{Shikoku Hachijūhachikasho Meguri}

--BOOKS & PAPERS ABOUT THE PILGRIMAGE--

General Shikoku Pilgrimage Information:
Books:

• Dead to the World: Pilgrims in Shikoku. Ian READER. This is chapter 4 in a book entitled Pilgrimage in Popular Culture, edited by Ian READER and Tony WALKER. The chapter lays out the history and practice of the pilgrimage in clear, but concise, terms.
  Macmillan Press, 1993

• Echos of Incense: A Pilgrim in Japan. Don WEISS. An account of his two back-to-back trips around the island in 1992 and written in both Japanese and English (on facing pages). Available online at the author's web site. It's hard to find an affordable hard copy of the book, but it's possible that David Moreton may have a few copies left over at a reasonable price if you email him.
  Online document

• Japanese Pilgrimage. Oliver STATLER. This is the grandfather of all English language books written about the pilgrimage. He spent about three months walking the pilgrimage in 1971 and this is a thoughtful and insightful accounting of that trip and another partial trip in 1968, with enough history (although partly fictionalized) to help us understand the big picture. An absolute 100% must read for anyone contemplating walking the pilgrimage.
  Pan Books, 1984

• Legends, Miracles, and Faith in Kōbō Daishi and the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Ian READER. Chapter 34 in the book Religions of Japan in Practice, which was edited by George TANABE, Jr. I mention this book in both this section, because of this chapter, and in the general religious foundations section below because it is a great reference with a lot of pertinent material in general.
  Princeton University Press, 1999

• Making Pilgrimages: Meaning And Practice in Shikoku. Ian READER's latest book on the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Nothing really new, if you've read the rest of his material. This is a very wide ranging ethnographic study of the henro culture and how that has and does fit into Japanese society more than a specific study of the history, customs, and practicies of the pilgrimage itself.
  University of Hawaii Press, 2006

• Neon Pilgrim. Lisa DEMPSTER's account of her summer 2009 walk around the henro trail. More information is available on Lisa's blog. My review of the book is here, on my blog. Probably worth reading if you are going to camp out each night.
  Aduki Independent Press, 2009

• Pilgrimage as Cult: The Shikoku Pilgrimage as a Window on Japanese Religion. Ian READER. Chapter 12 in a book entitled Religion in Japan: Arrows to Heaven and Earth, edited by P.F. KORNICKI and I.J. McMULLEN. The title says it all; this is a comparative study of ways in which the pilgrimage on Shikoku can be used as a tool for looking at the broader picture of Japanese Religion as a whole.
  Cambridge University Press, 1996

• Sacred Kōyasan: A Pilgrimage to the Mountain Temple of Saint Kōbō Daishi and the Great Sun Buddha. Phillip NICOLOFF. A very well written introduction to Mt. Kōya with everything you ever wanted to know about its history, function, inhabitants, and relationship to Shikoku.
  State University of New York Press, 2008

• Tales of a Summer Henro. Craig McLACHLAN, a New Zelander living in Japan, wrote this account of his walk of the pilgrimage during the summer of 1995. I think he makes it clear that summer is not the season to be out on the trail. A good primer and a should read for anyone planning to sleep outside every night (nojuku suru).
  Yohan Publications, Inc., 1997

• The 1918 Shikoku Pilgrimage of Takamure Itsue: an English translation of Musume Junreiki. Susan TENNANT. Takamure Itsue's Musume Junreiki (The Pilgrimage Journal Of A Young Woman) is the compilation of 105 newspaper articles that Takamure wrote during her 1918 pilgrimage. The book was first published in 1979 after Takamure's articles were found in a storage warehouse of the Kumamoto newspaper company.

  While i haven't read the book yet, according to Susan, "Takamure intended to make a solitary pilgrimage but met an old man of 73 who insisted on accompanying her as her servant and guardian because he believed she was an attendant of Kannon Bosatsu. En route, she was sometimes regarded as a deity and asked to cure diseases, she met various outcasts of Japanese society, she endured typhoons and tremendous heat. Takamure tells her story in a very emotional manner and it is very readable."
  Self-Published
  Available on Amazon and Amazon Japan
  2010

• Three Types of Pilgrimage in Japan. This is chapter 8 in a book entitled On Understanding Japanese Religion, by Joseph KITAGAWA. This is a very short chapter and adds nothing to what we read in the other books listed here, but Kitagawa is one of the leading experts in the area of Japanese Religion so it is worth reading.
  Princeton University Press, 1987

• A Pilgrimage in Shikoku. Kesaya NODA. A short accounting of Noda's pilgrimage around the island in 1982. A very interesting look at someone's struggle to slow down and live one moment at a time and to come to terms with recieving settai from people you don't even know and who you will never meet again.
  Essays on Japanology, 1978–1982
  Kyōto Kokusai Bunka Kyōkai
  1983

• Adjustment Within a Representative Japanese Pilgrimage System. An interesting paper written by Hiroshi TANAKA SHIMAZAKI of the University of Lethbridge, Canada. It discusses the origin and history of the pilgrimage as well as how it is changing to accomadate modern pilgrims.
  Online document

