{"id":656,"date":"2026-05-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/?p=656"},"modified":"2026-05-16T23:04:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T03:04:14","slug":"oya-ikenai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/","title":{"rendered":"Can&#8217;t Take Your Aging Parent to Shikoku? Three Real Options When the Trip Isn&#8217;t Possible Anymore"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- Intro --><\/p>\n<div class=\"balloon\">\n<figure class=\"balloon__img balloon__img-right\">\n<div><\/div><figcaption class=\"balloon__name\">Reader<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"balloon__text balloon__text-left\">Mom&#8217;s been saying for years she wants to walk the Shikoku pilgrimage. But she&#8217;s almost 80 now, my job&#8217;s a mess, the kids need me \u2014 there&#8217;s no realistic way I&#8217;m getting her out to Shikoku. <span class=\"marker--yellow\">If I keep letting this slide, I know I&#8217;ll regret it.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;My parent always wanted to walk the Shikoku pilgrimage.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s a sentence I hear more than any other from readers of this site. And almost always with the same follow-up \u2014 <em>&#8220;\u2026but I can&#8217;t actually take them.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The moment you try to turn the wish into a plan, the walls stack up fast. Your parent&#8217;s stamina. Your own work calendar. The distance between home and Shikoku. The fact that nobody in the family has six spare weeks. Any one of those is manageable; all four hitting at once is what stops you cold.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"marker--yellow\">The &#8220;someday we&#8217;ll take them&#8221; window is shrinking faster than anyone warns you about<\/span>. That&#8217;s who this article is for.<\/p>\n<div class=\"title-box\">\n<div class=\"box-title\">What you&#8217;ll take away from this article<\/div>\n<div class=\"box-content\">\n<ul>\n<li>The four real walls that make taking an elderly parent on ohenro nearly impossible<\/li>\n<li>Three legitimate options \u2014 section-by-section walking, supported bus tours, and daisan (proxy pilgrimage)<\/li>\n<li>How to pick between them based on your parent&#8217;s stamina, distance, and what they actually want<\/li>\n<li>How to think about the guilt of &#8220;I couldn&#8217;t take them&#8221; without getting stuck in it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"balloon\">\n<figure class=\"balloon__img balloon__img-left\">\n<div><\/div><figcaption class=\"balloon__name\">Alex<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"balloon__text balloon__text-right\">Hey, I&#8217;m <strong>Alex<\/strong>, the English voice of Ohenro Gift Service. I&#8217;ve spent real time in Shikoku and talked with a lot of pilgrim families \u2014 the daughters pushing their mom&#8217;s wheelchair up a temple ramp, the son who showed up holding his late father&#8217;s stamp book. <span class=\"marker--yellow\">&#8220;Not taking them&#8221; and &#8220;not honoring the wish&#8221; aren&#8217;t the same thing<\/span>, and I&#8217;ll show you why.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- H2-1 --><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">TAP TO JUMP TO A SECTION<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_1\" >Why &#8220;I Can&#8217;t Take Them&#8221; Isn&#8217;t You Making Excuses \u2014 It&#8217;s Four Walls Stacking Up<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_2\" >Stamina, Work, Distance, Time \u2014 Each Wall Is Real on Its Own<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_3\" >The Moment &#8220;Someday&#8221; Stops Being a Real Plan<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_4\" >You Still Have Three Real Options \u2014 Even When Taking Them Yourself Is Off the Table<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_5\" >Option 1: Section-by-Section Walking Together (Kugiri-Uchi)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_6\" >Option 2: Bus Tours and Care-Supported Tours<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_7\" >Option 3: Daisan \u2014 Proxy Pilgrimage, Walked on Your Parent&#8217;s Behalf<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_8\" >How to Pick: A Quick Framework Based on Stamina, Distance, and What They Actually Want<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_9\" >If They Still Have the Stamina and You&#8217;re Close \u2014 Go Together<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_10\" >When Daisan Is the Right Answer (And When It Isn&#8217;t)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_11\" >Common Questions From Readers Who Can&#8217;t Take Their Parent to Shikoku<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikenai\/#toc_12\" >&#8220;I Couldn&#8217;t Take Them&#8221; Doesn&#8217;t Have to Be Where the Story Ends<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"outline-accordion__wrap\"><div class=\"outline-accordion\">Show Contents<\/div><\/div><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_1\"><\/span>Why &#8220;I Can&#8217;t Take Them&#8221; Isn&#8217;t You Making Excuses \u2014 It&#8217;s Four Walls Stacking Up<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-31_h2_1.jpg\" alt=\"Elderly woman looking out a window, reflecting on what she can no longer do\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"aligncenter\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Before you start feeling guilty about &#8220;not doing enough,&#8221; it helps to see what you&#8217;re actually up against.