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The Way of the 88 Temples: Journeys on the Shikoku Pilgrimage
Compelled to seek something more than what modern society has to offer, Robert Sibley turned to an ancient setting for help in recovering what has been lost. The Henro Michi is one of the oldest and most famous pilgrimage routes in Japan. It consists of a circuit of eighty-eight temples around the perimeter of Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's four main islands. Every henro, or pilgrim, is said to follow in the footsteps of Kōbō Daishi, the ninth-century ascetic who founded the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Over the course of two months, the author walked this 1,400-kilometer route (roughly 870 miles), visiting the sacred sites and performing their prescribed rituals.Although himself a gaijin, or foreigner, Sibley saw no other pilgrim on the trail who was not Japanese. Some of the people he met became not only close companions but also ardent teachers of the language and culture. These fellow pilgrims' own stories add to the author's narrative in unexpected and powerful ways. Sibley's descriptions of the natural surroundings, the customs and etiquette, the temples and guesthouses will inspire any reader who has longed to escape the confines of everyday life and to embrace the emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of a pilgrimage.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 15, 2016
Robert Sibley decides to begin a pilgrimage to lose the world and discover the deeper meaning in life. He chooses the Micho Henro, a pilgrimage around the Island of Shikoku that includes visiting 88 temples. As with all pilgrimage books, including details beyond walking and blisters is the challenge. He manages to add interest by including his fellow pilgrims and exploring their reasons for walking. He also describes the more interesting temples and the traditions of devotion practiced as one enters. It starts with ringing the temple bell, washing hands, feet and mouth and paying ones personal homage to the Buddha. His days end in hot bath with bottles of Kirin beer.
The book ends very dramatically and the ending will change your journey with Robert Sibley.
It is well worth a read.
The book ends very dramatically and the ending will change your journey with Robert Sibley.
It is well worth a read.
June 28, 2019
A very well-written account of one person's journey walking the Shikoku Pilgrimage. The emphasis on spiritual awakening and camaraderie among pilgrims was something I could really relate to. This book is a testament to how the pilgrimage touches every person who does it, in a different way.
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May 25, 2017This is, on one level, a chronicle of long distance walking, requiring weeks and months on the path. Anyone attempting such a venture will encounter a multitude of physical sensation, all manner of weather, variation in accommodations and food, moments of physical pain, moments of striving and uncertainty. But Sibley's book is about more than that.
Sibley allows us to join him in the experience of places. Spain and Japan provide the terrain, climate, culture and history. We are invited to come along with him, to see, to feel, to appreciate places remote and perhaps foreign to us. But the effect is more than that.
There are references to philosophical, emotional and spiritual encounters throughout each of his pilgrimages, overt expressions from Catholicism, from Buddhism, which form the bedrock and the traditions of the pilgrim routes themselves. But these are journeys not of religion but of the human condition as it is expressed in that part of each of us which exists on a level apart from the mechanics of life. He hints at renunciation, quiet moments of falling in love with the pilgrim experience, and his wish to remain so, to live simply, as a perennial traveler, apart from his other life. But wisdom and recognition of where his path leads is about more than that.
His works are personal, records of fact, of feeling, of his soul, experiences of heart, mind and spirit, as he reflects upon his pilgrimages, a most accurate description in every sense of the word. And in what are perhaps the most poignant moments in each of these heartfelt accounts are the people, a procession of beautiful souls with him along his path. Their lives touch his life, their presence enhance and transform his experience. Some of these meetings are casual, fleeting, so brief as to have passed unnoticed by one less attentive than Sibley; others reach into the deepest places within him and remain; transformative, salubrious, immutable.
The Way of the 88 Temples is a journey beyond the realm of the physical world, beyond pure intellect, beyond logic and reason, beyond names and symbols, beyond mysticism and enchantment. It is not possible for me to define the works which Sibley has produced, nor categorize them. Each is, of course, bound by that which words and language can convey, and his ability with these tools is superlative. But in the end, on the final page, in the last analysis, I find the overall effect to be ineffable.