• An Examination of Travel Literature on the Shikoku Pilgrimage Route and Warnings Contained Within. A very interesting paper written by David MORETON for a Research Bulletin at the university where he teaches. The title alone describes its contents. (19 pages; 298 KB)
  Tokushima Bunri University Research Bulletin
  March 2005

• Development of the Kōbō Daishi Cult and Beliefs in Japan and Their Connection with the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Written by Sachiko Misawa KANAI, this is a good summary of the myths and beliefs that have appeared around the legend that Kōbō has become.
  Young East
  Vol.6, No. 2
  Spring 1980

• Experiencing the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Ashley WRIGHT wrote to me frequently while i was walking the pilgrimage. His messages were always encouraging and thought provoking. Included in one of his messages was this article that he wrote for the Asian Wall Street Journal after walking part of the henro trail in 1977 with Oliver Statler. He has given permission to reprint it here.
  Online document

• Frederick Starr; Collected Papers. STARR spent a large part of his time in Japan and was considered a Japanese expert while a professor at the University of Chicago. He traveled by bus, taxi, and foot around the pilgrimage in early 1921. His collected papers and diaries are in the special collections section of the University of Chicago Library and several field notebooks are devoted to his pilgrimage.
  Joseph Regenstein Library
  Department of Special Collections
  University of Chicago

• From Asceticism to the Package Tour - The Pilgrim's Progress in Japan. A short article by Ian READER laying out the history of the pilgrimage and how its focus has shifted from henro who walk the pilgrimage individually to group tours which travel around the island by bus.
  Japanese Journal of Religious Studies
  1987
  Vol. 17/2, pg. 133-148

• Geographic Expression of Buddhist Pilgrim Places on Shikoku Island, Japan. An interesting article by Hiroshi TANAKA focusing on the geographical aspects of the pilgrimage - the physical setting of the pilgrmiage temples, the settings that have changed over time, the buildings and other structures found at each setting, the traditional pilgrim behaviour at each temple, etc. This article has information not found in other sources.
  Canadian Geographer
  XXI, 2
  1977

• Geography and Environment. Barbara AMBROS. This is a paper in progress and there are obvious editing comments in it. It is a short overview of the history and current state of the Shikoku pilgrimage and compares it to other pilgrimages found in Japan..
  Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions
  February 2002

• Miniture Pilgrimage Systems and Community in Japan. A paper by Ryujiro KONDO of Wakayama University in Japan in which he discusses the miniture pilgrimages in Japan that are related to the Shikoku Pilgrimage.
  Online document

• Miniturization and Proliferation: A Study of Small-scale Pilgrimages in Japan. Ian READER. While not written directly on the topic of the pilgrimage on Shikoku, Reader does talk about the pilgrimage because his focus is the other small-scale pilgrimages around Japan that have spawned off of the main pilgrimage. Interesting reading.
  Studies in Central and East Asian Religions
  Vol. 1/1; pg. 50-66
  1988

• On Being a Pilgrim: Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. Tony MCNICOL. A very short 3 page general article about Tony's walk around the henro trail in early 2001.
  Look Japan
  Vol. 47, No. 549
  December 2001

• Osettai No Kokoro. Ryan ARMSTRONG. A series of seven articles in the local Kagawa Journal, a journal for expats living in Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku. In the series, Ryan recounts his 1997 trip around the henro trail.
  Kagawa Journal
  October/November 2001, #53
  through
  June/July 2001, #57

• Pilgrim Places: A Study of the Eighty-Eight Sacred Precints of the Shikoku Pilgrimage, Japan. This is Hiroshi TANAKA's 1975 Ph.D. dissertation from Simon Fraser University. He approaches the pilgrimage from the viewpoint of a geologist and, in addition to the history and lore of the pilgrimage, looks at the physical locations of the temples, the physical location of various buildings and other structures in the temple compounds, and the relationships that can be formed between all of these. Very interesting reading. I got a copy from the National Library of Canada through my local public library and then got email permission from Tanaka-san to make a copy.
  Simon Fraser University
  1975

• Pilgrimage in Japan. This is a special issue of the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies and was edited by Ian READER and Paul SWANSON. Published by the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture in Nagoya, this issue's articles are online in pdf format. In particular, the issue is the Special Issue: Fall 1997, 24/3-4, and the articles of interest are:
  
  • Editor's Introduction: Pilgrimage in the Japanese Religious Tradition, Ian READER & Paul SWANSON, pg 225-268.
  • Pilgrimage and Peregrination: Contextualizing the Saikoku Junrei and the Shikoku Henro, HOSHINO Eiki, pg 271-299.
  • Shikoku's Local Authorities and Henro during the Golden Age of the Pilgrimage, Nathalie KOUAMÉ, pg 413-425.
  Online document

• Reading Writing and Cooking: Kūkai's Interpretive Strategies. Thomas Blenman HARE. (Haven't read it in detail yet; only skimmed it.) At first glance it looks like a study of the problems faced when people make translations of works in foreign languages. Focuses on Kūkai's translations of various Sanscrit documents, especially his Kongō Hannyaharamitsu Kyō Kaidai, a brief commentary on the Diamond Sutra.
  Journal Of Asian Studies
  49(2); pp. 253–273
  May 1990