<\/p>\n<p>Because &#8220;I can&#8217;t take my parent to Shikoku&#8221; isn&#8217;t one problem. It&#8217;s <span class=\"huto\">four separate structural problems<\/span> that happen to be landing on you at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s name them.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_2\"><\/span>Stamina, Work, Distance, Time \u2014 Each Wall Is Real on Its Own<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Most readers run into these in some combination:<\/p>\n<div class=\"ep-box--border\">\n<strong>The four walls between an aging parent and Shikoku<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Stamina<\/strong>: Temple stairs, long days on foot, Shikoku&#8217;s summer heat, and the raw endurance a 1,200 km loop demands \u2014 it&#8217;s a lot for a fit 40-year-old, much less a 78-year-old with bad knees<\/li>\n<li><strong>Work<\/strong>: You can&#8217;t realistically take a solid week or two off, let alone six. Busy season, a leadership role, no-coverage teams \u2014 sound familiar?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Distance<\/strong>: If home isn&#8217;t Shikoku, just getting there drains your parent before the pilgrimage even starts<\/li>\n<li><strong>Time (real calendar time)<\/strong>: Full walking ohenro runs 40\u201360 days. Even the &#8220;split it up&#8221; version \u2014 <em>kugiri-uchi<\/em> \u2014 means flying to Shikoku multiple times a year, which is a calendar coordination nightmare<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>The stamina wall is often the one your parent feels first \u2014 and won&#8217;t say out loud. Instead, you&#8217;ll catch it sideways: <em>&#8220;I don&#8217;t walk the way I used to, you know.&#8221;<\/em> That line has a lot packed behind it.<\/p>\n<p>The work wall lands squarely on you. Depending on your role, taking <span class=\"marker--yellow\">even a single consecutive week off isn&#8217;t always realistic<\/span>, let alone the time a proper ohenro requires.<\/p>\n<p>The distance wall gets worse the further you live from Shikoku. Travel alone can exhaust an elderly parent to the point where the pilgrimage itself becomes impossible \u2014 which is kind of the opposite of the point.<\/p>\n<p>The time wall sneaks up even with split pilgrimages. <span class=\"marker--yellow\">Coordinating &#8220;let&#8217;s both be free for three days, in Shikoku, multiple times a year&#8221; is brutal<\/span> when both parties have their own schedules.<\/p>\n<p>One wall, you&#8217;d muscle through. <span class=\"marker--yellow\">Four walls at once is what turns &#8220;let&#8217;s do it&#8221; into &#8220;we&#8217;ll see&#8221;<\/span> \u2014 and &#8220;we&#8217;ll see&#8221; is where these trips quietly die.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_3\"><\/span>The Moment &#8220;Someday&#8221; Stops Being a Real Plan<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;Someday&#8221; is a kind word. It&#8217;s also one of the emptiest sentences in the English language, because it has no deadline.<\/p>\n<p>Which means &#8220;someday&#8221; is almost always the point at which the plan quietly starts drifting away from reality.<\/p>\n<p>You probably know the moment. It usually looks like this:<\/p>\n<div class=\"ep-box\">\n<strong>Moments when &#8220;someday&#8221; starts feeling urgent<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You visit home, and you notice your parent taking the stairs noticeably slower than last time<\/li>\n<li>On the phone, they casually mention &#8220;long trips are kind of hard on me these days&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>A friend of theirs passes away \u2014 and suddenly their age feels concrete in a way it didn&#8217;t yesterday<\/li>\n<li>You realize three more years went by and you still haven&#8217;t made the trip you keep meaning to make<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>When those moments land, &#8220;someday&#8221; starts to feel a lot smaller.<\/p>\n<div class=\"balloon\">\n<figure class=\"balloon__img balloon__img-right\">\n<div><\/div><figcaption class=\"balloon__name\">Reader<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"balloon__text balloon__text-left\">Yeah\u2026 every time I visit home now, I find myself thinking, &#8220;how many more trips like this are we going to get?&#8221; It&#8217;s not a thought I want to be having, but it&#8217;s there.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"balloon\">\n<figure class=\"balloon__img balloon__img-left\">\n<div><\/div><figcaption class=\"balloon__name\">Alex<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"balloon__text balloon__text-right\">That quiet arithmetic \u2014 it&#8217;s something almost every reader I talk to is doing in the background. Noticing Mom&#8217;s shoulders look a little smaller than they used to. Noticing Dad repeats a story he already told you. <span class=\"marker--yellow\">Today&#8217;s version of your parent is the one you still get to act on<\/span>. Even one small step this week counts more than you think.