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Neon Pilgrim
During a culture-shocked exchange year in Japan, fifteen-year-old Lisa Dempster’s imagination is ignited by the story of the henro michi, an arduous 1200 kilometre Buddhist pilgrimage through the mountains of Japan.
Perfectly suiting the romantic view of herself as a dusty, travel-worn explorer (well, one day), she promises to return to Japan and walk the henro michi, one way or another, as soon as humanely possible.
Fast-forward thirteen years, and Lisa’s life is vastly different to what she pictured it would be. Severely depressed, socially withdrawn, overweight, on the dole and living with her mum, she is 28 and miserable.
And then, completely by chance, the henro michi comes back into her life, through a book at her local library. It’s a sign. She decides then and there to go back to Japan almost immediately: to walk the henro michi, and walk herself back to health.
Brushing aside the barriers that other people might find daunting – the 1200km of mountainous terrain, the sweltering Japanese summer, the fact she has no money and has never done a multi-day hike before – Lisa is determined to walk the pilgrimage, or die trying.
Perfectly suiting the romantic view of herself as a dusty, travel-worn explorer (well, one day), she promises to return to Japan and walk the henro michi, one way or another, as soon as humanely possible.
Fast-forward thirteen years, and Lisa’s life is vastly different to what she pictured it would be. Severely depressed, socially withdrawn, overweight, on the dole and living with her mum, she is 28 and miserable.
And then, completely by chance, the henro michi comes back into her life, through a book at her local library. It’s a sign. She decides then and there to go back to Japan almost immediately: to walk the henro michi, and walk herself back to health.
Brushing aside the barriers that other people might find daunting – the 1200km of mountainous terrain, the sweltering Japanese summer, the fact she has no money and has never done a multi-day hike before – Lisa is determined to walk the pilgrimage, or die trying.
298 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2009
11 people are currently reading
777 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 31, 2017
I love hiking nearly as much as I love books, so when I received an offer to review Neon Pilgrim by Lisa Dempster it was a no-brainer to put my hands up – yes please! Neon Pilgrim is Lisa’s account of her pilgrimage on the Henro Michi trail in Shikoku, Japan – walking 1200 km of mountainous terrain in the gruelling summer heat. I admire people who have the courage to step outside their comfort zone to experience truly life-changing events. My own hikes, whilst having taken me to some beautiful locations, have been tame in comparison, always holding the promise of company, a good meal, a hot shower (sometimes) and a bed to sleep in at the end of the day – even if the bed was in a remote mountain hut. Lisa, on the other hand, hiked in true pilgrim style – navigating completely alien territory on her own, with both her meals and her shelter often only received at the hands of generous strangers. What a lot of courage it takes to travel like that!
Writing with total honesty and an irresistible sense of Aussie humour that was both refreshing as well as laugh-out-loud funny at times, Lisa recalls her experiences on her pilgrimage, giving the reader an insight into both the gruelling as well as the rewarding aspects of her journey. Setting off without any experience or prior training, and fighting an ongoing battle with depression, she navigated the pain and pitfalls of her first few days (and weeks) on the trail with amazing stamina, not holding anything back when recalling her pain and doubts on setting off on her hike. What wonderful armchair travel – I have never been to Japan, but could vividly picture both its beautiful countryside as well as its graceful people. Lisa’s inner journey was also an interesting one, as she slowly became more comfortable in her own body and managed to still her ever-chatty Western mind to reflect on her life choices.
With a voice that is as honest as it is heartfelt, the tale never comes across as whiny or preachy, as some similar life-journey books tend to do – and it was always entertaining to read about Lisa’s encounters with the many colourful characters she met along the way. I think the one thing I loved most about Neon Pilgrim (and which made the book stand out from many similar travel tales) was Lisa’s uninhibited honesty, the way she never censors her thoughts in order to make herself appear braver or tougher in the eyes of the reader. It takes a lot of guts to leave yourself so exposed and vulnerable and own up to your own weaknesses!
If you like hiking, or armchair travel, or just a tale about someone who was gutsy enough to step out of her comfort zone, Neon Pilgrim may be just the book for you. Brimming with interesting characters and written with warmth, honesty and an irresistible Aussie humour, this memoir was both interesting as well as entertaining. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever yearned for adventure but has found many excuses why they can’t do it – Lisa’s honest account of her pilgrimage proves that where there is a will, there is a way!
Thank you to Ventura Press for the free copy of this memoir and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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Writing with total honesty and an irresistible sense of Aussie humour that was both refreshing as well as laugh-out-loud funny at times, Lisa recalls her experiences on her pilgrimage, giving the reader an insight into both the gruelling as well as the rewarding aspects of her journey. Setting off without any experience or prior training, and fighting an ongoing battle with depression, she navigated the pain and pitfalls of her first few days (and weeks) on the trail with amazing stamina, not holding anything back when recalling her pain and doubts on setting off on her hike. What wonderful armchair travel – I have never been to Japan, but could vividly picture both its beautiful countryside as well as its graceful people. Lisa’s inner journey was also an interesting one, as she slowly became more comfortable in her own body and managed to still her ever-chatty Western mind to reflect on her life choices.
With a voice that is as honest as it is heartfelt, the tale never comes across as whiny or preachy, as some similar life-journey books tend to do – and it was always entertaining to read about Lisa’s encounters with the many colourful characters she met along the way. I think the one thing I loved most about Neon Pilgrim (and which made the book stand out from many similar travel tales) was Lisa’s uninhibited honesty, the way she never censors her thoughts in order to make herself appear braver or tougher in the eyes of the reader. It takes a lot of guts to leave yourself so exposed and vulnerable and own up to your own weaknesses!