• Reflections on the Shikoku Pilgrimage: Theoretical and Historical Considerations. Richard PAYNE. RIchard walked and rode around the pilgrimage in summer 1993. This is a study of the Shikoku Pilgrimage in particular and religious pilgrimage in general that he delivered as a paper at a conference in 1994.
  Kōyasan University
  Mikkyo Culture Research Bulletin
  No. 12
  February 1999

• Sacred Space and the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Richard BONANG. (Haven't read it yet.)
  Memoirs of Kyoto Tachibana Women's University
  No. 23
  1996

• Sendatsu and the Development of Contemporary Japanese Pilgrimage. Ian READER. A slight change of topic, this paper focuses on the contemporary roles, responsibilities, and activities of sendatsu - the pilgrimage guides and leaders of pilgrimage groups. As is usual for Reader, he focuses his concentration on the sendatsu of the pilgrimage on Shikoku.
  Nissan Occasional Paper Series
  No. 17
  1993

• Seven Weeks on the Henro Michi: Steps Along the Shikoku Island 88 Temple Pilgrimage. Marc PEARL walked the pilgrimage in 1989 and this is an accounting of that trip with lots of pictures, maps, and diagrams.
  Unpublished
  Personal copy received from the author.

• Shikoku Henro: A Study of Japanese and Western Pilgrims on the Shikoku Eighty-Eight Sacred Places Pilgrimage. Fiona MACGREGOR's 2002 Masters' degree thesis. A very interesting study and comparison of Japanese and non-Japanese pilgrims, their motivations, hopes and experiences. Fiona used data she collected herself at various Shikoku temples as well as data from a Waseda University survey.
  Online document

• The Development Of Shikoku Henro: The Formation and Dissemination of a Pilgrimage in Pre-Modern Japan: A Case Study of Shikoku Eiji OKAWA's 2009 MA thesis from his studies at The University of British Columbia. Very nice paper and a great addition to the English literature about the Shikoku henro. According to Okawa-san, "In the thesis, I deal mostly with the historical aspect of the pilgrimage. As you are aware, this is a topic that have been delved by many scholars already. So I examined them carefully, and re-assessed them by closely analyzing the available primary materials, such as the Michishirube, Reijoki, and Kudokuki."

• The Evolution of a Representative Japanese Pilgrimage as a Complex Self-Organizing System. Hiroshi TANAKA SHIMAZAKI. This is very similar to his other paper on this list, Adjustment Within a Representative Japanese Pilgrimage System. It describes the origin and organization of the pilgrimage, as well as discussing how the pilgrimage tries to balance the pilgrim's desire for religious merit and desire for convenience.
  Online document

• The Eight-Eight Temples of Shikoku Island. Ron EDWARDS. In 1986 Ron walked the pilgrimage with friends, but instead of getting the temple stamp in his Nōkyōchō at each of the temples he took the time to make a sketch of some aspect of the temple compound that he found interesting. As he says in the article, he "did not attempt to do a drawing of each temple building but instead tried to record the variety of things that impressed me at each place." This article is a series of one sketch and one paragraph for each of the 88 temples. Very interesting.
  Arts of Asia
  Vol. 18
  1988

• The Historical Significance of Pilgrimages in Japan, with Special Reference to the Shikoku Pilgrimage. HOSHINO Eiki.
  A short overview of the history of the Shikoku Pilgrimage with a brief mention of the history of pilgrimage in Japan in general.
  Young East
  Vol. 9, Issue 3, pp. 3-14
  Summer 1983

• The History of Charitable Giving Along the Shikoku Pilgrimage Route. David MORETON's 2001 Masters' degree thesis. An interesting look into the history and development of settai and pilgrim lodging on the Shikoku Pilgrimage route.
  Online document
  The above link is the entire document (beware, its a big, 954K, file)
  Optionally: Beginning - Introduction, Main chapters, Conclusion & Bibliography, Appendices

• The Shikoku Pilgrimage: Essential Characteristics of a Japanese Bddhist Pilgrimage Complex. Hiroshi Tanaka SHIMAZAKI. A look at the pilgrimage and each temple's location from the geographer's point of view. As the abstract says, Shimazaki looks at "the association of the sites with various sacred beings; the temple landscapes in terms of their assemblages of physical features; the relationship between geographic setting and ritualistic behavior; and the spatial interactions among the 88 places."
  Sacred PLaces, Sacred Spaces: The Geography of Pilgrimages
  Robert Stoddard and Alan Morinis, Editors
  1997

Guidebooks:

• A Henro Pilgrimage Guide to the 88 Temples of Shikoku Island, Japan. A 160 page guidebook written by Bishop Taisen MIYATA of the Los Angeles Kōyasan Buddhist Temple. Contains some general information about the pilgrimage but most of the book is detailed information on each of the 88 temples. It also contains the Heart Surta (which is recited at each temple) in both Japanese Romaji and English. Either this book or David Moreton's book immediately below is a definite should read, and probably one of the books you should carry with you in order to read the information about each temple as you visit it, especially if you don't have the ability to read the Japanese guidebooks that are available.
  Bishop Taisen Miyata
  Los Angeles Kōya-san Buddhist Temple
  342 First Street
  Los Angeles, Ca, 90012
  (213) 624-1267

• A Journey of the Soul: The Shikoku Pilgrimage and its 88 Temples, by Tatsuo MURO and David MORETON. A great guidebook with information on the 88 main temples on the pilgrimage. Very much like Miyata-san's book above, it has one page on each of the temples with a short history and what to find there. Well worth owning. Either this book or Taisen Miyata's book immediately above is a definite should read, and probably one of the books you should carry with you in order to read the information about each temple as you visit it, especially if you don't have the ability to read the Japanese guidebooks that are available.
  Tatsuo Muro and David Moreton
  Available at Temple One or
  Moreton's web site.