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>And then there&#8217;s the future nobody wants to picture: <span class=\"marker--yellow\">the one where the pilgrimage conversation just quietly stops coming up, and the wish gets buried by default<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>If the broader pattern here \u2014 &#8220;things I&#8217;ll regret if I don&#8217;t act while they&#8217;re still around&#8221; \u2014 resonates, I wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oyakoko-koukai\/\">a full piece on avoiding regret with aging parents<\/a> that pairs well with this one.<\/p>\n<p>The real question isn&#8217;t &#8220;can I take them&#8221; \u2014 it&#8217;s <span class=\"huto\">if I can&#8217;t, what else can I actually do<\/span>. Here&#8217;s where the three options come in.<\/p>\n\n            <div class=\"sitecard\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oyakoko-koukai\/\" target=\"_self\">\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__subtitle\">Related Post<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__contents\">\n                        <span class=\"heading\">Before It&#8217;s Too Late: How to Avoid Regret While Your Parents Are Still Well<\/span>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch\">\n                        <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-13-en-eyecatch-300x200.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-13-en-eyecatch-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-13-en-eyecatch.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/a><!-- .sitecard -->\n            <\/div>\n<p><!-- H2-2 --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_4\"><\/span>You Still Have Three Real Options \u2014 Even When Taking Them Yourself Is Off the Table<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t take them&#8221; isn&#8217;t the end of the story. It&#8217;s actually the start of a decision you still get to make.<\/p>\n<p>Families in your situation basically split across three approaches. None of them are &#8220;better&#8221; in the abstract \u2014 they just <span class=\"marker--yellow\">match different combinations of stamina, distance, and what your parent actually wants<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s walk through them one at a time.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_5\"><\/span>Option 1: Section-by-Section Walking Together (Kugiri-Uchi)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If your parent still has some real stamina and the distance wall isn&#8217;t too brutal, this is the option that keeps the two of you physically walking together.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s called <strong>kugiri-uchi<\/strong> in Japanese \u2014 literally &#8220;divided walking.&#8221; Instead of knocking out all 88 temples in one continuous trip, <span class=\"marker--yellow\">you break the route into chunks by prefecture or region and walk them across multiple separate visits<\/span>. Two or three days at a time. Tokushima this spring, Kochi in the fall, and so on.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ep-box\">\n<strong>Kugiri-uchi fits if&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your parent is in their 60s or early 70s and can comfortably walk for half a day<\/li>\n<li>You live close enough to Shikoku that travel isn&#8217;t a full-day drain each way<\/li>\n<li>You can genuinely carve out two-to-three-day windows a few times a year<\/li>\n<li>What you actually want is the time together, not just the completed book<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Most families doing kugiri-uchi also drive between the temples instead of walking the full route \u2014 which keeps the physical load manageable while still preserving the key moments on foot.<\/p>\n<p>But \u2014 and this is a real caveat \u2014 <span class=\"marker--blue\">if your parent is past 80, or has mobility issues or a serious condition, kugiri-uchi isn&#8217;t realistic<\/span>. Pushing through it can end in injury or an aborted trip that feels worse than not going at all.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_6\"><\/span>Option 2: Bus Tours and Care-Supported Tours<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Option two lets your parent go to Shikoku without you having to take time off \u2014 <strong>guided bus tours<\/strong> that handle the full logistics, including tours specifically designed for older or less mobile participants.