If you like hiking, or armchair travel, or just a tale about someone who was gutsy enough to step out of her comfort zone, Neon Pilgrim may be just the book for you. Brimming with interesting characters and written with warmth, honesty and an irresistible Aussie humour, this memoir was both interesting as well as entertaining. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever yearned for adventure but has found many excuses why they can’t do it – Lisa’s honest account of her pilgrimage proves that where there is a will, there is a way!
Thank you to Ventura Press for the free copy of this memoir and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
March 22, 2018
I started this book as I wanted something inspirational, and this one sure didn't disappoint! Author starts out the story overweight depressed and generally rather a mess; ends up quite an international success for her achievement.
It helped that she speaks very good Japanese, having been an exchange student on Shikoku earlier. On the other hand, she's vegan, which presents quite a challenge in such a fish-based culinary landscape. I wouldn't say, however, that it's a book about Japanese culture as such directly. Her encounters are with folks along the Route as a pilgrim, rather than a genuine tourist or expat. It's her story of finding herself primarily.
I suppose if I had to find one negative aspect to the story, it's that she certainly seems to vomit quite a bit. So much so that I was near certain she was pregnant. Still, for a novice hiker, and writer, she she manages proves the adage: You don't know until you try!
Audio narration came through well, so a good decision not to hire an outside narrator.
It helped that she speaks very good Japanese, having been an exchange student on Shikoku earlier. On the other hand, she's vegan, which presents quite a challenge in such a fish-based culinary landscape. I wouldn't say, however, that it's a book about Japanese culture as such directly. Her encounters are with folks along the Route as a pilgrim, rather than a genuine tourist or expat. It's her story of finding herself primarily.
I suppose if I had to find one negative aspect to the story, it's that she certainly seems to vomit quite a bit. So much so that I was near certain she was pregnant. Still, for a novice hiker, and writer, she she manages proves the adage: You don't know until you try!
Audio narration came through well, so a good decision not to hire an outside narrator.
January 31, 2018
This was an intriguing travelogue about the famed Shikoku pilgrimage but I felt it was a little superficial. A bit more of the personal would have engaged me further.
That's not to take anything from Dempster's effort in completing the walk (in the Japanese summer, urgh), which was, in a word, phenomenal.
That's not to take anything from Dempster's effort in completing the walk (in the Japanese summer, urgh), which was, in a word, phenomenal.
October 1, 2019
As a foreigner who has lived in Japan for almost 6 years, I don't think I have ever read another book that better described how caring, kind, gracious and infuriating Japanese people and the culture can be. What a great read, makes me want to go walk the pilgrimage.
March 14, 2018
Gifts are complicated things. The simple premise of giving someone something they need, love, or want is what actually complicates the definition of a gift. Gifts, before anything else, function like a contract that requires the exchange of goods and/or services until someone dies, or decides to break off the relationship with the gift giver. There is always payback in the form of another gift. Now whilst that might seem like the Ebeneezer Scrooge definition of gift giving, there is some harsh veracity behind it.
When we are given gifts we are usually extremely happy that the person thought to give us something, whatever the occasion. Although, sometimes you get a pair of socks or another scented candle that you absolutely do not want or need, so you add it to that dark box in the cupboard with all of your other socks and candles. Either way, the rule is… Receive a gift, return at a later with another gift. Simple reciprocity.
There seems to be an anxiety around gifts. The constant need to make sure that we return the favour; the constant need to make sure that our gifts are of the same monetary value as the gifts we receive; and the constant need to make sure that our gifts are well thought out and ALWAYS the perfect gift for that person… When we cannot return the favour and give someone a gift there is a real feeling of failure, shame, stress, and worry. If we do not repay a gift, we are horrible people. However, what if the way we think about gift giving is all wrong? What if we just gave gifts and stopped at that. What if our contemporary understanding of gifts meant that we did not need to reciprocate every. single. time?
Lisa Dempster’s travel memoir is about her 1,200km trip on the Henro Michi, a Buddhist pilgrimage in Japan that visits 88 Buddhist temples and traverses mountains, highways, coastlines, and everything in between. Dempster says that she took the journey after feeling stuck in her life back in Australia. She was depressed, anxious, overweight, unhappy, and trapped in a life that she had made for herself and yet did not know how she got there. She chose Japan because she went on exchange there when she was in high school, which was also the same time she first learned about the Henro Michi. Almost on a whim, she decides she needs to do the pilgrimage in the hopes that she can discover who she is and to heal her head and heart.
There are many ways to do the Henro Michi and Dempster decides to do rough. She sleeps in parks and on the side of mountain trails. She occasionally sleeps in BnBs and the odd cheap hotel when she needs a bath and a soft bed. Henros, or pilgrims, wear a white vest so they can be differentiated from non-pilgrims and also (rather morbidly) if they die on the trail they can be buried where they fall. Along the way Dempster, like other henros, receives settai, or gifts. The gifts are usually food, drinks, money, lucky charms, a night in a hotel, a foot massage, or even a lift to a nearby BnB. The only thing the henro is supposed to do in return for the settai is bestow the gift-giver with a name slip: a piece of paper or ribbon (the more times you do the Henro Michi, the colour and quality of your name slip changes) that has your name on it. It is supposed to be bring luck and good karma and is a way of thanking the person for giving you a gift. Throughout Dempster’s journey, she struggles with the awkwardness of receiving gifts that she cannot repay with the same value. When people let her stay in their BnBs for free, or give her food and drink for her journey, she can only give them a small white piece of paper with her name on it. Hardly an equivalent gift in our Western understanding of gift giving and receiving. Yet, that is all that is required.
