NOKYOCHO FROM ALL 88 SHIKOKU TEMPLES
PILGRIMAGE RECORD
All 88 temples of Shikoku.
I made the pilgrimage to every single one.
The real goshuin from all 88 temples, and the completed nokyocho they fill. This is the proof that I saw the whole pilgrimage through to the end.
GOSHUINThe record of all 88 temple seals
These are the goshuin I received at each temple, one by one. Shikoku’s four prefectures are known as the four dojo of awakening, training, enlightenment, and nirvana. If you’re new to what this pilgrimage is really about, start with What Is the Shikoku Pilgrimage?
JOURNEYWhat it means to walk all 88 to the end
I made my pilgrimage to all 88 temples in 2016, and that year was a special one. It was a “Hinoe-saru” leap year, the kind that comes around only once every 60 years. In a leap year, taking the route in reverse (gyaku-uchi) is said to bring even greater blessing, and to mark the route’s Japan Heritage designation, each temple handed out a special commemorative sange (lotus-petal card). The temples were busier than in almost any other year. Finishing the whole circuit in a year like that meant a great deal to me.
The Shikoku pilgrimage takes days to complete even within a single prefecture. Many temples sit high in the mountains, and the weather always has its own say. At each one you chant at the main hall and the Daishi hall, follow the proper etiquette, and receive your goshuin. Then you do it all again, 88 times over.
I saw the whole route through to the end. Having all 88 goshuin together is, in itself, proof that I finished what I started. Completing every temple is called kechigan.
TRUSTWhy an actual record matters
Sadly, some pilgrimage-proxy services can’t really show whether they visited the temples at all. Some just mail-order the goshuin, or only cover a handful of the 88. With a service like that, the wishes you entrust never truly reach the temples. You can read how to tell the good from the bad in how to spot a trustworthy proxy service.
So before you hire anyone, the real thing to check is whether they can actually visit every temple and complete a genuine nokyocho. I went to all 88 myself and received every goshuin by hand. When you entrust someone with a daisan (proxy pilgrimage) for someone you love, I believe this is the strongest proof there is.
NOKYOCHOWhat a “real nokyocho” is
A nokyocho is something you can only receive after chanting, worshipping, and making the nokyo offering at each temple. Every brushed inscription and seal is done by hand, one at a time, and no two are ever alike.
It’s completely different, in both meaning and weight, from buying a goshuincho off the shelf yourself (here’s the difference between a nokyocho and a goshuincho). What Ohenro Gift delivers is a real nokyocho, received the proper way at each temple. It reaches the person you love as a record of the pilgrimage that lasts a lifetime.
FAQFrequently asked questions
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Are the goshuin shown here real?
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Is the nokyocho from a daisan request also “real”?
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Will I receive any blessing if I order?
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The goshuin here are from 2016. If I order, do I get this same nokyocho?
If you have any other questions, feel free to get in touch.