The Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites are said to have been established in the mid-Edo period, and are located in central Kurashiki, around the Bikan Historical Area, Tsurugatayama, and Mukoyama.
If you have walked around JR Kurashiki Station or the Bikan Historical Area, you have probably seen them at least once.
They are part of the scenery we see every day without giving them much thought.
By learning about their meaning and history, and the feelings of those who hope to preserve them for future generations, why not rediscover the Kurashiki scenery that has been protected and passed down?
The information presented was current when this article was published in November 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What are the Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites?
You may not immediately know what someone means when they say “Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites.”
What if we look at it another way: what about the “Shikoku 88 Sacred Sites pilgrimage” or “Shikoku Pilgrimage”?
As pilgrimages such as the Shikoku Pilgrimage spread, visiting each sacred site was difficult because of the distance and financial costs.
As a result, smaller “replica pilgrimages” modeled on them began to be created in various places.
The “Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites” are one such replica pilgrimage.
Small shrines modeled on the temples visited on the Shikoku pilgrimage were built as pilgrimage sites, including in the “Bikan Historical Area” and “Achi Terrace Kurashiki.”
The pilgrimage site thought to be the oldest stone shrine is site number 3.
The stone pillar is engraved with “Established in the third month of the Year of the Sheep, Kansei 11, Higashimachi,” so it is thought that the sacred sites were established in the late 18th century (during the Kansei era).
Many pilgrimage sites have also been relocated or disappeared due to urban development and improvements.
However, thanks to the efforts of local residents and those who protect the sacred sites, restoration and reconstruction have been progressing in recent years.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, pilgrimages were held twice a year, in spring and autumn.
▼ The place where the author first learned about the Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites, about 15 years ago (in the 2000s).
It is near Jochikudo in the Bikan Historical Area.
I thought, “I’ll go on a pilgrimage someday,” but even after 15 years, I still hadn’t made the trip.
However, some wishes come true precisely because we did not force them.
I was fortunate to be able to visit the sites with the people who care for them, thanks to my connection with Murata Ryuzan, the head priest of Kanryuji Temple, who serves as an adviser to the Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites.
▼ Kanryuji Temple, located on Tsurugatayama. This is the temple where the pilgrimage begins and ends.
▼ A pilgrimage site on the grounds of “Achi Terrace Kurashiki,” which opened in October 2021.
It is the most stylish of the restored pilgrimage sites. Many of you may have seen it. It’s quite refined!
▼ The cover of a pamphlet produced by the Kurashiki Chuo Rotary Club, which I had obtained earlier.
An easy-to-understand resource featuring a map and photos of the pilgrimage sites.
It consists of an overall map and detailed maps divided into Areas A through E.
You can get the pamphlet from Ms. Senda at “Bizen-yaki Nagayama.”
I want to preserve and pass down the sacred sites
We will visit the Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites with five people who were introduced to me through Murata, the head priest of Kanryuji Temple.
I never imagined that I would complete the entire pilgrimage on foot.
We walked to every pilgrimage site together, with our guides showing us the way. In the end, we covered about 18,000 steps in about six hours.
After completing the pilgrimage, more than the blessings of Kobo Daishi and the sense of accomplishment, I felt the dedication of everyone who wants to protect the sacred sites, and spent a fulfilling day.
▼ Here are some of the many stories I heard from Mr. Kato, a guide for the Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites, starting with the one that made the strongest impression.
Mr. Kato was 80 years old (as of 2022).
After retiring from his company, he became interested in the Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites and local activities and history.
He says that if he tells someone something he has heard once, he can remember it.
I also learned a great deal from his wide-ranging knowledge, but it is a shame I cannot share it all here.
▼ After completing the pilgrimage, we heard about the Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites from the deputy head priest of Kanryuji Temple.
Until around the 1980s, about 40 years ago, the Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites were not maintained as they are today.
Some pilgrimage sites were cared for by local groups, while other shrines were overgrown, or their locations were not even known.