The humility of receiving gifts that we cannot repay is a beautiful thing. I also think it forces us to focus on the act of giving for the simple sake of giving. Whilst one could argue that the giver receives good luck and karma for giving the gift (so nothing is purely altruistic), however, karma, luck, good vibes, or however you want to call it cannot be quantified in the way that money and objects can be. It is a spiritual currency (for believers and non-believers alike) that nourishes who we are as people.
I’ve been poor for a long time in my life. My family grew up in government housing and my parents didn’t have jobs for health reasons so our income was government handouts (for lack of a better way to put it). I did not get to go on all the school excursions or camps because my parents could not afford it. I wore second-hand clothes, my school uniforms came from the donation bin at the school. When my high school changed its uniform to a new design my parents panicked because the uniforms were all new, no second-hand, and they did not know how they could afford a new one for me. I hated receiving help from people growing up. Especially when it came to gifts or acts of kindness I could never repay. It felt embarrassing. I told myself, it was a matter of pride. Yet, the people who gave me things did not always want me to give them something back. The only thing they wanted in return was to see me succeed. They wanted to see me grow and change and be the person I had always hoped to be, but could not get their without help.
The act of settai is a bit like the concept of paying it forward. You do not need to return the gift to the same person, but rather give a gift to the next person you see in need. Give and receive gifts because we cannot do it all alone. Give gifts because it can make your heart lighter and give gifts to help people. Give small gifts and big gifts, and gifts that cost nothing and gifts that cost a lot. Receive gifts of every shape and size and be grateful for them, but not trapped and beholden to the idea that the gift must be reciprocated to the person who gave you the gift in the first place.
There is no easy way to solve our anxieties around gifts, but I think that viewing them as something more than a contract enriches the experience of giving and receiving gifts. It keeps us humble and asks us to look at the motivations behind why we give things to other people. Reading books and the sharing of knowledge can sometimes be the greatest gift we can give ourselves and others. So how are you going to change the story?
Have you read Lisa Dempster’s memoir about her 1,200km journey? What do you think about gift giving and receiving? As always, share the reading love.
When we are given gifts we are usually extremely happy that the person thought to give us something, whatever the occasion. Although, sometimes you get a pair of socks or another scented candle that you absolutely do not want or need, so you add it to that dark box in the cupboard with all of your other socks and candles. Either way, the rule is… Receive a gift, return at a later with another gift. Simple reciprocity.
There seems to be an anxiety around gifts. The constant need to make sure that we return the favour; the constant need to make sure that our gifts are of the same monetary value as the gifts we receive; and the constant need to make sure that our gifts are well thought out and ALWAYS the perfect gift for that person… When we cannot return the favour and give someone a gift there is a real feeling of failure, shame, stress, and worry. If we do not repay a gift, we are horrible people. However, what if the way we think about gift giving is all wrong? What if we just gave gifts and stopped at that. What if our contemporary understanding of gifts meant that we did not need to reciprocate every. single. time?
Lisa Dempster’s travel memoir is about her 1,200km trip on the Henro Michi, a Buddhist pilgrimage in Japan that visits 88 Buddhist temples and traverses mountains, highways, coastlines, and everything in between. Dempster says that she took the journey after feeling stuck in her life back in Australia. She was depressed, anxious, overweight, unhappy, and trapped in a life that she had made for herself and yet did not know how she got there. She chose Japan because she went on exchange there when she was in high school, which was also the same time she first learned about the Henro Michi. Almost on a whim, she decides she needs to do the pilgrimage in the hopes that she can discover who she is and to heal her head and heart.
There are many ways to do the Henro Michi and Dempster decides to do rough. She sleeps in parks and on the side of mountain trails. She occasionally sleeps in BnBs and the odd cheap hotel when she needs a bath and a soft bed. Henros, or pilgrims, wear a white vest so they can be differentiated from non-pilgrims and also (rather morbidly) if they die on the trail they can be buried where they fall. Along the way Dempster, like other henros, receives settai, or gifts. The gifts are usually food, drinks, money, lucky charms, a night in a hotel, a foot massage, or even a lift to a nearby BnB. The only thing the henro is supposed to do in return for the settai is bestow the gift-giver with a name slip: a piece of paper or ribbon (the more times you do the Henro Michi, the colour and quality of your name slip changes) that has your name on it. It is supposed to be bring luck and good karma and is a way of thanking the person for giving you a gift. Throughout Dempster’s journey, she struggles with the awkwardness of receiving gifts that she cannot repay with the same value. When people let her stay in their BnBs for free, or give her food and drink for her journey, she can only give them a small white piece of paper with her name on it. Hardly an equivalent gift in our Western understanding of gift giving and receiving. Yet, that is all that is required.
The humility of receiving gifts that we cannot repay is a beautiful thing. I also think it forces us to focus on the act of giving for the simple sake of giving. Whilst one could argue that the giver receives good luck and karma for giving the gift (so nothing is purely altruistic), however, karma, luck, good vibes, or however you want to call it cannot be quantified in the way that money and objects can be. It is a spiritual currency (for believers and non-believers alike) that nourishes who we are as people.
I’ve been poor for a long time in my life. My family grew up in government housing and my parents didn’t have jobs for health reasons so our income was government handouts (for lack of a better way to put it). I did not get to go on all the school excursions or camps because my parents could not afford it. I wore second-hand clothes, my school uniforms came from the donation bin at the school. When my high school changed its uniform to a new design my parents panicked because the uniforms were all new, no second-hand, and they did not know how they could afford a new one for me. I hated receiving help from people growing up. Especially when it came to gifts or acts of kindness I could never repay. It felt embarrassing. I told myself, it was a matter of pride. Yet, the people who gave me things did not always want me to give them something back. The only thing they wanted in return was to see me succeed. They wanted to see me grow and change and be the person I had always hoped to be, but could not get their without help.