• AWA Henro: A Bilingual Guidebook for Pilgrims in Tokushima. Published by AWA88. Who says that Kōbō Daishi isn't alive and out there watching over us. I didn't think i'd ever see a copy of this book as it is out of print with no plans for a reprinting. Then Kōbō showed up in the form of someone living in Tokushima and here i am with my own copy. Thanks Fiona. This bilingual book (English/Japanese) contains a wealth of information about each of the 23 temples in Tokushima Prefecture, numerous other temples in the prefecture, about the origin, history, and lore of the pilgrimage in general, and an overview of the Buddhism and its symbolism needed to understand it all. Well worth looking for a copy.
  The Office of AWA88
  Nakatori-machi 2-32
  Tokushima-ken, 770, Japan

• Shikoku 88 Kasho Shōsai Chizu Chō. A great little book (written in Japanese) much like a combination of Miyazaki-san's map book and Miyata-san's information book on each of the temples. It contains maps for the entire circuit with less detail than Miyazaki-san's, but enough to get you around the island. This book, however, was written for those who are driving the pilgrimage and i don't recommend it for walkers. Like Miyata-san's, this book gives you a few paragraphs of information on each of the temples, but also comes with color pictures and sketches of the layout of the temple compounds so you know which building is what. Also like Miyazaki-san's, this book has a good listing of minshuku, ryokan, and hotels you can possibly stay at.
  Zasshi Shikoku
  Nariai-machi 772-7
  Takamatsu-shi
  Kagawa-ken
  Yubin Bango 761-8082
  Japan
  (087) 885-1939

• Shikoku Henro: Hitori Aruki Dōgyō Ninin (Shikoku Pilgrim: Walking Alone, Two Fellow Pilgrims). A two volume set. Either volume 2, the maps themselves, or the English maps below, is a 100% must buy if you are walking. Written in Japanese, this set is called by many the Henro Bible. Led by MIYAZAKI Tateki, it was written and prepared by members of the the Cooperative Society to Preserve the Henro Trail for the person who intends to walk the pilgrimage. Volume one, while not necessary if you don't read Japanese, contains a wealth of information about the pilgrimage, what you need to buy and carry with you when you walk, medical information, time and distance between temples, and the footnotes for information on the maps contained in volume two.

  Volume two of Shikoku Henro Hitori Aruki Dōgyō Ninin is the map book that leads you from temple to temple and around the island. It contains all the necessary maps needed to make the trip and at least this volume is invaluable to all walkers of the pilgrimage. Even though all the writing is in Japanese, this shouldn't be a problem once you take the time to figure out how it is laid out - a time consuming but easy task. I offer some advice on this process on other pages in this web site. Volume two also contains about a dozen pages with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of minshuku, ryokan, hotels, and other places to stay. It is a great reference and all you probably need. It's all i used when i walked the trail.

  Volume 1 on the left. Volume 2 (maps) on the right.

  An example of one of the pages in the mapbook.

  You can buy the books at several temples or online at the Henro Michi Hozon Kyoryoku Kai website. The current edition was published in February 2007 and costs (with shipping) ¥3,790 for the set, or ¥2,710 for just the map book. My recommendation is to order them and have them sent to you before leaving so that you can study them at home.
  Available at Temples 1, 6, 10, 21, 24, 26, 37, 40, 51, 54, and 75. And, several book stores listed on the web site below.
  Available online at www.iyohenro.jp (Japanese)
  

  The website is in Japanese, but on the order page it says that the pricing listed is only for purchases inside Japan. It goes on to say that if you live outside of Japan, you need to contact them for cost and shipping information. The below contact info is listed, so you should be able to call, fax, or write them a letter. My guess is that they will find someone who can read an English letter or fax. My second guess is that they will tell you to send cash or an international money order. They would then send the book after they receive the money.
  --------------------
  Henro Michi Hozon Kyoryoku Kai
  Matsuyama-shi
  Ehime-ken
  Japan 791-8075
  TEL/FAX: 089-951-2506
  

  Be sure to tell them if you want the map book only, or the 2-book set, which includes both the map book and the kaisetsu book (explanation/commentary/extra info. book).

• Shikoku Japan 88 Route Guide. A very good guidebook in English, with a revised and updated second edition released in August 2009. The book includes 45 pages of general (but helpful) information about the pilgrimage plus all the maps you will need to get around the island, including the main 88 temples, the 20 bangai temples, Mt.Ishizuchi, and Mt. Kōya. The maps also include lodging, grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, gas stations, rest areas, and much, much more.