About 40 years ago, when the sites were not maintained as they are today, Kanryuji head priest Murata and Kotaro Uchida began searching for them. That was how it all started.
They researched old documents and interviewed local residents, finding the sites one by one.
Although they are called the Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites, today, including the inner sanctuary, 99 pilgrimage sites have been restored.
First, let's look for the pilgrimage sites
Use a map in a guidebook or similar to look for the pilgrimage sites!
▼ This is the “Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites Pilgrimage” guidebook I received on the day of the pilgrimage. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we gathered and made the pilgrimage twice a year, every March and November.
As with the pamphlet, you can get the guidebook from Ms. Senda at “Bizen-yaki Nagayama.”
▼ The guidebook clearly introduces the pilgrimage sites, organizing their numbers, temple names, principal images, mantras, and simple routes.
With the guidebook, you can see where the sites are and it seems easy to walk to them.
However, be careful. I realized after walking that it is very difficult to find all the pilgrimage sites using this map alone.
In particular, be careful not to go alone on mountain paths.
▼ At the pilgrimage sites, the first thing you notice is the red banner that says “Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites.”
The stone pillar on the right has the site number (No. 71), while the pillar on the left gives the name of the temple (Iyadaniji Temple).
The names inscribed on the stone wall to the left are those of the people who donated when the pilgrimage site was rebuilt.
What's inside the pilgrimage sites?
When you make a pilgrimage, why not take a look inside the sites as well?
The sites are not all the same, but here is a look inside a newer one.
▼ This is the No. 71 site we saw earlier. Inside, two statues are enshrined side by side: Kobo Daishi on the left and the principal image on the right (at site No. 71, the Thousand-Armed Kannon).
For reference, the principal image is the principal deity enshrined at each of the 88 sacred sites in Shikoku. The Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites also enshrine images corresponding to those at the Shikoku sites.
How to make a pilgrimage to the sacred sites
Here is the order of worship at each pilgrimage site. Repeat steps 1 through 6 at each site you visit.
Step 1. Gassho and bow (press your palms together and pay your respects)
Step 2. Kaikyoge (Opening Sutra): Recite once.
The supreme, profound, subtle Dharma
(mujojinjin mimyoho)
Rarely encountered in hundreds of millions of kalpas
(hyakusenmango nansogu)
Now I have seen and heard it, and received and retained it
(gakon kenmon tokujuji)
May I understand the true meaning of the Tathagata
(gange nyorai shinjitsugi)
Step 3. Heart Sutra: This may be omitted when time is limited. (When there are only a few people or there is enough time, we try to recite it.)
▼ The Heart Sutra is included in the guidebook, so you don’t need to have it memorized.
Step 4. Mantra: Recite it three times, according to the principal image enshrined at each site.
Tap to display
| Principal Image | Mantra | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Bhaisajyaguru | On korokoro sendari matougi sowaka | No. 74, Kosanji Temple, etc. |
| Thousand-Armed Kannon | On bazara taramakiriku | No. 71, Iyadani-ji Temple, etc. |
| Ksitigarbha | On kakakabisanmaei sowaka | No. 17, Idoji Temple, etc. |
| Amitabha | On amiritateisei karaun | No. 78, Goshoji Temple, etc. |
| Eleven-Headed Kannon | On maka kyaroni kya sowaka | No. 79, Koshoin Temple, etc. |
| Mahavairocana | On abiraunken bazaradatoban | No. 72, Mandara-ji Temple, etc. |
| Shakyamuni | Nomaku sanmanda bodanan baku | No. 73, Shusshakaji Temple, etc. |
| Holy Kannon | On arorikya sowaka | No. 83, Ichinomiyaji Temple, etc. |
| Akashagarbha | Nobou akashagyarabaya onarikamariborisowaka | No. 12, Shosanji Temple, etc. |
| Maitreya | On maitareiya sowaka | No. 14, Jorakuji Temple, etc. |
| Manjushri | On arah shanou | No. 31, Chikurinji Temple, etc. |
| Fudo Myoo | Nomaku samanda bazaradan sendamakaroshada sowataya untaratakanman | No. 36, Shoryuji Temple, etc. |
| Horse-Headed Kannon | On amiritu dohanba unpatta | No. 70, Motoyamaji Temple, etc. |
Step 5. Namu Daishi Henjo Kongo: Chant this three times. This means taking refuge in Kobo Daishi.