I am grateful to Sibley, for his honesty, his capacity for perception, his compassion, his wisdom, his ability to grasp the extraordinariness of the ordinary, to share the candid and illuminating effect of his experience.
And with his help I have recognized expressions from his work which are familiar to me, which have been revealed to me on my path, my journey, reflections of what I understand to be true, and to find in his words affirmation and acceptance of those truths.
In The Way of the 88 Temples, Sibley quotes himself, in response to a fellow pilgrim who is contemplating abandonment of his journey on the Henro Michi:
“No excuses, no complaints. Just walk. That’s all a man can do.”
A concise instruction for living if I ever heard one. Thank you, sir, for the glimpse of the underglimmer.
Sibley allows us to join him in the experience of places. Spain and Japan provide the terrain, climate, culture and history. We are invited to come along with him, to see, to feel, to appreciate places remote and perhaps foreign to us. But the effect is more than that.
There are references to philosophical, emotional and spiritual encounters throughout each of his pilgrimages, overt expressions from Catholicism, from Buddhism, which form the bedrock and the traditions of the pilgrim routes themselves. But these are journeys not of religion but of the human condition as it is expressed in that part of each of us which exists on a level apart from the mechanics of life. He hints at renunciation, quiet moments of falling in love with the pilgrim experience, and his wish to remain so, to live simply, as a perennial traveler, apart from his other life. But wisdom and recognition of where his path leads is about more than that.
His works are personal, records of fact, of feeling, of his soul, experiences of heart, mind and spirit, as he reflects upon his pilgrimages, a most accurate description in every sense of the word. And in what are perhaps the most poignant moments in each of these heartfelt accounts are the people, a procession of beautiful souls with him along his path. Their lives touch his life, their presence enhance and transform his experience. Some of these meetings are casual, fleeting, so brief as to have passed unnoticed by one less attentive than Sibley; others reach into the deepest places within him and remain; transformative, salubrious, immutable.
The Way of the 88 Temples is a journey beyond the realm of the physical world, beyond pure intellect, beyond logic and reason, beyond names and symbols, beyond mysticism and enchantment. It is not possible for me to define the works which Sibley has produced, nor categorize them. Each is, of course, bound by that which words and language can convey, and his ability with these tools is superlative. But in the end, on the final page, in the last analysis, I find the overall effect to be ineffable.
I am grateful to Sibley, for his honesty, his capacity for perception, his compassion, his wisdom, his ability to grasp the extraordinariness of the ordinary, to share the candid and illuminating effect of his experience.
And with his help I have recognized expressions from his work which are familiar to me, which have been revealed to me on my path, my journey, reflections of what I understand to be true, and to find in his words affirmation and acceptance of those truths.
In The Way of the 88 Temples, Sibley quotes himself, in response to a fellow pilgrim who is contemplating abandonment of his journey on the Henro Michi:
“No excuses, no complaints. Just walk. That’s all a man can do.”
A concise instruction for living if I ever heard one. Thank you, sir, for the glimpse of the underglimmer.
August 18, 2019
This is not an easy book for an Australian to get hold of...so I ended up reading it online through a membership with the Queensland State Library. I guess many English-speaking travellers who are researching the island of Shikoku as part of planning their next trip quickly realise there is not a lot of information in English available and also come across many references in many formats to the 88 Temple Pilgrimage or Henro Michi. Because the 88 Temples are conveniently located around the complete circumference of Shikoku, I guessed that reading this book would be a terrific lesson in the geography, climate, culture and religious influences on Shikoku. I was right. Also, the author Robert Sibley is a Canadian (all the Canadians I've met see the world in a similar way to an Australian...dry sense of humour, low key, low drama, self-deprecating) and also a journalist by trade. Those two characteristics together should make for a non-fiction account that is highly readable and includes just the right amount of detail. This book did not disappoint and delivered a lot more.