  This book is smaller than the Japanese maps mentioned above (B6 vs A4), but that really isn't a factor. I admit i prefer the larger maps because they are easier to use without having to physically hold the book open, but it is really a trivial point. There is only one thing about the Japanese maps that i prefer over this English edition — while minshuku, ryokan, hotels, etc. are indicated on individual pages of these English maps (with phone numbers), an all inclusive list with distances to/from the temples is not included in the back of the book like in the Japanese version. Again, however, i have to admit that if i hadn't started with the Japanese version, and therefore gotten used to it, i may not even notice the difference.

  Overall, a very good book indeed, and i highly recommend it.

  (Note that the publishers say a Korean version is also available.)

  Guidebook Cover

  Table of Contents Contents: 1–2 Legend: 3–4 Index Map: 5–12 Shikoku Japan: 13–14 What is the Shikoku Pilgrimage: 15–16 Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi): 17–18 Useful Information: 19–24 Proper etiquette at a temple: 25–26 Oaths and Commandments: 27 Basic Information of Buddhist Statues: 28–30 Pilgrim Attire and other items: 31–32 What to Take: 33 Pilgrim Glossary: 34–38 Access: 39–42 Maps: #1– #74a Going to Kōya-san: Map #74b Practical Phrases: 43–44 List of Public Information Associations: 45

  Example map page. (Click to enlarge)

  The guidebook is available at the following locations in Japan:

  • Temple 1, at the henro supplies store.
    
  • In Matsuyama City at the Iyo Railway Pilgrimage Supplies Corner (Iyo Tetsudō Junpai Yōhin Ko–na–), in front of the Matsuyama City Train Station.
  • Yaesu Book Center in Tōkyō.

  Or the following online sites:

  These prices are for purchases from outside of Japan:
  Online Site	Book	Shipping	Total	Payment Method	Ships From
  Amazon Japan	¥1,600	¥2,200+	¥3,800+	Credit Card	Japan
  Henro Michi Hozon Kyoroku Kai	15€ or US$22	Included	15€ or US$22	Cash	Japan
  Buyodo Publishing	¥1,600	¥600	¥2,200	PayPal	Japan
  David Moreton	¥1,600	¥600	¥2,200	PayPal	Japan
  From me, through this web site	US$10.53	(via Priority Mail) $5.72 (US) $12.65 (Canada/Mexico) $14.74 (All Other)	$16.25 (US) $23.18 (Canada/Mexico) $25.27 (All Other)	PayPal	Chicago, IL USA

  The guide book above is the 2nd edition (2009) . I still have one (1) copy of the 1st edition (2007) sitting on my bookshelf that didn't sell before the 2nd edition came out. Rather than let it go to waste, i'm willing to send it to a good home for just the cost of shipping. The cost of the book itself will be my gift to you. If anyone wants it, send me an email at the address on the "Contact Me" page and let me know. You can still pay me through PayPal, just not with the button above. The shipping rate is the same as you see above.

• The Traveller's Guide to Japanese Pilgrimages. Written by Ed READICKER-HENDERSON this gives the bare-bones basics of three separate pilgrimages in Japan. About half the book is devoted to the Shikoku pilgrimage and includes anything from a few paragraphs to a page on each of the 88 temples.
  Weatherhill, 1995

Biographical Information about Kūkai/Kōbō Daishi:

• Kōbō Daishi and Shingon Buddhism. This is Joseph KITAGAWA's PhD dissertation and the work that got him started in the field of the history of Japanese religions. Very good information and well worth the effort of tying to get a copy. A bit pricey, though, if you have to buy it from UMI.
  UMI Dissertation Services, 1951

• Kūkai: Major Works. A well written book by HAKEDA Yoshito, this is the standard when it comes to books about Kūkai. It explains Kūkai's life, upbringing, education, and teachings. More than half of the book is dedicated to translations of Kūkai's major writings. A necessary read if you want to understand his teachings and Shingon Buddhism, and a wonderful primer for the trip.
  Columbia University Press, 1972

• Kūkai The Universal: Scenes form His Life. Ryotaro SHIBA. An English translation of Shiba's 1978 biograqphy of the life of Daishi-sama. Well researched and easy to read. Recommended.
  ICG Muse, Inc, 2003

• Saichō and Kūkai: A Conflict of Interpretation. Ryūichi ABÉ. A study of the relationship between the founders of Tendai and Shingon Buddhism and of their different interpretations of esoteric Buddhism in genreal.
  Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 1995
  Vol. 22/1-2

• Sources of Japanese Tradition, Volume I. Edited by Wm. Theodorede BARY, this anthology has been around for a long time and is the earliest book that i have found which contains chapters with both commentary and translations of original works on Kūkai, Saichō, (a brief mention of) Kūya, and Esoteric Buddhism.
  Columbia University Press, 1958

• Tantric Poetry of Kukai, Japan's Buddhist Saint. Morgan Gibson and Hiroshi Murakami. A very small 76 page book containing information on Kūkai and Shingon, followed by 10 of his poems and excerpts form the Dainichikyō.
  White Pine Press, 1987

