Hi everyone. Thanks for checking out my blog.
In 2014, I ventured on my first 88 Temple pilgrimage (called Ohenro) in Japan for five weeks. It involved walking around the Japan island of Shikoku and visiting 88 Shingon Buddhist Temples. At the time, I created a very basic blog to capture my adventures, experiences and journey.
Since then, I have done the Ohenro pilgrimage 4 times (2014, 2015, 2016 & 2019) in both the spring and fall times of the year. As well, I visited Japan numerous times to see the sakura (Spring cherry blossoms), to climb Mt Fuji and to do the Kumano pilgrimage. In April/May 2022, I was able to do the Camino de Santiago in Spain (after the COVID pandemic postponed it for 2 years). You can find this blog at the following link:
In May/June 2022, I was able to do the Chemin des Outaouais, which is a 230 km walk spread over 12 days (11 nights) from Ottawa to Montreal, Canada. You can find this blog at the following link:
The best way to follow my blog for each of my trips is to click on the MENU button in the upper right hand corner and select the trip.
- For my 2014 blog, my final entry will be displayed. In order to start at the beginning you need to click on the BLOG ARCHIVE in the lower right corner and read the entries from the bottom upwards.
- For my 2015 blog, my final entry will be displayed as well. You will need to scroll on the blog entries on left side to the bottom and read them upwards.
- For all the rest of my Japan Ohenro blogs, the link will start you on my first blog entry at 88templesblog.wordpress.com. Then to read the next entry you have to click on the next day highlighted in green in the calendar on the left hand side (which might be hard to see). To continue to the next month of blog entries, you have to click on the next month under the calendar (in green). When you click on the next month you get the last entry of the month, so you will have to click on the first day of the month in the calendar to continue from my previous days entry. My most recent Japan Ohenro pilgrimage was in 2019.
- For my 2022 Camino de Santiago in Spain blog, you can click on this link: 2022Camino.wordpress.com
- For my 2022 Chemin des Outaouais, Ottawa to Montreal walk blog link: 2022Chemin.wordpress.com
If someday, you decide to try the pilgrimage journey, please feel free to contact me via email (arnoldcsmith@gmail.com) and I can help with any questions about the pilgrimage you might have. As well, there is a Facebook Group called Ohenro san that has lots of information about the Shikoku 88 Temple pilgrimage.
If you like to watch a YouTube video explaining the 88 Temple Ohenro pilgrimage, you can click on any of the links below to watch a couple of the videos I enjoy:
David Moreton Short Shikoku Pilgrimage Video
PBS – Sacred Journeys – Shikoku Pilgrimage
“SPIRITUAL ISLAND；SHIKOKU HENRO” Promotion Video
Once again THANKS, MERCI, ARIGATO for visiting my BLOG.
Remember it is not the destination that counts but the journey along the way.
88TemplesBlog 