<\/p>\n<p>A professional tour guide runs the show, so your parent can join on their own. The options range from <span class=\"marker--yellow\">roughly 10-day full-loop bus tours to weekend section tours, all the way up to care-supported tours with wheelchair access and trained staff on board<\/span>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"title-box\">\n<div class=\"box-title\">What a good bus or care-supported tour offers<\/div>\n<div class=\"box-content\">\n<ul>\n<li>A guide who handles all 88 temples \u2014 no navigation stress for your parent<\/li>\n<li>Lodging, meals, and transit bundled \u2014 no logistics headaches<\/li>\n<li>Care-supported versions include wheelchair access, mobility assistance, and medical awareness<\/li>\n<li>Similar-age participants, which matters more than people expect \u2014 your parent won&#8217;t feel out of place<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>That said, &#8220;guided tour&#8221; doesn&#8217;t automatically mean &#8220;easy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Temple staircases are still temple staircases \u2014 your parent will need to handle them. Long hours on a tour bus also take a toll, even when you&#8217;re not the one walking.<\/p>\n<p>Before booking, always check <span class=\"huto\">what level of physical support the tour actually provides, the average age of participants, and roughly how much ground gets covered each day<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_7\"><\/span>Option 3: Daisan \u2014 Proxy Pilgrimage, Walked on Your Parent&#8217;s Behalf<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Option three is probably the one you&#8217;ve heard least about \u2014 and it&#8217;s also the most Japan-specific.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s called <strong>daisan<\/strong>, and it means exactly what it sounds like: <span class=\"marker--yellow\">a trained pilgrim walks all 88 Shikoku temples on your parent&#8217;s behalf, carrying their intention<\/span>. The practice goes back to at least the Edo period, when villages would send one representative to complete the Ise pilgrimage on behalf of dozens of people who physically couldn&#8217;t go.<\/p>\n<p>What your parent receives isn&#8217;t a story or a postcard. It&#8217;s a <strong>real nokyocho (temple stamp book), real byakue (white pilgrim robe), and real regional Shikoku souvenirs<\/strong>, all delivered to their door.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ep-box--border\">\n<strong>Daisan fits especially well if&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Your parent is past 80 and extended travel has become unrealistic<\/li>\n<li>Home is far from Shikoku and the travel alone would drain them<\/li>\n<li>Work, childcare, or caregiving makes it impossible for you to go along<\/li>\n<li>You want something physical and lasting in your parent&#8217;s hands<\/li>\n<li>It&#8217;s for a milestone \u2014 a birthday, <em>koki<\/em> (70th), <em>kiju<\/em> (77th), or similar<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>The nokyocho that ends up in your parent&#8217;s hands is the real article \u2014 hand-stamped and hand-inked at every one of the 88 temples by the temple&#8217;s own calligrapher.<\/p>\n<p>Temple stamping fees, after the 2024 revision, come to <strong>\u00a5500 per temple \u00d7 88 temples = \u00a544,000<\/strong> (around $300 USD). <span class=\"marker--yellow\">That figure is set by the Shikoku pilgrimage association and applies whether you walk it yourself or someone walks it for you<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>For a more complete breakdown of what daisan services include and cost, <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/agency\/\">our full proxy pilgrimage service guide<\/a> has you covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"balloon\">\n<figure class=\"balloon__img balloon__img-right\">\n<div><\/div><figcaption class=\"balloon__name\">Reader<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"balloon__text balloon__text-left\">Hiring someone to walk it for them kind of feels like cheating, doesn&#8217;t it? Like I&#8217;m skipping past something I should have done myself\u2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"balloon\">\n<figure class=\"balloon__img balloon__img-left\">\n<div><\/div><figcaption class=\"balloon__name\">Alex<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"balloon__text balloon__text-right\">I had the same hesitation before I learned the history. Daisan isn&#8217;t a modern shortcut \u2014 it&#8217;s literally a thousand-year-old practice designed for this exact situation. Shikoku&#8217;s own core teaching, <em>dogyo ninin<\/em> (&#8220;two walking together&#8221;), already assumes the walker isn&#8217;t walking alone. <span class=\"marker--yellow\">Carrying someone&#8217;s intention is part of the tradition, not an end-run around it<\/span>. The regret you&#8217;d feel from letting the wish die is, honestly, heavier than the hesitation around daisan.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"sitecard\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/agency\/\" target=\"_self\">\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__subtitle\">Related Post<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__contents\">\n                        <span class=\"heading\">[Ohenro]Shikoku Pilgrimage Proxy Service: Costs and How to Choose a Trusted Provider<\/span>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch\">\n                        <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/agency_thumb-300x200.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"[Ohenro]Shikoku Pilgrimage Proxy Service: Costs and How to Choose a Trusted Provider\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/agency_thumb-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/agency_thumb.