Honoring the sacred paths of Japanese Pilgrimage Culture

Among the anniversaries, observations and commemorations of April 15th annually, my personal favorite is Japanese Pilgrimage Culture Day 日本巡礼文化の日 in Japan. Because this is a day that celebrates the long tradition of journeying to sacred places, that has a history of more than 1000 years. 

Japanese Pilgrimage Culture not only supports a journey to a sacred place, but the reflection, gratitude and spiritual connection that comes from that journey. The date of the anniversary comes from a wordplay on 4/15 that can be read as "good connection"; "yo (4) i (1) go (5) en". A reminder that the pilgrimage is not only about visiting temples but also forming meaningful ties with the people, landscapes and teachings encountered along the way. 

The day was established by the "Saigoku 33 Temple Association" in Otsu, Shiga, on the 1300th anniversary of the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, Japan's oldest pilgrimage route. Have you ever done the route? Whether you do the whole route or just visit a single temple, the journey, and this anniversary, instill a sense of gratitude for the paths that have been guiding us for, and the connections have been made over, thousands of years.