{"id":586,"date":"2026-04-27T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/?p=586"},"modified":"2026-04-27T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T13:00:00","slug":"daisan-shitsurei","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/daisan-shitsurei\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Proxy Pilgrimage Disrespectful? The 1,200-Year Tradition Behind Walking Ohenro on Someone’s Behalf"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Wondering<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
I’d like to ask someone to walk the Shikoku pilgrimage for my mother, but is that disrespectful to the Buddha or Kobo Daishi? Is proxy pilgrimage even accepted as a real pilgrimage? Will people see it as taking a shortcut? Do the merits truly reach the person I’m praying for? The guilt keeps growing, and I can’t take a single step forward.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Alex<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
I hear this concern almost every day. Short answer: proxy pilgrimage is not disrespectful<\/span>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Proxy pilgrimage (daisan, \u4ee3\u53c2) is a 1,200-year-old, fully recognized form of the Shikoku pilgrimage<\/span><\/strong>, going back to the age of Kobo Daishi himself.<\/p>\n

In the Edo period, proxy pilgrimage was a common practice across Japan \u2014 Ise Shrine visits, Fuji-ko mountain climbs, and more. Even today, the Shingon temples of Shikoku officially accept nokyo-cho (stamp books) completed through proxy pilgrimage<\/span>.<\/p>\n

So why do so many people still feel guilt about it? Because three common misconceptions<\/strong> cloud the picture.<\/p>\n

In this article, you’ll learn:<\/p>\n

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