ヘンロ小屋ノート 58号月夜 Tsukiyo
Goya Henro Hut Nr.58 Tsukiyo
The place
Henro-goya No. 58 "Tsukiyo" (月夜 — "Moonlit Night") set at 72 m on the Shikoku pilgrimage (Tokushima, Shikoku island, Japan, coordinates 33.83 N, 134.59 E). The henro-goya is a rest shelter built specifically for pilgrims ("henro") walking the Shikoku Henro — a legendary 1,200 km Buddhist pilgrimage linking 88 temples associated with the monk Kukai (Kūkai, 774-835, founder of Shingon Buddhism, one of Japan's greatest saints). It originated from the henro-goya project launched by Japanese architect Uta Ichiyo (Shikoku Prefectural University, Tokushima), with the ambition of building 88 huts in reference to the pilgrimage's 88 temples. The structures are built by volunteers and funded by local communities — each hut carries a number and a poetic name referencing the local landscape (No. 58 "Tsukiyo"/"Moonlit Night"). Walking pilgrims ("aruki henro") occasionally sleep here on the benches or on the ground in a freestanding tent, or rest for a few minutes before continuing. Exceptional setting along the Shikoku pilgrimage: rice paddies, subtropical forests, traditional Buddhist temples, and the legendary hospitality ("osettai") of the Shikoku people toward pilgrims. A 1,200-year-old religious practice — one of the oldest Buddhist pilgrimages still active in the world.
Getting there
Shikoku pilgrimage (Tokushima, Japan), 88 temples linked to Kukai (774-835). Volunteer henro-goya network, No. 58 "Tsukiyo".
The setting
Shikoku Henro (Tokushima, JP), 1,200 km Buddhist pilgrimage, 1,200 years old, "osettai" hospitality.
