The window matters.

What Henro gear and what to leave home

Two layers of equipment matter for a motorcycle Henro: the riding gear and the pilgrim gear. The riding gear is the standard kit for Japanese summer or autumn: mesh jacket with optional rain liner, mid-weight protective trousers, summer gloves, lightweight boots, full-face helmet with clear visor for the temple-access roads and a tinted shield for the long highway stretches. Foreign riders should bring their own helmet because the rental fit is variable. The pilgrim gear is the hakui vest, the sugegasa hat, the wagesa collar, the juzu beads, the nōkyōchō stamp book, and optionally the kongōzue staff. All can be purchased at Temple 1 (Ryōzen-ji) on the morning of day one for around 12,000 to 18,000 JPY total. The shop is signposted in English, the staff are accustomed to outfitting foreign pilgrims, and the half-hour spent purchasing the kit is part of the ritual entry into the pilgrimage.

What to leave behind: heavy camera gear, multiple lens kits, drone equipment, and anything that produces noise. The Henro is contemplative, the temples are working religious sites, and the pilgrim etiquette discourages photography of monks, of other pilgrims without permission, and of certain inner sanctum statues. A small mirrorless camera with a single 35mm-equivalent lens is the right photography tool. Charlotte, a Bordeaux-based art teacher on a 2024 Henro who arrived with a full SLR kit and a 70-200mm zoom, abandoned the long lens after Temple 5 and shot the rest of the trip on her phone. Her photographs were no worse for the simplification.

The stamp book deserves specific care. The nōkyōchō is a folding accordion book where each temple applies a unique calligraphic stamp and red seal. After 88 temples it becomes a substantial folded document that fits in a tank bag. Pilgrims who complete the circuit traditionally pay one final visit to Mount Kōya, Kūkai’s headquarters on the mainland in Wakayama, to present the completed stamp book at his mausoleum. This optional 89th stage adds two days to the trip and a ferry crossing from Tokushima. Many motorcycle pilgrims include it. Those who do report it as the natural emotional close of the pilgrimage.

Ride the oldest continuously walked pilgrimage in Asia

The Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage on a motorcycle is one of the most satisfying multi-day rides in Japan, and one of the few in the world that combines genuine physical riding with genuine cultural depth. The pilgrim costume, the temple ritual, the Osettai tradition, the mountain temple ascents, and the four-prefecture rhythm together produce an experience that the standard ten-day Japan motorcycle tour does not approach. Big Bike Tours offers custom Japan motorcycle tour itineraries including dedicated Shikoku Henro pilgrimage routes for clients with 10 to 14 days available, with bike rental, accommodation, and Henro etiquette briefing handled through our Japanese partner operators. Get in touch via our contact page and let us know whether you’re aiming for cherry blossom or autumn maple. The window matters as much as the route.