• The Weaving of Mantra: Kūkai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse. Ryūichi ABÉ While highly theoretical, this is an extremely well written and detailed look into Kūkai's life, thoughts, writings, and interactions with the government's ritsuryō system and the Buddhist sects of Nara. As the back of the dust jacket says, it "... offers valuable insights into the linguist and ritual dimensions of esoteric Buddhism and traces the development of Kūkai's thought and its role in the creation of a new social order." For those wanting to truely understand Kūkai, what he thought, and what he believed, this is a must read.
  Columbia University Press, 1999

General Japanese Buddhism:

• Esoteric Buddhism. A.P. SINNETT. Written in 1884, this is an interesting look at the principles and theory of Esoteric Buddhism as practiced in India over one-hundred years ago. I'm not exactly sure of its relevance for this pilgrimage in particular, or for Esoteric Buddhism as practiced in Japan today (or in the 8th century, for that matter, when Kūkai brought it from China to Japan), but it is interesting background reading none the less.
  Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1884

• Foundation of Japanese Buddhism: The Aristocratic Age. By Daigan and Alicia MATSUNAGA. A great introduction to the history of Buddhism in Japan. This is Volume 1 (of 2) and it lays out the foundations of Buddhism in Japan from its introduction through Korea to the end of the Heian Period. Of importance here is the material on the pre-Nara period and how people like En no Gyōja and Gyōgi helped lay the foundations for the Shugendō movement, the concept of mountain pilgrimages, and the idea of preaching Buddhism to the people in order to improve their lives. And, finally, the sections on both Shingon and Tendai Buddhism - how these were a reaction to all the above and how they developed.
  Buddhist Books International, 1978

• History of Japanese Religion. By Masaharu ANESAKI. Kitagawa very frequently refers to Anesaki's writings in his own books as Anesaki was one of the first Western trained researchers of Japanese Religion. Originally adopted from a series of lectures that he gave at Harvard University between 1913 and 1915, a lot of information has changed and been refined since this book was first published. Even so, this 1963 publication is still packed full of valuable information. Charles Tuttle Co., 1963

• Japanese Mandalas: Representations of Sacred Geography, by Elizabeth ten GROTENHUIS. A wonderful book on the various mandala used in different schools of Japanese Buddhism. Several chapters cover Shingon's Kongōkai Mandara (Diamond World Mandala) and Taizokai Mandara (Womb World Mandala).
  University of Hawai'i Press, 1999

• Mudrâ: A Stury of Symbolic Gestures in Japanese Buddhist Sculpture. E. Dale SAUNDERS. This is a reference work and not something you just sit and read cover to cover (although you could). Figures, diagrams, and pictures of all the mudra used in buddhist sculpture and art, this is a great book for learning more about the statues we see in the pilgrimage temples.
  Princeton University Press, 1960

• On Understanding Japanese Religion, by Joseph KITAGAWA. This is the same book as listed in the top section above. I've listed it again because it contains a very good general chapter on Kūkai called Master and Saviour. All in all, this is a very good book on Japanese Religion and the mythological roots of Japan.
  Princeton University Press, 1987

• Religion in Japanese History, by Joseph KITAGAWA. This contains a very well written introduction to the beginnings of Buddhism in Japan, how it interacted with Shinto and pre-Buddhist shamanistic practices, and the introduction of esoteric Buddhism. As with all of Kitagawa's works, it is a great read.
  Columbia University Press, 1966

• Religions of Japan in Practice. Edited by George TANABE, Jr. This anthology contains both commentary on, and translations of, original sources related to Kūkai and Shingon Buddhism. Luckily for us, it also contains one chapter with material about En the Ascetic (En no Gyōja). In addition, it has additional information on Saichō and Tendai Buddhism.
  Princeton University Press, 1999

• Shapers of Japanese Buddhism. Edited by Yusen KASHIWAHARA and Koyu SONADA. This book contains biographies of the people that shaped Japanese Buddhism into what it is today. The two most important chapters for this trip are the ones on Gyōgi and Kūkai. Also of some intersest are the chapters on Saichō, the founder of Japanese Tendai, and Kūya, the first to advocate the use of the nembutsu.
  Kosei Publishing Co., 1994

• Shingon: Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. Written by YAMASAKI Taikō (the abbot of Jōkō-in in Kobe at the time of the writing), this well written book lays out the history of Shingon Buddhism from its origin in India through its import to Japan, an explanation of some of the Shingon doctrine, and a little on some of the Shingon practices and meditations.
  Shingon Buddhist International Institute, 1988

• The Development of the Kenmitsu System As Japan's Medieval Orthodoxy. KURODA Toshio. According to Kuroda, the Kenmitsu System, a systematic fusion of exoteric (ken) and esoteric (mitsu) beliefs, formed the ideological underpinnings of Heian Period Japan's political and social structure. While some people have issues with his ideas in this area, it is accepted by many.
  Japanese Journal of Religious Studies
  1996
  Vol. 23/3-4

The Heart Sutra:
The Heart Sutra is (no pun intended) the heart of this pilgrimage. It is chanted by virtually every henro at both the Daishdō and the Hondō of every temple. The deeper our understanding of it's intent and meaning, the deeper our potential realization while on the trail. Here are some of the books that try to make sense of it.