After our first trip to Japan, I bought the Tuttle Publishing book, "The Japanese Mind". There are so many aspects of Japanese culture that to a gaijin (foreigner) are mystifying and intriguing in the extreme. This is the reason we were planning a second visit before we had even left Japan for the first time. Sibley's book is such a thoroughly enjoyable read because it provides a depth of insight that is a whole lot less academic than "The Japanese Mind". His pilgrimage experience quickly became a human story, as he shared his journey with 3 very different 'henros'. A good journalist has finely-tuned powers of observation and has the language skills to lay those perceptions on the printed page with a deft touch. Thats what the author did in such a smoothly consistent rhythm from the first page to the last. I fully expect our first visit to Shikoku will make a whole lot more sense after reading this book, and for that I would like to thank the author sincerely in advance. どうもありがとうご ざいます
After our first trip to Japan, I bought the Tuttle Publishing book, "The Japanese Mind". There are so many aspects of Japanese culture that to a gaijin (foreigner) are mystifying and intriguing in the extreme. This is the reason we were planning a second visit before we had even left Japan for the first time. Sibley's book is such a thoroughly enjoyable read because it provides a depth of insight that is a whole lot less academic than "The Japanese Mind". His pilgrimage experience quickly became a human story, as he shared his journey with 3 very different 'henros'. A good journalist has finely-tuned powers of observation and has the language skills to lay those perceptions on the printed page with a deft touch. Thats what the author did in such a smoothly consistent rhythm from the first page to the last. I fully expect our first visit to Shikoku will make a whole lot more sense after reading this book, and for that I would like to thank the author sincerely in advance. どうもありがとうご ざいます
June 16, 2015
Brief thoughts originally published 31 December 2015 at Falling Letters.
Another book exploring matters close to me, so it's hard to give an objective opinion.
I can write with certainty that it's a good introduction to the Shikoku Henro, even for those who know nothing about it. Whether you just want to learn about it, or if you've already undertaken the pilgrimage, I recommend this account.
I appreciated hearing a foreigner's perspective, someone who has a very similar mindset to me - at first too rational to truly embrace the religious aspects of it, but still able to appreciate the spirituality and evolve over the course of the pilgrimage.
The Japanese have an intriguing relationship with their 'religions', Buddhism and Shinto, in that it's rare a Japanese person will say they are religious or that they believe everything contains kami, but nearly all will visit shrines and temples as occasions call for it (53).
Made my heart yearn to return! Really captures the natural and spiritual aspects of Japan that are particular to Shikoku.
The conclusion punched me in the gut. Certainly wasn't prepared for it. The only book that made me cry this year.
Another book exploring matters close to me, so it's hard to give an objective opinion.
I can write with certainty that it's a good introduction to the Shikoku Henro, even for those who know nothing about it. Whether you just want to learn about it, or if you've already undertaken the pilgrimage, I recommend this account.
I appreciated hearing a foreigner's perspective, someone who has a very similar mindset to me - at first too rational to truly embrace the religious aspects of it, but still able to appreciate the spirituality and evolve over the course of the pilgrimage.
The Japanese have an intriguing relationship with their 'religions', Buddhism and Shinto, in that it's rare a Japanese person will say they are religious or that they believe everything contains kami, but nearly all will visit shrines and temples as occasions call for it (53).
Made my heart yearn to return! Really captures the natural and spiritual aspects of Japan that are particular to Shikoku.
The conclusion punched me in the gut. Certainly wasn't prepared for it. The only book that made me cry this year.
July 9, 2017
This was an overall enjoyable record of one man's pilgrimage. As somebody who dreams of completing the pilgrimage, I got a lot out of it. Sibley provided good insight into his mental state and how it shifted as he walked. However, I wish he went a little deeper into the history and information around each temple and the pilgrimage in general. Also, by the end I was fairly tired of the "my western rationality stopped me from believing in Buddhism, or did it?!" spiel that the author couldn't resist bringing up at least 5 times throughout the book. I won't spoil the end but, I will say it was shocking and felt extremely out of left field. I guess that's life though.