The act of settai is a bit like the concept of paying it forward. You do not need to return the gift to the same person, but rather give a gift to the next person you see in need. Give and receive gifts because we cannot do it all alone. Give gifts because it can make your heart lighter and give gifts to help people. Give small gifts and big gifts, and gifts that cost nothing and gifts that cost a lot. Receive gifts of every shape and size and be grateful for them, but not trapped and beholden to the idea that the gift must be reciprocated to the person who gave you the gift in the first place.
There is no easy way to solve our anxieties around gifts, but I think that viewing them as something more than a contract enriches the experience of giving and receiving gifts. It keeps us humble and asks us to look at the motivations behind why we give things to other people. Reading books and the sharing of knowledge can sometimes be the greatest gift we can give ourselves and others. So how are you going to change the story?
Have you read Lisa Dempster’s memoir about her 1,200km journey? What do you think about gift giving and receiving? As always, share the reading love.
February 2, 2023
Biases I have with regard to this book:
-My deep and abiding interest in Japan, having lived there 10000 years ago.
-My deep and abiding interest in walking / hiking.
-My deep and abiding interest in travel.
-My deep and abiding interest in Buddhism and things Buddhist.
So, this book hits all of my biases - bear that in mind with my 5-star rating. Having said that, what I really enjoyed about this book was: a writer's voice that I enjoyed; the author's candour about why she went on the pilgrimage in the first place (to try to walk herself out of a depressive episode); and the descriptions of temples, hiking tracks, food (and vending machines!!), and people on the henro. I already wanted to do this pilgrimage, and now it is an even higher priority for me.
-My deep and abiding interest in Japan, having lived there 10000 years ago.
-My deep and abiding interest in walking / hiking.
-My deep and abiding interest in travel.
-My deep and abiding interest in Buddhism and things Buddhist.
So, this book hits all of my biases - bear that in mind with my 5-star rating. Having said that, what I really enjoyed about this book was: a writer's voice that I enjoyed; the author's candour about why she went on the pilgrimage in the first place (to try to walk herself out of a depressive episode); and the descriptions of temples, hiking tracks, food (and vending machines!!), and people on the henro. I already wanted to do this pilgrimage, and now it is an even higher priority for me.
January 11, 2017
i've read this book three or four times now; i find lisa dempster's story of her improbable two-month walking pilgrimage around japan to be compelling, inspiring and really satisfying to read. continuing despite persistent depression, being physically unfit, veganism in a fish-centric food culture, not much money, intense weather, a bit of a language barrier, and not being religious, this journey is not just a tenacious one, but humble, honest and human.
May 10, 2022
I'll never understand how people go for such incredibly long (1200 kms here!!) and arduous hikes, I swear I feel like I don't belong to the same species as those ultra hikers but I sure love reading their stories. I don't really understand why as I keep being horrified (the blisters OMG THE BLISTERS, the insects and other wild animals, the extreme temperatures, the rough sleeping, well basically everything) but I keep coming back to that kind of travel log.
Neon Pilgrim was particularly enjoyable because while I knew a little bit about Japan, I was totally ignorant about Shikoku Island so I've learnt a lot. Plus this wasn't a simple hike, it was actually a pilgrimage and the spiritual angle was a huge bonus. Lisa Dempster is not a Buddhist herself but she makes a good job explaining what the henro michi means to believers and all the local traditions. I really felt like I was traveling while staying in my armchair with intact feet (can you tell I was shocked by the blisters, lol).
Neon Pilgrim was particularly enjoyable because while I knew a little bit about Japan, I was totally ignorant about Shikoku Island so I've learnt a lot. Plus this wasn't a simple hike, it was actually a pilgrimage and the spiritual angle was a huge bonus. Lisa Dempster is not a Buddhist herself but she makes a good job explaining what the henro michi means to believers and all the local traditions. I really felt like I was traveling while staying in my armchair with intact feet (can you tell I was shocked by the blisters, lol).
September 2, 2025
I don't hike. I don't camp. I've never been to Japan. But I did all these things through Lisa Dempster.
This was fun to read and I really enjoyed this trip! Honestly I don't know how she did it. Sleeping on benches and relying on strangers would be my personal hell, and I was in constant disbelief how she conquered this pilgrimage. It also low-key inspired me to want to do something like this. The book is written in such a way that even though she is basically doing the same thing every day, it's exciting and kept me reading.
My only criticism would be the constant back and forth between feeling lonely and hating company. Many times when someone came to help Lisa would get frustrated and want them to leave her alone (I get it) but then immediately would want company or a fellow pilgrim to walk with. Lisa, make up your mind. I feel like there could have been more finesse with how she felt mentally - I wanted more insight post-walk and more reflection throughout the book.
This was a nice read for summer outside in 90 degree heat to feel what Lisa felt in Japan in August. I liked it a lot.
This was fun to read and I really enjoyed this trip! Honestly I don't know how she did it. Sleeping on benches and relying on strangers would be my personal hell, and I was in constant disbelief how she conquered this pilgrimage. It also low-key inspired me to want to do something like this. The book is written in such a way that even though she is basically doing the same thing every day, it's exciting and kept me reading.
My only criticism would be the constant back and forth between feeling lonely and hating company. Many times when someone came to help Lisa would get frustrated and want them to leave her alone (I get it) but then immediately would want company or a fellow pilgrim to walk with. Lisa, make up your mind. I feel like there could have been more finesse with how she felt mentally - I wanted more insight post-walk and more reflection throughout the book.
This was a nice read for summer outside in 90 degree heat to feel what Lisa felt in Japan in August. I liked it a lot.
December 22, 2025
Not exciting but interesting.
