A multilingual information portal called OHENRO.ONLINE went live on April 15, aiming to make the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage more accessible to international visitors. The site is directed at overseas travelers considering the pilgrimage as well as those who have already undertaken it.
About the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage
The Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage is a roughly 1,200-kilometer journey through four prefectures — Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, and Kochi — visiting 88 temples associated with the Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi Kukai. Open to people of all nationalities and religious backgrounds, pilgrims are known as "ohenro-san" as they trace the footsteps of Kobo Daishi. In recent years, the number of foreign pilgrims — particularly from Europe and North America — has been growing, and international media and travel guides have begun to feature the route with increasing frequency.
Despite this rising interest, foreign pilgrims have historically faced challenges such as pilgrimage information being available primarily in Japanese, difficulty understanding the cultural and spiritual context, and uncertainty about how to interact with local communities.
What OHENRO.ONLINE Offers
The portal addresses these gaps by delivering pilgrimage information in eight languages — Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese — using a combination of AI-assisted and human-reviewed video translation. Content is centered on video and includes:
- Temple introduction videos — Historical background and the meaning of each pilgrimage stop, explained through footage and narration.
- Interviews with head priests and local residents — First-hand perspectives on the spiritual culture of Ohenro and the communities that surround the temples.
- Practical guides for foreign pilgrims — Video explanations covering pilgrimage gear, walking routes, and local etiquette.
- Special content featuring Don Weiss — A dedicated series following Don Weiss, a forerunner among foreign pilgrims who has walked the Shikoku circuit many times. The content documents his "Last Walk" (LAST WALK), capturing his journey and reflections. Episodes are being released from mid-April onwards.
Looking Ahead
Beyond providing information, the project envisions organizing pilgrimage and travel tours in the future, with the goal of attracting visitors specifically motivated by Ohenro and contributing to regional vitalization.
A portal introduction video is available at: https://youtu.be/-ZeGBBT8ykI
The site can be accessed at: https://ohenro.online/