August 22, 2018
Love Japan, love Shikoku, want to visit the 88 temples, but this travelogue (for that it what it is) was a dull type. It is often the way with Americans they visit somewhere and show it to be otherworldly and how they 'grew' or 'found themselves', this is in that vein. I know the writer is Canadian, but lets face it, not much different to Americans who always excel at other people's cultures, or destroy them when they can. More on the temples would have been nice rather than the writer's own 'inner journey', although we read more about his aching feet.
All in all, read it to know about the temples, trying to skip the bits about the authors woe is me parts.
All in all, read it to know about the temples, trying to skip the bits about the authors woe is me parts.
December 10, 2013
This was a very interesting book about a pilgrimage in Japan. It is well written and actually made me want to take the trip myself, though I have no idea how I would get enough time off to do it. Interesting characters met along the way. Robert Sibley did share some special moments. I was very glad for the epilogue and surprised by the ending.
February 26, 2017
Amateurish and not very good, although far less annoying than
similar books I have read on the same topic by French authors.
Is there **anyone** who traveled through Shikoku, who **bothered**
to learn the language before getting there, and who **has** actual expertise
on Buddhism? Why is it that the only books available in French or English are
written by rank amateurs on these three accounts?
similar books I have read on the same topic by French authors.
Is there **anyone** who traveled through Shikoku, who **bothered**
to learn the language before getting there, and who **has** actual expertise
on Buddhism? Why is it that the only books available in French or English are
written by rank amateurs on these three accounts?
September 17, 2019
Unfocused.
Tries to imbue his pilgrimage of Buddhist-coming-of-age anecdotes, doesn't succeed. Lost the track of the 88 temples and never really regained it (in the narrative).
The shock of Shuji and Jun's death at the end. Was a surprise, but by then you just want to get the narrative over with; not spend the appropriate time understanding or mourning.
Tries to imbue his pilgrimage of Buddhist-coming-of-age anecdotes, doesn't succeed. Lost the track of the 88 temples and never really regained it (in the narrative).
The shock of Shuji and Jun's death at the end. Was a surprise, but by then you just want to get the narrative over with; not spend the appropriate time understanding or mourning.
Read
November 19, 2015I would love to do this pilgrimage. Sibley fully describes his walking pilgrimage beautifully. He describes the beauty of the island, his fellow pilgrims, plus his personal growth along the way without being preachy. I will read this again and hopefully one day go.
February 16, 2017
We begin our 88 Temple Pilgrimage in one month. This was a great read to get us excited and a little prepared. I enjoyed the descriptions of scenery and Pilgrimage experiences. I'm even more excited....
May 30, 2018
Like the pilgrimage walk itself, it takes time to get into the rhythm of the story but once that rhythm is established I found the book to be fascinating.
Of this book. It does lead to deeper examination of one's reaction to motivation for attempting a pilgrimage of one's own
Of this book. It does lead to deeper examination of one's reaction to motivation for attempting a pilgrimage of one's own
December 28, 2014
A vivid, moving description of the author's experience, with a good combination of history, psychology, anthropology, and spirituality. It makes me want to walk the pilgrimage myself someday.
February 21, 2017
The spirit or the soul
Excellent read for any would be pilgrim or those just looking more closely at what is the thing we call "human spirit/soul".
Excellent read for any would be pilgrim or those just looking more closely at what is the thing we call "human spirit/soul".
March 29, 2020
Well-written, vivid, well-informed, engaging. The dramatic event at the end struck me as heartfelt, but distant and disjoint from all the pilgrimage offered; it left me puzzled.
September 1, 2020
Superb read.
March 23, 2021
Fantastic! Read this during the Baha’i Fast while unplugged from social and other media. Just exactly what I needed - but be warned, the twist ending packs one hell of a whollop.
