Self-guided Henro Trail Walking (37th temple)
Henro is the term for the Shikoku Pilgrimage to 88 sacred temples dotted around the island of Shikoku, where it is said that the Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi (Kukai) performed ascetic religious practices. The pilgrimage road stretches over 1200km through all four prefectures on the island. The whole journey can take a month or two on foot, but pilgrims can also make the journey in part because there are no strict rules on which temples to visit or how many in total. Anyone can be a pilgrim (ohenro-san) regardless of nationality or religion, and all are sure to receive a warm welcome from the locals.
This is 1-day self-guided henro trail course for Iwamoto-ji (37th temple) from Kochi City.
Route: JR Kochi Station - JR Tosa-Kure Station - Iwamoto-ji Temple
Distance: 22.5km (7 hrs - 8 hrs)
Elevation: 409 m at Soemimizu Henro Trail
Course overview
From JR Tosa-Kure Station, walk down the old-fashioned shopping street and then along the old Soemimizu Henro Trail that was used for travel to western Kochi Prefecture in the medieval period. This henro road, a mountain trail surrounded by rich nature and featuring remnants of old stone pavement, provides a pilgrimage experience which is only attainable by walking. After the climb to the Nanako Pass, you'll descend through idyllic countryside vistas to Iwamoto-ji Temple (37th Temple). Just before entering the Kubokawa area in the center of Shimanto Town, head along the old road toward Yobizaka Pass. After crossing the pass, you enter the city of Kubokawa and arrive at Iwamoto-ji Temple. You can return to Kochi City by JR Dosan Line from Kubokawa Station. There is also temple lodging (shukubo) at Iwamoto-ji.
Henro Trail Guide Kochi Japan (37th Iwamoto-ji)
The guide maps are available for download at the following links.
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_overview
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_page 1
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_page 2-4
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_page 5-8
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_page 9-18
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_page 19-24
*This Trail Guide prioritizes routes that avoid paved roads with heavy traffic as much as possible to heighten the experience of henro trail walking. Such routes including old trails may not be displayed on road maps or map apps. The guide also introduces routes in some places that differ from the commonly known walking henro routes.
This is 1-day self-guided henro trail course for Iwamoto-ji (37th temple) from Kochi City.
Route: JR Kochi Station - JR Tosa-Kure Station - Iwamoto-ji Temple
Distance: 22.5km (7 hrs - 8 hrs)
Elevation: 409 m at Soemimizu Henro Trail
Course overview
From JR Tosa-Kure Station, walk down the old-fashioned shopping street and then along the old Soemimizu Henro Trail that was used for travel to western Kochi Prefecture in the medieval period. This henro road, a mountain trail surrounded by rich nature and featuring remnants of old stone pavement, provides a pilgrimage experience which is only attainable by walking. After the climb to the Nanako Pass, you'll descend through idyllic countryside vistas to Iwamoto-ji Temple (37th Temple). Just before entering the Kubokawa area in the center of Shimanto Town, head along the old road toward Yobizaka Pass. After crossing the pass, you enter the city of Kubokawa and arrive at Iwamoto-ji Temple. You can return to Kochi City by JR Dosan Line from Kubokawa Station. There is also temple lodging (shukubo) at Iwamoto-ji.
Henro Trail Guide Kochi Japan (37th Iwamoto-ji)
The guide maps are available for download at the following links.
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_overview
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_page 1
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_page 2-4
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_page 5-8
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_page 9-18
Henro Trail Guide (37th)_page 19-24
*This Trail Guide prioritizes routes that avoid paved roads with heavy traffic as much as possible to heighten the experience of henro trail walking. Such routes including old trails may not be displayed on road maps or map apps. The guide also introduces routes in some places that differ from the commonly known walking henro routes.