November 19, 2020
This year I am glad to serve again as an Audience Advocate for the Melbourne Writers Festival. So far the experience is quite different. Back in 2015, when Artistic Director Lisa Dempster introduced the “somewhat unusual (but awesome!) initiative to make sure Melbourne’s readers have a direct line to the Festival to share their ideas”, I and eleven other book lovers were full of ambition. Working with Lisa, we discussed and occasionally argued in what styles should various sessions be delivered, which writers should be invited, what themes should be covered, and how audience questions should be facilitated at these sessions. We felt passionate and energetic, and the 2015 Melbourne Writers Festival turned out to be a highly intellectual and memorable event, full of fierce debates about books, idea(l)s and writing.
I missed the 2016 Melbourne Writers Festival, but returned in 2017 to attend a session and a workshop featuring Taiwanese author Wu Ming-Yi and Darryl Sterk, translator of Wu’s The Stolen Bicycle (Text Publishing, 2017), an awesome book longlisted for this year’s Man Book International Prize. That was also Lisa’s last year as Artistic Director, and I felt sad knowing a special literary era was ending. A new person would surely lead the Melbourne Writers Festival along an equally brilliant yet ultimately different path.
By then I had already started reading Lisa’s Neon Pilgrim (Ventura Press, 2017). I had to borrow the book two more times from our local library, but I am so glad I finally finished it that I want to buy a copy for my own collection. This is Lisa’s story of walking the henro michi, the 1,200-kilometre, 88-temple pilgrimage around Japans Shikoku island. The journey was full of hardship, featuring the sweltering Japanese summer, endless mountainous terrain, countless blisters and mosquito bites, and plenty of pain, sweat, rage, frustration, loneliness and tears. But the book is thought-provoking, as Lisa reflects on her own life while meeting her challenges and problems head-on.
This book resonates with me because Lisa is an honest writer. It takes courage to confess one’s weaknesses without resorting to self-deprecation, and in Lisa’s sense of humour we see no attempt to seek sympathy. Instead, much respect is shown, for the pilgrimage and its cultural and spiritual significance, for her fellow pilgrims who walked the henro michi for their own reasons, and especially for herself. It is a process of thinking and praying, the time for reflection. It is an individual journey towards self-affirmation, much more than self-discovery.
As a fellow introvert, I am touched by Lisa’s reflection on the idea of travel – “why we travel and what we get from it”. Do we really need to travel and learn from others, when we already have something unique in our hearts? On Page 124, after reaching Temple 31, Lisa writes:
"Travel is an internal journey as much as an external one… Could I learn and grow without travel? I was seeking something tangible on the henro michi: wellness. Was that something I could have achieved at home? Do I need to be here?"
The answer seems obvious, as Lisa finds herself walking in honour of Kōbō Dashi, a ninth-century Buddhist monk and one of the most important figure in Japanese history. She found enlightenment in the story of this man who lived over a thousand years before her, in the same way that readers like me feel inspired by her journey – the realisation that whatever we are seeking, we already have; we just need to accept it, without being hindered by fear.
I am further touched by Lisa’s reflection on the act of receiving. It is far more difficult to receive than to give, especially when one is gifted unconditionally and frequently. To accept other people’s kindness humbly and gracefully requires a fundamental belief in one’s own worthiness. It equally demands deep faith in one’s own physical, intellectual and psychological capacity to give as much as one is able to receive. It is as much a natural process as breathing in and out, but Lisa struggled to accept it. I think most of us will feel the same under similar circumstances, but I hope I am wrong.
Neon Pilgrim is a book to be read alone. It is a reader’s private pilgrimage, and we all read it for our own different reasons. Whatever yours is, I hope that you, too, can find that which is already in you.
This review was originally published on "Voices under the Sun" blog ().
I missed the 2016 Melbourne Writers Festival, but returned in 2017 to attend a session and a workshop featuring Taiwanese author Wu Ming-Yi and Darryl Sterk, translator of Wu’s The Stolen Bicycle (Text Publishing, 2017), an awesome book longlisted for this year’s Man Book International Prize. That was also Lisa’s last year as Artistic Director, and I felt sad knowing a special literary era was ending. A new person would surely lead the Melbourne Writers Festival along an equally brilliant yet ultimately different path.
By then I had already started reading Lisa’s Neon Pilgrim (Ventura Press, 2017). I had to borrow the book two more times from our local library, but I am so glad I finally finished it that I want to buy a copy for my own collection. This is Lisa’s story of walking the henro michi, the 1,200-kilometre, 88-temple pilgrimage around Japans Shikoku island. The journey was full of hardship, featuring the sweltering Japanese summer, endless mountainous terrain, countless blisters and mosquito bites, and plenty of pain, sweat, rage, frustration, loneliness and tears. But the book is thought-provoking, as Lisa reflects on her own life while meeting her challenges and problems head-on.
This book resonates with me because Lisa is an honest writer. It takes courage to confess one’s weaknesses without resorting to self-deprecation, and in Lisa’s sense of humour we see no attempt to seek sympathy. Instead, much respect is shown, for the pilgrimage and its cultural and spiritual significance, for her fellow pilgrims who walked the henro michi for their own reasons, and especially for herself. It is a process of thinking and praying, the time for reflection. It is an individual journey towards self-affirmation, much more than self-discovery.
As a fellow introvert, I am touched by Lisa’s reflection on the idea of travel – “why we travel and what we get from it”. Do we really need to travel and learn from others, when we already have something unique in our hearts? On Page 124, after reaching Temple 31, Lisa writes:
"Travel is an internal journey as much as an external one… Could I learn and grow without travel? I was seeking something tangible on the henro michi: wellness. Was that something I could have achieved at home? Do I need to be here?"
