tradition– category –

Finding Quiet through Meditation in Shikoku's Chikurin-ji Chikurin-ji's pagoda soars above the greenery of the grounds. Chikurin-ji, “the Temple of the Bambo...

An ascetic scales chains toward the peak of Mt. Ishizuchi, known as “Tengu-dake”, as seen from the summit shrine.  Straddling the border ...

Deep in Shikoku's Iya valley region, the village of Shigesue clings like a horseshoe to a hoof-shaped cluster of mountains. The Ishikawa household sits on th...

Buddhist priest Ryōkei Kume has guided visitors through takigyō (waterfall training) for over twenty years. He takes reservations in any season, even deep wi...

Crackling flames cast an orange glow on the fearsome Buddha before the altar. The smell of fragrant smoke fills your nostrils. The pounding of the taiko drum...

The craggy cliffs of Mt. Ishizuchi, Shikoku’s tallest mountain, are draped in heavy iron chains. White-clad practitioners of Shugendō, “the Path of Cultivati...

Japan’s iconic torii gates are everywhere, from bustling streetcorners to soaring mountain peaks, and Shikoku’s no exception. These gates mark sacred space i...