• Buddhist Scriptures, Edward CONZE. Chapter 3 contains a translation of the sutra, but there is no commentary other than having the sutra catagorized by section. However, by attaching titles to the sections, isn't that a type of commentary?
  Penguin Books, 1959

• Buddhist Wisdom, Edward CONZE. Translations of, and commentary on, both the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra.
  Vintage Books
  Vintage Spiritual Classics, 2001 Reprint

• Elaborations on Emptiness: Uses of the Heart Sutra, Donald LOPEZ, Jr. A scholarly study of the eight extant Indian commentaries on the sutra along with Donald's commentaries on the commentaries. Interesting reading, but wading through the Indian, Tibetan, and Sanskrit words used liberally throughout made it very slow reading, for me.
  Princeton University Press, 1996

• Essence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama's Heart of Wisdom Teachings, translated and edited by Geshe Thupten JINPA. This is the Dalai Lama's commentary and explanation of the Heart Sutra. Since there isn't anything the Dalai Lama could write that i wouldn't recommend, read this.
  Wisdom Publications, 2002

• Heart of Wisdom: The Essential Wisdom Teachings of Buddha, Geshe Kelsang GYATSO. A very detailed look into the sutra from the Tibetan point of view. Highly recommended.
  Tharpa Publications, 1996

• On The Heart Sutra, Abbot OBORA. This constitutes the greater part of Trevor LEGGETT'S book A Second Zen Reader and is a line-by-line, word-by-word explanation of the sutra from the Sōtō Zen point of view.
  Charles Tuttle Company, 1988

• Makahannyaharamitsu (The Accomplishment of the Great Wisdom of Buddha), DŌGEN Kigen. Chapter two of the Shōbōgenzō, The Eye and Treasurey of the True Law, and Dōgen's commentary on prajnaparamita.
  Nakayama Shobō, 1988
  Kōsen NISHIYAMA, Translater

• Mountain Record of Zen Talks, John Daido LOORI. Chapter 4 is a short, very short, and to the point, dharma talk given by Loori on the Heart Sutra.
  Shambhala Publications, 1988

• The Cave of Poison Grass: Essays on the Hannya Sutra, Seikan HASEGAWA. The first half of the book is an introduction and the last half is a line-by-line commentary of the sutra.
  Great Ocean Publishers, 1975

• The Compass of Zen, Seung SAHN. Section 3, on Mahayana Buddhism, contains Seung Sahn's commentary on the sutra in ten pages. I love his writing style and would recommend anything he writes, including this book.
  Shambhala Publications, 1997

• The Four Noble Truths, Volume 1: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought, Geshe Tashi TSERING. This is far more than just a book on the four noble truths. To explain them he goes over a lot more material than just these four basic foundational ideas. In fact he covers almost all of the ideas covered in the Heart Sutra. This is a wonderful overview of the basics of Buddhist thought from a Tibetan Geshe (Ph.D., basically) living in London.
  Wisdom Publications, 2005

• The Heart of Prajna Paramita Sutra: With "Verses Without A Stand" And Prose Commentary, Master Hsuan HUA.
  Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2003

• The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, Thich Nhat HANH. As with all of Nhat Hanh's writings this is a pleasure to read.
  Parallax Press, 1988

• The Heart Sutra, Red Pine (a.k.a. Bill PORTER). A new translation with commentary culled from many Chinese and Sanscrit sources, by the author of Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits. Nothing new, but a good read none-the-less.
  Shoemaker & Hoard, 2004

• The Heart Sutra: An Oral Teaching, Geshe Sonam Rinchen. Another commentary from the Tibetan point of view.
  Snow Lion Publications, 2003

• The Heart Sutra: Discourses on the Prajnaparamita Hridayam Sutra, OSHO. Personally i'm not a great fan of Osho, but that's certainly not relevant and this is a very good commentary on the sutra.
  Element Books, 1994

• The Heart Sutra Explained, Donald LOPEZ, Jr. A translation and explanation of the early Indian and Tibetan commentaries on the Heart Sura. As with his other book above, this was very hard reading for me.
  State University of New York Press, 1988

• The Perfection of Wisdom. R.C. JAMIESON has selected and translated portions of the The Perfection of Wisdom in 8000 Lines. The Heart Sutra belongs to the The Perfection of Wisdom family of sutras, which makes this book relevant.
  Viking Studio Books, 2000

• The Secret Key to the Heart Sutra, Kūkai. This is the translation of Kūkai's thesis on the sutra found in Section 8, Part 3 of Hakeda's wonderful book Kūkai: Major Works.
  Columbia University Press, 1972

• There Is No Suffering: A Commentary on the Heart Sutra, Sheng-Yen. One of the few commentaries that approaches the Heart Sutra from the point of view of how to apply it to your practice.
  Dharma Drum Publications, 2001

• What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola RAHULA. Maybe one of the best overviews of the basic teachings of Buddhism ever written. It is easy to read and makes many of the difficult areas clear. While not specifically about the Heart Sutra, like The Four Noble Truths by Geshe Tsering above, it covers the material you need to understand in order to make sense of the sutra. In fact, without this understanding, the Heart Sutra won't make sense no matter how often you read it. Highly recommended.
  Grove Press, 1974