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/a><!-- .sitecard -->\n            <\/div>\n<p><!-- H2-3 --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_8\"><\/span>How to Pick: A Quick Framework Based on Stamina, Distance, and What They Actually Want<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-31_h2_3.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional Japanese temple gate, representing the Shikoku pilgrimage\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"aligncenter\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Three options is great in theory. In practice, most readers tell me they just want someone to say &#8220;here&#8217;s the one for your situation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s simplify this with three variables: your parent&#8217;s stamina, how far they are from Shikoku, and what they actually want to end up with. Here&#8217;s the cheat sheet:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Option<\/th>\n<th>Parent&#8217;s stamina fit<\/th>\n<th>Distance tolerance<\/th>\n<th>What&#8217;s left at the end<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1. Kugiri-uchi (walk together)<\/td>\n<td>60s\u2013early 70s, can walk half a day<\/td>\n<td>Easier if you live near Shikoku<\/td>\n<td>Shared memories + nokyocho<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2. Bus or care-supported tour<\/td>\n<td>Around 70, basic mobility intact<\/td>\n<td>Parent can handle extended transit<\/td>\n<td>Tour experience + nokyocho<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3. Daisan (proxy pilgrimage)<\/td>\n<td>Stamina no longer a factor<\/td>\n<td>Distance is irrelevant<\/td>\n<td>Nokyocho, byakue, video\/photo record, full report<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Even just laying it out like this, you can usually see <span class=\"marker--yellow\">how stamina and distance quickly narrow the options down for you<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_9\"><\/span>If They Still Have the Stamina and You&#8217;re Close \u2014 Go Together<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If your parent can still walk for half a day and you&#8217;re within reasonable travel distance of Shikoku, kugiri-uchi is the real-deal option.<\/p>\n<p>The nokyocho matters, but it&#8217;s not the main prize \u2014 <span class=\"marker--yellow\">the hours you two spend walking Shikoku together end up being the part that lives with both of you<\/span>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ep-box\">\n<strong>If you go together, plan around these<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep daily walking distance around 3\u20135 km max<\/li>\n<li>Temple stairs: take them slow, plan breaks every few flights<\/li>\n<li>Choose accessible lodging whenever possible<\/li>\n<li>Target spring or fall \u2014 summer and winter in Shikoku are genuinely tough<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>On the other hand: if your parent is in their 80s and managing chronic conditions, I&#8217;d honestly steer you away from this option. <span class=\"marker--blue\">I&#8217;ve heard more than one story of a family &#8220;pushing through it&#8221; and ending up with a parent sick in a rural Shikoku inn<\/span> \u2014 no version of that feels like a win.<\/p>\n<p>Look at your parent&#8217;s current physical reality, not the version from five years ago. That part matters.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_10\"><\/span>When Daisan Is the Right Answer (And When It Isn&#8217;t)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Daisan is the right call for a specific scenario: <span class=\"marker--yellow\">you&#8217;ve accepted that physically taking your parent isn&#8217;t happening, but you still want the wish to actually get fulfilled<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>That sounds like:<\/p>\n<div class=\"title-box\">\n<div class=\"box-title\">Situations daisan is built for<\/div>\n<div class=\"box-content\">\n<ol>\n<li>Parent is 80+ and long travel genuinely doesn&#8217;t work anymore<\/li>\n<li>You live too far from Shikoku for the distance wall to be crossable<\/li>\n<li>Work, childcare, or caregiving leave no realistic window for you to go<\/li>\n<li>You want a physical record \u2014 something your parent can hold and keep<\/li>\n<li>You&#8217;re marking a milestone: birthday, koki (70th), kiju (77th), or similar<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>On the flip side, <span class=\"marker--blue\">there are situations where daisan isn&#8217;t the right fit<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>If what your parent really wants is the shared experience of walking Shikoku <em>with you<\/em>, daisan doesn&#8217;t replace that. Someone else is carrying the intention, but <span class=\"huto\">the hours of walking shoulder-to-shoulder aren&#8217;t happening<\/span>. That&#8217;s a real trade-off to be honest about.<\/p>\n<p>However \u2014 if they&#8217;re too old or unwell to travel and the only realistic alternative is &#8220;no pilgrimage ever happens,&#8221; daisan becomes the most honest landing spot.