Japan - Pilgrimage of Shikoku 2014 - Part 1 : Awakening
“Awakening” — on the Pilgrimage of Shikoku’s 88 Sacred Temples
The first stage of this pilgrimage is one of Awakening.
It is a moment of realization, an invitation to reflect on our actions, our life path, our dreams, our inner self, our values. A time for deep introspection. Here, a folio from Temple No. 2.
It is also the awakening of my senses, and the quiet reorganization of my inner self.
Between Temple 1 and Temple 23, I’m filled with a mix of emotions: joy, curiosity, peace, and well-being. Once again, I become aware of life’s simple beauties, of recent wounds and deeper scars. The process of introspection begins.
No one speaks, no one interrupts. I learn to see the beauty around me, to breathe in a profound calm. A sense of inner peace and quiet altruism gently begins to rise within me.
My Journey
In the first days, I set out on foot
with my photo backpack: two camera bodies, two lenses, a tripod, LEE
filters, a few changes of clothes, a small umbrella, the essential
pilgrim guidebook, and the traditional Henro attire — 18 kg in total.
Each day, I cover between 23 and 30 kilometers in cold weather. It’s snowing at the beginning of March 2014.
From Temple 1 to Temple 22, the
journey takes me through cities, agricultural plains, forests,
snow-covered hills, and finally, back to the Pacific coast.
It’s a full immersion — cultural, architectural, visual, olfactory, acoustic and gustatory... All my senses are awakening, on alert...
I discover different agricultural and fishing practices. Though I have little interaction with the locals, I feel their quiet kindness through small, generous gestures — offerings of food, roadside shelters, oranges, tea, home-cooked meals, and resting benches left for pilgrims.
As I continue, an inflammation in my shin slows me down. Upon reaching the seaside town of Hiwasa and Temple 23 (Yakuōji), after walking 200 kilometers, I make a decision: I buy a bicycle to continue the journey. There’s no way I’m stopping now — my mind won’t allow it.
Here begins the first part of this pilgrimage in images, from Temple 1 to Temple 23.
Enjoy your journey through these fragments of silence, nature, and awakening. See you soon for the third stage : "Asceticism".
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