The answer seems obvious, as Lisa finds herself walking in honour of Kōbō Dashi, a ninth-century Buddhist monk and one of the most important figure in Japanese history. She found enlightenment in the story of this man who lived over a thousand years before her, in the same way that readers like me feel inspired by her journey – the realisation that whatever we are seeking, we already have; we just need to accept it, without being hindered by fear.
I am further touched by Lisa’s reflection on the act of receiving. It is far more difficult to receive than to give, especially when one is gifted unconditionally and frequently. To accept other people’s kindness humbly and gracefully requires a fundamental belief in one’s own worthiness. It equally demands deep faith in one’s own physical, intellectual and psychological capacity to give as much as one is able to receive. It is as much a natural process as breathing in and out, but Lisa struggled to accept it. I think most of us will feel the same under similar circumstances, but I hope I am wrong.
Neon Pilgrim is a book to be read alone. It is a reader’s private pilgrimage, and we all read it for our own different reasons. Whatever yours is, I hope that you, too, can find that which is already in you.
This review was originally published on "Voices under the Sun" blog ().
November 15, 2017
More like 3 & a half stars.
Neon Pilgrim is a travelogue and a memoir in one. Wikipedia defines a memoir as:
"a story from a life", such as touchstone events and turning points from the author's life.
This is what Dempster has presented us with - a moment from her life that proved to be a major turning point for her. It also happens to be a very engaging, easy to read account of her time walking the 88 Temple pilgrimage in Shikoku, Japan.
We don't learn a lot about Dempster's back story. We know she is twenty-something with some issues - depression, no job, over weight and living back at home. Back in her school days, she completed a year long exchange program with a school in Shikoku. She became aware of the 88 Temple pilgrimage at this time. In her time of need a decade later, it came back to her as a way of solving all her present day problems.
We don't really understand how Dempster got to this point in her life. But I guess we don't really need to know. The point for us, as well as Dempster, is the walk, the pilgrimage, the experience.
It was obviously a hard slog for Dempster - a real physical and mental challenge. Walking in the middle of the Japanese summer may not have been the wisest decision she ever made, but sometimes when you need to make a major change, you just need to get started, obstacles be damned!
Part of the tradition of the henro michi is gift-giving - offerings or settai. By giving drinks, food, shelter, lifts or clothes to the pilgrims, settai offerers are honouring the monk Kobo Daishi as well as those who walk in his footsteps. It can be seen as their way of participating in the pilgrimage themselves and acknowledging the importance of the pilgrimage in general.
For Dempster, the settai giving, and on her behalf, the accepting, played a significant role in her experience. The help was often timely and much needed. It took her quite a while to accept the generosity generously, but as with most things associated with the pilgrimage, there was a ritual to smooth the way.
It's possible to be a part of the 88 Temple pilgrimage in various ways. You can be a henro, pilgrim who walks the entire route with your backpack and sleeping gear on your back, sleeping wild or in the various small shelters along the way. Some people cycle the route, or drive themselves around or join in a bus group. Some henro's walk the distance but stay in B7B's or hotels. Some people do the walk in stages throughout a lifetime, while some have walked it hundreds of times already. A few do it in reverse.
Dempster went the whole hog, sleeping out or in tsuyado, the free shelters scattered along the route. It was considered unusual for a foreigner to do so, which made her an object of much fascination and discussion along the way. Obviously this was not the easy choice either. Wild animals, no toilets or showers and creepy crawlies in the middle of the night where just some of the hazards. Dempster was constantly facing her fears and challenging her self-doubts.
Full review here - http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com.au/20...
Neon Pilgrim is a travelogue and a memoir in one. Wikipedia defines a memoir as:
"a story from a life", such as touchstone events and turning points from the author's life.
This is what Dempster has presented us with - a moment from her life that proved to be a major turning point for her. It also happens to be a very engaging, easy to read account of her time walking the 88 Temple pilgrimage in Shikoku, Japan.
We don't learn a lot about Dempster's back story. We know she is twenty-something with some issues - depression, no job, over weight and living back at home. Back in her school days, she completed a year long exchange program with a school in Shikoku. She became aware of the 88 Temple pilgrimage at this time. In her time of need a decade later, it came back to her as a way of solving all her present day problems.
We don't really understand how Dempster got to this point in her life. But I guess we don't really need to know. The point for us, as well as Dempster, is the walk, the pilgrimage, the experience.
It was obviously a hard slog for Dempster - a real physical and mental challenge. Walking in the middle of the Japanese summer may not have been the wisest decision she ever made, but sometimes when you need to make a major change, you just need to get started, obstacles be damned!
Part of the tradition of the henro michi is gift-giving - offerings or settai. By giving drinks, food, shelter, lifts or clothes to the pilgrims, settai offerers are honouring the monk Kobo Daishi as well as those who walk in his footsteps. It can be seen as their way of participating in the pilgrimage themselves and acknowledging the importance of the pilgrimage in general.
For Dempster, the settai giving, and on her behalf, the accepting, played a significant role in her experience. The help was often timely and much needed. It took her quite a while to accept the generosity generously, but as with most things associated with the pilgrimage, there was a ritual to smooth the way.
It's possible to be a part of the 88 Temple pilgrimage in various ways. You can be a henro, pilgrim who walks the entire route with your backpack and sleeping gear on your back, sleeping wild or in the various small shelters along the way. Some people cycle the route, or drive themselves around or join in a bus group. Some henro's walk the distance but stay in B7B's or hotels. Some people do the walk in stages throughout a lifetime, while some have walked it hundreds of times already. A few do it in reverse.
Dempster went the whole hog, sleeping out or in tsuyado, the free shelters scattered along the route. It was considered unusual for a foreigner to do so, which made her an object of much fascination and discussion along the way. Obviously this was not the easy choice either. Wild animals, no toilets or showers and creepy crawlies in the middle of the night where just some of the hazards. Dempster was constantly facing her fears and challenging her self-doubts.
