24 of the 88 sacred temples sit in Kochi —
known among pilgrims as the place of ascetic practice.

The 1,400-kilometer Shikoku pilgrimage divides traditionally into four stages, mapped loosely onto Buddhist stages of the path; Kochi's stretch, the longest of the four, is called “the place of ascetic practice,” and its temples and terrain reflect that reputation.

The main hall of Chikurin-ji temple — Chikurin-ji, Temple No. 31

Why Kochi's stretch is called "hard"

Kochi's 24 temples are spread across roughly a third of the entire 1,400-km route, with long, sparsely populated stretches between some of them — the walk from Temple 37 to Temple 38, out to Cape Ashizuri and back, is one of the longest single legs on the whole pilgrimage. The physical difficulty is part of why this stage is traditionally associated with ascetic practice rather than the earlier stage's "awakening of faith."

Osettai: a custom, not a rule

Local residents along the route have long offered pilgrims small gifts — food, drink, a place to rest — known as "osettai." Custom holds that declining is considered impolite, since accepting completes an act of merit on the giver's behalf, not the receiver's. Even non-religious hikers today are often startled by how alive this custom still is.

Not every walker finishes the full loop. Many pilgrims complete the route over several trips, years apart, or focus only on one prefecture's temples at a time — there is no single "correct" way to walk it, and Kochi's temples are visited on their own by people who never intend to complete all 88.

24 of the 88 sacred temples sit in Kochi —known among pilgrims as the place of ascetic practice.

Why Kochi's stretch is called "hard"

Osettai: a custom, not a rule

24 of the 88 sacred temples sit in Kochi —
known among pilgrims as the place of ascetic practice.