<\/p>\n<p>For readers coming into this from the angle of &#8220;my parent specifically wanted to walk Shikoku,&#8221; I wrote a companion piece on <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikitai\/\">honoring a parent&#8217;s Shikoku pilgrimage wish<\/a> that goes deeper on that framing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"balloon\">\n<figure class=\"balloon__img balloon__img-left\">\n<div><\/div><figcaption class=\"balloon__name\">Alex<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"balloon__text balloon__text-right\">If you&#8217;re genuinely torn, here&#8217;s the one question I&#8217;d ask yourself: <em>&#8220;Will my parent be in the same physical shape five years from now that they are today?&#8221;<\/em> Most families, if they answer honestly, say no. That&#8217;s your timer. <span class=\"marker--yellow\">The decision you make today is almost always better than the one you&#8217;ll be able to make five years from now<\/span> \u2014 even if it feels a little scary to commit to.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"sitecard\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikitai\/\" target=\"_self\">\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__subtitle\">Related Post<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__contents\">\n                        <span class=\"heading\">Your Parent Always Wanted to Walk Shikoku: How to Fulfill That Pilgrimage Wish Before It&#8217;s Too Late<\/span>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch\">\n                        <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-30_eyecatch-300x200.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"Elderly parent and adult child looking at Shikoku map\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-30_eyecatch-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-30_eyecatch-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-30_eyecatch-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-30_eyecatch.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/a><!-- .sitecard -->\n            <\/div>\n<p><!-- H2-4 --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_11\"><\/span>Common Questions From Readers Who Can&#8217;t Take Their Parent to Shikoku<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A few of the questions I get most often from readers in this situation \u2014 in case one of them is exactly the one you&#8217;re stuck on.<\/p>\n<dl class=\"faq-item\">\n<dt class=\"faq-item__question js-toggle faq-item__is-active\">My parent really wants to go but I don&#8217;t think they&#8217;re physically up to it. How do I bring that up?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq-item__answer\">\n<div class=\"faq-item__answer-inner\">\n<p>Start by separating &#8220;wanting to go&#8221; from &#8220;being able to go&#8221; \u2014 they&#8217;re genuinely different things, and framing it that way gets past the defensive reaction. Remind them gently that pushing through it and getting hurt would feel worse than pausing. Then lay out all three options (kugiri-uchi, care-supported tour, daisan) so they&#8217;re picking between three real alternatives instead of just &#8220;go or don&#8217;t.&#8221; Parents usually know their own stamina better than they let on. Giving them the menu lets them make the realistic call themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class=\"faq-item\">\n<dt class=\"faq-item__question js-toggle\">My siblings and I don&#8217;t agree on the right approach. What now?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq-item__answer\">\n<div class=\"faq-item__answer-inner\">\n<p>Shift the question back to &#8220;what would actually mean the most to our parent?&#8221; \u2014 not &#8220;which sibling is right about what honoring them looks like.&#8221; When siblings disagree, it&#8217;s usually a proxy fight about whose idea of filial duty wins. But if you just <em>ask<\/em> your parent directly, you&#8217;ll usually get a surprisingly quick, clear answer. And if daisan ends up being the pick, splitting the cost between siblings actually works well \u2014 it lets everyone be part of the gift without anyone having to take point on logistics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class=\"faq-item\">\n<dt class=\"faq-item__question js-toggle\">Is daisan actually respectful, or is it kind of a shortcut?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq-item__answer\">\n<div class=\"faq-item__answer-inner\">\n<p>It&#8217;s respectful \u2014 fully. Daisan is a real, documented Japanese pilgrimage custom dating back to at least the Edo period, when villages would send one pilgrim to Ise on behalf of dozens of people who couldn&#8217;t go. Shikoku&#8217;s own core concept, <strong>dogyo ninin<\/strong> (&#8220;two walking together&#8221;), explicitly assumes Kobo Daishi walks alongside the pilgrim \u2014 so the idea of walking with someone else&#8217;s intention is structurally built into the tradition. The temples themselves fully recognize daisan and will formally stamp the nokyocho for it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class=\"faq-item\">\n<dt class=\"faq-item__question js-toggle\">How long does daisan take, and what does it cost?