Full review here - http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com.au/20...
Read
February 7, 2024When Lisa Dempsey was a teenager, she was an exchange student in Japan, on the island of Shikoku. Then she went home to Australia, grew up, and got depressed and overweight. A chance reference in a book she read reminded her that they have a tradition on Shikoku: a pilgrimage called the Henro. Lisa decided that was what she needed to get her life back together. She flew to Japan to walk the 1200 kilometer route, alone, in the heat of summer, with very little money.
Centuries ago there was a monk called the Daishi who brought Buddhism to Japan. The pilgrimage is seen as walking in his footsteps. The route, that is roughly a circle, visits 88 temples. Pilgrims stop to pray in each temple, make an offering of coins, and have their book stamped. Pilgrims wear a distinctive white jacket and carry a wooden staff.
Pilgrims are treated with respect. There is a tradition, called settai, of giving gifts to pilgrims, whether a cold drink or a place to stay. This is supposed to bring spiritual benefit to the giver, and the receiver responds by giving a name slip, with their name on it, and people collect these. People on their first pilgrimage have white name slips. Those who have made multiple pilgrimages have colored name slips, and those who have made a really whole lot of pilgrimages (I forget how many) have embroidered fabric name slips.
Today many people travel by bus or car, but walking is the traditional way. Lisa was a walker. The trip was hard. It was hot. As she was told many times, not many people walk in the summer. She suffered heat rash, chafing, and mosquito bites. She was not in good shape when she started, so she suffered extreme fatigue. Many of the paths were uphill climbs in the mountains. She experienced terrible foot blisters.
And she kept going. This book tells about her experiences, which include meeting some people who were delightful, and some people who were sketchy. She camped out when she could. Some parks had shelters for pilgrims. Some temples offered free lodging. But finding a safe place to sleep (and wash, and eat) was always a challenge.
I expected that she would have experienced a mostly linear progression from a really bad beginning to having it get better and better. Not so much. She did gain strength and health, but even after weeks on the road, she still had bad days. She also had good days, including an expansive feeling of peace while sleeping outdoors in the mountains, and a religious closeness to the Daishi while praying in a temple. She tells it all, honestly, the highs and the lows. And the experience did change her life.
There is nothing like this in my own country. There is a tradition of trail hiking. People sometimes do undertake a through hike on the Appalachian trail, say, when at a crisis point in their life, and some do feel they learn spiritual lessons from the experience, although it is completely secular. There is also the tradition of gift-giving, as “trail angels” leave donations of water and food for hikers. But it is not the Henro. I think something like the Henro would be cool to do. But I will never go to Japan, I am sure.
Centuries ago there was a monk called the Daishi who brought Buddhism to Japan. The pilgrimage is seen as walking in his footsteps. The route, that is roughly a circle, visits 88 temples. Pilgrims stop to pray in each temple, make an offering of coins, and have their book stamped. Pilgrims wear a distinctive white jacket and carry a wooden staff.
Pilgrims are treated with respect. There is a tradition, called settai, of giving gifts to pilgrims, whether a cold drink or a place to stay. This is supposed to bring spiritual benefit to the giver, and the receiver responds by giving a name slip, with their name on it, and people collect these. People on their first pilgrimage have white name slips. Those who have made multiple pilgrimages have colored name slips, and those who have made a really whole lot of pilgrimages (I forget how many) have embroidered fabric name slips.
Today many people travel by bus or car, but walking is the traditional way. Lisa was a walker. The trip was hard. It was hot. As she was told many times, not many people walk in the summer. She suffered heat rash, chafing, and mosquito bites. She was not in good shape when she started, so she suffered extreme fatigue. Many of the paths were uphill climbs in the mountains. She experienced terrible foot blisters.
And she kept going. This book tells about her experiences, which include meeting some people who were delightful, and some people who were sketchy. She camped out when she could. Some parks had shelters for pilgrims. Some temples offered free lodging. But finding a safe place to sleep (and wash, and eat) was always a challenge.
I expected that she would have experienced a mostly linear progression from a really bad beginning to having it get better and better. Not so much. She did gain strength and health, but even after weeks on the road, she still had bad days. She also had good days, including an expansive feeling of peace while sleeping outdoors in the mountains, and a religious closeness to the Daishi while praying in a temple. She tells it all, honestly, the highs and the lows. And the experience did change her life.
There is nothing like this in my own country. There is a tradition of trail hiking. People sometimes do undertake a through hike on the Appalachian trail, say, when at a crisis point in their life, and some do feel they learn spiritual lessons from the experience, although it is completely secular. There is also the tradition of gift-giving, as “trail angels” leave donations of water and food for hikers. But it is not the Henro. I think something like the Henro would be cool to do. But I will never go to Japan, I am sure.
July 14, 2018
There is a trope of travel books, where the author is doing something perceived as adventurous, that in the beginning the author must demonstrate how ill prepared for their adventure they are. I think this is so the reader who will never do anything so adventurous will identify with their narrator. Usually I think it's a bit of bullshit, but here it's clear that Lisa really was quite ill prepared. And yet she managed to walk the route of 88 temples in Shikoku - tranforming herself physically and mentally as she went. She tells her story compellingly and humourously.
One way in which she was exceptionally prepared is that she spoke some Japanese. Having travelled in Japan myself I can see how huge a difference this would make. Obviously speaking the local language helps anywhere but I think Japanese culture can be especially hard to penetrate as an outsider, presumably a little bit less so if you have some language.
One way in which she was exceptionally prepared is that she spoke some Japanese. Having travelled in Japan myself I can see how huge a difference this would make. Obviously speaking the local language helps anywhere but I think Japanese culture can be especially hard to penetrate as an outsider, presumably a little bit less so if you have some language.