Step 6. Ekōmon (dedication of merit): Chant this once.
May this merit
Extend to all beings
May we and all sentient beings
Attain the Buddha Way together
It can be quite difficult until you get used to it.
Let’s visit Kosanji Temple through Yashimaji Temple (around Mt. Tsurugata)
▼Setting out from Kanryuji Temple. This is the first pilgrimage site (No. 74).
It is located southeast of Tsurugatayama Tunnel. At the time, I hadn’t expected to visit every pilgrimage site, so I set off wondering, “How far will I walk, and when will I finish?”
▼The deputy head priest of Kanryuji Temple explains the actual pilgrimage site (No. 74).
▼Along the Kurashiki Eighty-Eight Temple Pilgrimage, I was shown Gion-gu Shrine. Pilgrimage Site No. 71 is to its west.
Gion-gu Shrine is separate from the pilgrimage sites. It was built in 1800 (Bunsei 4) as the guardian deity of the neighborhood (formerly called Yuba) and rebuilt in 1992. We were also specially allowed to view the interior.
▼We return to Kanryuji Temple after visiting Pilgrimage Site No. 71, but winding through narrow alleys like this is one of the attractions.
I enjoy wandering through narrow backstreets, so this stirs my sense of adventure. Of course, it’s a route I’m walking for the first time.
▼The wooden Pilgrimage Site No. 75 is on the grounds of Kanryuji Temple. There is also Pilgrimage Site No. 17 on the temple grounds.
▼Goshoji Temple, Pilgrimage Site No. 78, is located north of Kanryuji Temple. It is neat and orderly, and you can feel that local residents cherish and care for it.
▼This is Doryuji Temple, Pilgrimage Site No. 77. It is just east of the north side of Tsurugatayama Tunnel. It was recently restored as a pilgrimage site that had been lost, so it is very clean.
I was told that many people helped restore the pilgrimage site, securing the land and preparing the stone structure, Kobo Daishi statue, principal image, and other features.
▼This is Koshoin Temple, Pilgrimage Site No. 79.
Here, 90-year-old Mr. Senda had ridden ahead on his bicycle and was waiting for us.
He said, “Unfortunately, my legs have gotten bad, so I can’t walk with you,” but I was moved to see him join us and pray. I found beauty in the sight of Mr. Senda praying.
Please also take note of the wall at this pilgrimage site. It has been restored with a concrete-block wall. You might not notice, but I was told that restoration methods differ from site to site depending on the era and the people doing the repairs.
The spirit of “It doesn’t have to be uniform” and “It’s fine for them to be different” is what Mr. Kato describes as their defining characteristic: “individuality.”
▼A Jizo statue facing north stands next to the west side of Pilgrimage Site No. 79.
Apparently, north-facing Jizo statues are considered rare throughout Japan.
▼This is Mandara-ji Temple, the 72nd temple on the pilgrimage.
The new pilgrimage site catches the eye, but what I especially want you to notice is the brand-new hedge on the right.
Mr. Kato takes care of it regularly.
▼Let’s head from Pilgrimage Site No. 73 toward Pilgrimage Site No. 13.
We climb a mountain path on the north-facing slope of Tsurugatayama. I was surprised to find a mountain path like this on Tsurugatayama, part of the pilgrimage route.
Before the pilgrimage, I had naively thought we would just walk through the town around Tsurugatayama. There isn’t much elevation change, but I’m a little out of breath.