• Zen Words For The Heart: Hakuin's Commentary on the Heart Sutra. Translated by Norman WADDELL and a great read.
  Shambhala Books, 1996

Books on other pilgrimages and pilgrimage in general

• First You Shave Your Head, Geri LARKIN. This is Geri's accounting of a pilgrimage she made in Korea with her teacher, Samu Sunim. I like anything Geri writes, it's so down to earth. She pulls no punches in this book. Her pilgrimage was hard, it was agonizing, it brought tears on most days, it tested everything she thought she understood, it was a window into her heart and being.
  Cellestial Arts, 2001

• Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, Victor & Edith TURNER. So many people cite this book when they talk and write about pilgrimage that i finally decided i needed to read it first hand. While it focuses on Christian pilgrimages, they explore the idea of pilgrimage in depth and that makes this appropriate reading for Shikoku as well.
  Columbia University Press, 1978
  (There is a new 1995 edition, but i haven't seen it)

• Liminal to Liminoid, in Play, Flow, and Ritual: An Essay in Comparative Symbology. Victor TURNER.
  Rice University Studies
  Vol. 60, Pages 53-92
  1974

• Pilgrimages, Richard BARBER. A very short introduction to pilgrimage in general then studies of the main pilgrimages in each of the major spiritual traditions. The final chapter is a good look at the commonalities found in pilgrimage across all all traditions.
  The Boydell Press, 1991

• Pilgrimage: Adventures of the Spirit, edited by Sean and James O'REILLY. Memoirs from people who have made various pilgrimages and sacred travels around the world.
  Travelers' Tales, 2000

• Pilgrimage and Communitas. Victor TURNER's first indepth look at pilgrimage, the concept of communitas, and how these two relate to each other.
  Studia Missionalia
  Vol. 23, Pages 305-327
  1974

• Sacred Journeys: An Illustrated Guide to Pilgrimages Around the World, Jennifer WESTWOOD. A catalog of pilgrimages around the world.
  Henry Hold & Co., 1997

• The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred, Phil COUSINEAU. A very good book on the art of making a pilgrimage more than just a hike.
  MJF Books, 1998

• The Center out There: Pilgrim's Goal, Victor TURNER. This appears to be his first attempt to write about and introduce people to his themes of communitas and liminality. Somewhere else he said he started thinking about the ideas in the mid-1960's but here he say he says he is introducing a "work in progress" as he is still developing the ideas. In fact, the term liminoid doesn't even appear at this early stage.
  History of Religions
  Vol 12, No. 3, Pages 191-230
  Feb. 1973

• Variations On A Theme Of Liminality, Victor TURNER. Chapter 3 in the book Secular Ritual. Continuing discussion of the theme of liminalality, and the introduction and explanation of its cousin, liminoid.
  Sally Moore & Barbara Myerhoff, Editors
  Van Gorcum & Co., 1977

• Xuanzang: A Buddhist Pilgrim on the Silk Road, Sally Hovey WRIGGINS. The pilgrim of all pilgrims. The mother of all pilgrimages. Xuanzang, or Hsuan Tsang as may of us are used to seeing it, spent 16 years on the henro trail. He left the Chinese capital of Chang'an in 629 even though the emperor had personnaly forbid it. He walked west along the silk road, worked his way to India to study Buddhism at its source, and returned 16 years later a hero and leader of Chinese Buddhism.
  Westview Press, 1996

• Between Two Worlds: A Japanese Pilgrimage. Created by the American documentary makers, Joanne Hershfield and Susan Caperna Lloyd. According to the description on YouTube, "In 1992 the two film makers headed out to the Japanese island of Shikoku just off the south coast of the main island to document an ancient Buddhist pilgrimage. The pilgrimage known as the Shikoku Buddhist pilgrimage follows the path of enlightenment for Kobo Daish, a local Bodhisattva. In doing so pilgrims visit 88 temples and shrines located around the island, which can take up to two months to complete by foot. The film makers looked to document the modern pilgrimage, the pilgrims reason for participating in the journey and what they hoped to receive from the journey. Joanne and Susan also observe the effects of modern Japanese society on the pilgrimage. "
  
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
  • Part 3
  • Part 4

• Jeff Martin has a link to another English language video about the pilgrimage on his web site, Full Henro.
  Pilgrimage to the 88 Temples of Shikoku Island
  "Written, narrated, and directed by renowned Japan scholar Oliver Statler, this 1973 film looks like it might have been filmed at the turn of the century, though the high contrast and lack of color may simply be the effects of aging. The focus here is more on the ritual of the pilgrimage, showing what pilgrims do when they visit temples."

  The Buddhist Way of Life: Shingon Buddhism. Bishop Taisen Miyata, author of the temple guidebook A Henro Pilgrimage Guide to the 88 Temples of Shikoku Island, Japan, talks about the Shikoku henro michii in this video on Dharmanet.org. (When i try to watch it, the audio drops out after 5 minutes, but i'll leave this link in case they fix it.)

  Shikoku Pilgrimage: 88 Temple Pilgrimage Tour. Helan Garan gave a slideshow talk to the Sierra Club in New York in June 2009 about her walk around the henro trail. The talk is split into three videos here abd can be found amongst the thumbnails on the right side of the screen.

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