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq-item__answer\">\n<div class=\"faq-item__answer-inner\">\n<p>Walking a full 88-temple daisan generally takes 45\u201360 days. Cost ranges from roughly \u00a5500,000 to \u00a52,500,000 ($3,500\u2013$17,000 USD) depending on scope \u2014 all 88 temples, a 44-temple half, a specific region, or an extended Koyasan visit at the end. The \u00a544,000 temple fee (\u00a5500 \u00d7 88, post-2024 rates) is a fixed floor every operator has to include. On top of that, costs cover the pilgrim&#8217;s travel, lodging, food, communications, and video updates. For the full breakdown, <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/ryokin\/\">the pricing article<\/a> walks through the math.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class=\"faq-item\">\n<dt class=\"faq-item__question js-toggle\">Should I tell my parent about the daisan beforehand, or keep it a surprise?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq-item__answer\">\n<div class=\"faq-item__answer-inner\">\n<p>Usually \u2014 tell them. Daisan is a meaningful ritual, and <span class=\"marker--yellow\">knowing their specific intention (who the walk is for, which temples matter, what they want to happen with the finished nokyocho) changes the depth of the gift<\/span>. A 15-minute conversation before you commission it almost always makes what arrives in the mail months later hit harder. If surprise matters to you for personal reasons, you can still infer their intention from things they&#8217;ve said over the years \u2014 even a best guess, carried seriously, beats walking 88 temples with a blank slate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n\n            <div class=\"sitecard\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/ryokin\/\" target=\"_self\">\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__subtitle\">Related Post<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__contents\">\n                        <span class=\"heading\">Ohenro Daiko Cost, Honestly Explained: What Proxy Pilgrimage Pricing Actually Covers<\/span>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch\">\n                        <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"188\" src=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-19_eyecatch-300x188.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-19_eyecatch-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-19_eyecatch-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-19_eyecatch-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-19_eyecatch.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/a><!-- .sitecard -->\n            <\/div>\n<p><!-- H2-5 --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toc_12\"><\/span>&#8220;I Couldn&#8217;t Take Them&#8221; Doesn&#8217;t Have to Be Where the Story Ends<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-31_h2_5.jpg\" alt=\"Hand of an elderly person symbolizing intention carried by others\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"aligncenter\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Three options. Now you&#8217;ve seen them.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t take my parent&#8221; isn&#8217;t the end of the sentence \u2014 it&#8217;s <span class=\"marker--yellow\">the starting point for a different sentence you still get to finish<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Every family&#8217;s situation is different. Some parents really can still do kugiri-uchi and walk part of Shikoku with you. Some will thrive in a care-supported tour group. Some will find that daisan is what actually lands for them \u2014 a real pilgrimage, really walked, really documented, with a finished book in their hands.<\/p>\n<div class=\"balloon\">\n<figure class=\"balloon__img balloon__img-left\">\n<div><\/div><figcaption class=\"balloon__name\">Alex<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"balloon__text balloon__text-right\">One thing I&#8217;ve seen a lot of times, walking Shikoku myself: a parent who made it to the temple grounds, maybe with their kid half-holding them up, saying something like <span class=\"marker--yellow\">&#8220;just getting me here is enough&#8221;<\/span>. The form looks different from family to family. But the effort you put in \u2014 that&#8217;s the gift, more than any specific version of it.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"title-box\">\n<div class=\"box-title\">Three steps to move this forward this week<\/div>\n<div class=\"box-content\">\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Bring it up once<\/strong>: Casually ask your parent how they feel about the Shikoku pilgrimage these days \u2014 you&#8217;ll learn a lot in the first minute<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lay out the three options<\/strong>: Kugiri-uchi, a supported tour, or daisan \u2014 let them see the menu<\/li>\n<li><strong>Book a free consultation<\/strong>: Even if you don&#8217;t end up booking anything, a real conversation with someone who does this every day is worth more than more Googling<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>At <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/\">Ohenro Gift Service<\/a>, daisan is what we specialize in \u2014 but we&#8217;ll genuinely help you figure out whether it&#8217;s the right fit for your parent, even if the answer is &#8220;go together&#8221; or &#8220;try a supported tour first.