Please also take note of the steps. Local residents have maintained them using wooden boards and rebar, so they are easier to walk on than an ordinary mountain path.
▼Pilgrimage Site No. 13, Ichinomiya, stands quietly in the mountains.
I never imagined there would be scenery like this in central Kurashiki. It’s too frightening to go alone.
▼We head from Pilgrimage Site No. 13 to Pilgrimage Site No. 51.
Signs for the “Kurashiki 88-site pilgrimage route” are also in place. We slowly descend along a relatively gentle, wide mountain path.
I didn’t even know there was such a well-established bamboo grove on Tsurugatayama.
▼This is Pilgrimage Site No. 51, Okunoin Sekisha-ji Temple.
Be sure to take note of the Kobo Daishi statue and the principal image, too. Being carved into a single rock is another expression of individuality.
▼Konzoji Temple, Pilgrimage Site No. 76, is a newly restored pilgrimage site.
▼No. 81 sacred site, Shiramineji Temple. Two stone statues stand side by side among the relatively few wooden sacred sites.
▼No. 83 sacred site, Ichinomiyaji Temple.
Here, Ms. Senda, whom we had met at sacred site No. 79, had gone ahead and prepared an omotenashi welcome.
A cloth bag hand-sewn by 90-year-old Ms. Senda was filled with various sweets. Such thoughtfulness is truly heartwarming.
We were told that omotenashi is also offered during the spring and autumn pilgrimages each year.
▼No. 82 sacred site, Negoroji Temple.
It is near Jochikudo, which sells masking tape. You might think, “I know that!” or “Oh, I’ve seen it before!”
At this sacred site, I’d also like you to look at the surrounding rock face shown in the photo. It is said to be a remnant of when waves once washed against Mt. Tsurugata, when it was an island before land reclamation in the Edo period.
▼No. 32 sacred site, Mineji Temple.
It is partway up the stairs beside sacred site No. 82. You can also see sacred site No. 84 a little farther up.
▼No. 84 sacred site, Yashimaji Temple.
It is located right beside a house set a little back from the road.
▼This No. 84 sacred site is the last one around Mt. Tsurugata. From here, we head toward Mukoyama.
If the timing is right, why not enjoy a walk while taking in the cherry blossoms east of Kurashiki Ivy Square?
From the Writer
I have introduced some trivia about the pilgrimage, including the existence of the Kurashiki Eighty-Eight Sacred Sites Pilgrimage in Kurashiki City’s central urban area, and how people who protect the sites, centered around Kanryuji Temple, have kept the tradition alive.
I hope this article will help you learn a little about and become interested in the custom of the sacred sites pilgrimage, which has continued since the middle of the Edo period.
However, although I joined casually, some parts of the route include steep, unmaintained mountain paths, and there is a real possibility of getting lost.
So even if you are interested, don’t just set off casually with a map; first, try joining one of the pilgrimages held twice a year (in March and November). I plan to join as well.
Next time, we’ll head south from Mukoyama to the area near Kurashiki City Office, then go north. We’ll introduce the route via the area in front of JR Kurashiki Station to the finish at Kanryuji Temple.
The beautiful scenery I experienced, and the slopes that were steeper than I imagined.
We’ll share the charms of Kurashiki that you don’t usually see, focusing on stories from everyone who walked together!
Kurashiki Eighty-Eight Sacred Sites Pilgrimage Information
| Name | Kurashiki Eighty-Eight Sacred Sites Pilgrimage |
|---|---|
| Held | Every year, March and November; gather at 8:30 a.m. and depart |
| Location | Kurashiki Eighty-Eight Sacred Sites Pilgrimage Association Advisor, Kanryuji Temple |
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One of the best things about the Kurashiki 88 Sacred Sites is that each has its own character.
The way each site is made. The materials. Even the carvings of Kobo Daishi and the principal image are different. No two are alike.
Don’t you think this also resonates with a society that respects individuality?