August 9, 2017
Time is a traveller. Lisa Dempster sets out on a pilgrimage to good mental health, taking us with her on an eight week journey of Shikoku, an island in south-west Japan. Her story is taken at walking speed, with time to consider all the landscape, culture, and psychology along the way. It is a gentle and refreshing read which left me with the only regret that I wasn't physically fitter at the end of it.
Apart from the delightful insight into Japanese pilgrimage culture (generous, secure, open-hearted) the book is also a reminder of the importance of good mental hygiene. To be present, thoughtful and peaceful in our dealings with the world. The heart prayer in particular sounds like it might offer something for our outpaced city lives.
Like the Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen, Neon Pilgrim would be a great companion on one of life's spiritual journeys.
Apart from the delightful insight into Japanese pilgrimage culture (generous, secure, open-hearted) the book is also a reminder of the importance of good mental hygiene. To be present, thoughtful and peaceful in our dealings with the world. The heart prayer in particular sounds like it might offer something for our outpaced city lives.
Like the Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen, Neon Pilgrim would be a great companion on one of life's spiritual journeys.
October 8, 2020
I think I found this book at the right time for me. I am just starting my own hiking journey and sometimes I feel a bit like a fish out of water - like I will never get to some of those big feats that I see others tackling in their own journeys. And that can be a little deflating or disheartening. But Lisa accomplished something huge - but her journey does not come off as picturesque. It comes off as honest. She talks about her struggles and the way she really felt about them. She talks about almost quitting, but then persevering. She has an open and honest style that makes you feel like you are talking to a friend. And in the end, I felt uplifted.
May 15, 2018
I picked this book up at random, as I do most travel books, I’ve never been to Japan and I don’t hike. But I do travel to escape. And through reading Lisa’s story I can relate to her more than I have a lot of other authors. I enjoyed reading about the henro michi and Japanese culture as I’ve never experienced either. I liked that her writing was honest and pure and she didn’t super coat her experiences. I’d recommend this to anyone!
January 19, 2019
It is a bit grating that on page 5, Dempster states the 'toughness of the undertaking cannot be underestimated' when, of course, she means the opposite. Nevermind, by page 41 she is admitting to 'vastly underestimating the henro michi'. This a great story, easily read in a sitting. Despite some discussion of her motivation, it doesn't aspire to be much more than a description of things she saw along the way. Luckily, that turns out to be enough.
May 6, 2019
When I first started reading this book, I thought: oh no, are you really going to drag me around all 88 Shikoku temples, one by one? nooooo. And yet the walking pace of the book is exactly right: I needed to go at that pace, with all the tedium, the sweat, the mosquitoes, the blisters. There's much that lingers from this book, so many ideas about life direction and decisions. I'm looking forward to talking about the book with my hiking buddy.
December 17, 2019
Great read, esp as Lisa is from Australia and has a keen interest in Japan like myself. I’ve been to Shikoku and heard of the 88 temple pilgrimage so it was great to come with Lisa on her not always easy journey! It’s important for us to take these kind of challenges on in life to learn about ourselves and another culture , but most importantly stepping away from everyday and the society we live in.
March 25, 2018
Inspirational, readable and a bit of a page-turner! I felt like I was there, chafed thighs and all. I loved that the writing was so Australian and hadn’t been internationalised or worse. Only bum note was the unwelcome appearance of ‘bored of’, the bête noir of grammarians everywhere. Highly recommended.
March 2, 2021
A really engaging little travelogue about a pilgrimage I've always known of, but knew very little about. I wish I had known about settai (gifts to pilgrims) when I visited Shikoku while living in Japan! I'll never forget the henro (pilgrim) I encountered while hiking Mt. Ishizuchi who practically stopped me from falling down a vertical rock wall!
April 25, 2021
A travel journal of Lisa Dempster as she travelled through the 88 temples trying to heal herself. The story is about Lisa and it jumps in and out of a number of other characters that she meets along the way. Being immersed in this story was a delight and makes you want to go for a long hike in Japan. Thanks
May 15, 2025
As someone who has lived on Shikoku for the past decade, I recognized many of the places Lisa Dempster visits in Neon Pilgrim—which made the story even more special. It was a fun, honest, and inspiring read that makes me want to get out and explore the island even more deeply. I really love where I live.
January 4, 2018
I felt nostalgic, homesick and sometimes queasy reading Lisa Dempster's Neon Pilgrim. This book and it's detailing of the people, the kindness, the struggle of completing this walk, and Dempster's mindset, was incredible personal, warm and infinitely readable.
September 23, 2020
If you’re interested in walking in Japan or just love the idea of walking to heal, this is a wonderful novel. At times the writing needs some more refining to avoid listing events, which can be part of extended travel, but this is a delight and definitely inspires thoughts of the next hike.
March 28, 2023
Finding a copy of this book after a friend recommended it was unexpectedly difficult! But tracking it down was worth it. I liked the honest accounts of her experience. The narrators pilgrimage was interesting and also lowkey informative. Would recommend!
Want to read
November 23, 2023Frase memorable: “Viajar es un viaje tanto interno como externo… ¿Podría aprender y crecer sin viajar? Estaba buscando algo tangible en el henro michi: bienestar. ¿Era algo que podría haber logrado en casa? ¿Necesito estar aquí?
April 23, 2025
This book was so refreshing to read because there was little gushing (my pet peeve about travel books). Lisa accurately (in my humble opinion) describes the slog of point to point walking, as well as the (many) rewards.
May 27, 2018
Interesting retelling of the authors pilgrimage on Japan's Henro Michi trail. Realistic recounting of one persons struggles to cope with the arduous trek.
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