&#8221; <span class=\"marker--yellow\">We&#8217;d rather point you to the right option than push you into the wrong one<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to see what the actual plans look like \u2014 scope, pricing, what&#8217;s included \u2014 the <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/plan\/\">plan page<\/a> lays it all out.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"huto\">The difference between carrying &#8220;I never got around to it&#8221; for the next twenty years versus &#8220;I figured out another way to do it&#8221; is almost entirely what you do in the next week or two<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Parents don&#8217;t stay the same age. <span class=\"marker--yellow\">The line between &#8220;still possible&#8221; and &#8220;too late&#8221; moves faster than any of us like to admit<\/span> \u2014 and it moves in one direction only.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ep-box\">\n<p>\u25bc Related reads<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikitai\/\">Your Parent Always Wanted to Walk Shikoku: How to Fulfill That Pilgrimage Wish Before It&#8217;s Too Late<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oyakoko-koukai\/\">Avoiding Regret With Aging Parents: What You Can Still Do While They&#8217;re Healthy<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"sitecard\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oya-ikitai\/\" target=\"_self\">\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__subtitle\">Related Post<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__contents\">\n                        <span class=\"heading\">Your Parent Always Wanted to Walk Shikoku: How to Fulfill That Pilgrimage Wish Before It&#8217;s Too Late<\/span>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch\">\n                        <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-30_eyecatch-300x200.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"Elderly parent and adult child looking at Shikoku map\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-30_eyecatch-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-30_eyecatch-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-30_eyecatch-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-30_eyecatch.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/a><!-- .sitecard -->\n            <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"sitecard\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/oyakoko-koukai\/\" target=\"_self\">\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__subtitle\">Related Post<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__contents\">\n                        <span class=\"heading\">Before It&#8217;s Too Late: How to Avoid Regret While Your Parents Are Still Well<\/span>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch\">\n                        <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-13-en-eyecatch-300x200.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-13-en-eyecatch-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p1-13-en-eyecatch.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/a><!-- .sitecard -->\n            <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"sitecard\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/agency\/\" target=\"_self\">\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__subtitle\">Related Post<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__contents\">\n                        <span class=\"heading\">[Ohenro]Shikoku Pilgrimage Proxy Service: Costs and How to Choose a Trusted Provider<\/span>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch\">\n                        <div class=\"sitecard__eyecatch-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/agency_thumb-300x200.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"[Ohenro]Shikoku Pilgrimage Proxy Service: Costs and How to Choose a Trusted Provider\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/agency_thumb-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/giftohenro369\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/agency_thumb.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/a><!-- .sitecard -->\n            <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parents saying they wanted to walk Shikoku \u2014 but now they can&#8217;t, and neither can you. Here are the three real options families use: section-by-section walking, supported bus tours, or daisan (proxy pilgrimage).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":652,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[29,33,16,24],"class_list":["post-656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oyakoko","tag-daisan","tag-nokyocho","tag-ohenro","tag-shikoku-pilgrimage"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=656"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":658,"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656\/revisions\/658"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ohenro-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}