June 3, 2021
Marvelous story that captured what it must be like for a non-Japanese to travel this path.
January 20, 2024
Like walking Shikoku pilgrimage with my eyes.
October 9, 2026
From the AI -
I thoroughly enjoyed 88 Temples. Robert Sibley’s account of walking the ancient Buddhist pilgrimage route around the Japanese island of Shikoku was everything I had hoped it would be: a compelling travel narrative, an exploration of Japanese culture and Buddhism, and a thoughtful reflection on what happens when we step away from our ordinary lives and spend weeks simply walking.
The pilgrimage follows a route connecting 88 temples associated with Kūkai, the Buddhist monk better known as Kōbō Daishi. Along the way, Sibley encounters fellow pilgrims, local residents, Buddhist traditions, difficult terrain and the physical and mental challenges of a long journey on foot.
What made this book particularly enjoyable for me was Sibley himself. As a Canadian travelling through Japan, he approaches the pilgrimage with a combination of curiosity, skepticism, humility and openness that I found remarkably relatable. I often felt that he was describing the experience much as I would have described it had I been walking alongside him.
He is interested in the spiritual significance of the pilgrimage without feeling compelled to accept every religious belief or tradition at face value. He asks questions, occasionally struggles with the rituals and customs, and tries to make sense of what he encounters through his own experience. I appreciated that enormously. His reflections feel genuine rather than rehearsed, and he allows the journey to unfold without insisting that every encounter produce some profound spiritual revelation.
The book also succeeds as a travel narrative. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Japanese countryside, the temples, the people he meets and the practical realities of being a pilgrim. There is something appealing about the simplicity of the undertaking: walking from one temple to the next, finding somewhere to sleep, dealing with fatigue and weather, and gradually settling into the rhythm of the journey.
The Buddhist dimension adds another layer. Questions of impermanence, attachment, suffering, compassion and the search for meaning emerge naturally from the experience. As someone interested in Buddhist practice, I found these reflections particularly engaging. Sibley doesn’t present himself as a spiritual authority, and I think the book is stronger for it. He is a curious traveller trying to understand what the pilgrimage might have to teach him.
Perhaps what I liked most was that the book never lost sight of the journey itself. The physical act of walking gives the narrative its structure, while the encounters and reflections provide its depth. There is a satisfying relationship between the outer journey through Japan and the quieter inner journey that develops along the way.
Final Reflection
This was one of those books where I genuinely enjoyed spending time in the author’s company. Sibley’s observations, questions and occasional frustrations felt familiar, and I could easily imagine myself approaching the same pilgrimage with much the same mindset.
It also left me curious about walking the Shikoku pilgrimage myself someday. There is something deeply attractive about a journey that combines physical effort, solitude, cultural discovery and Buddhist practice without requiring any particular expectation of what one might find.
A wonderful combination of travel writing, personal reflection and spiritual exploration. 5 stars.
I thoroughly enjoyed 88 Temples. Robert Sibley’s account of walking the ancient Buddhist pilgrimage route around the Japanese island of Shikoku was everything I had hoped it would be: a compelling travel narrative, an exploration of Japanese culture and Buddhism, and a thoughtful reflection on what happens when we step away from our ordinary lives and spend weeks simply walking.
The pilgrimage follows a route connecting 88 temples associated with Kūkai, the Buddhist monk better known as Kōbō Daishi. Along the way, Sibley encounters fellow pilgrims, local residents, Buddhist traditions, difficult terrain and the physical and mental challenges of a long journey on foot.
What made this book particularly enjoyable for me was Sibley himself. As a Canadian travelling through Japan, he approaches the pilgrimage with a combination of curiosity, skepticism, humility and openness that I found remarkably relatable. I often felt that he was describing the experience much as I would have described it had I been walking alongside him.
He is interested in the spiritual significance of the pilgrimage without feeling compelled to accept every religious belief or tradition at face value. He asks questions, occasionally struggles with the rituals and customs, and tries to make sense of what he encounters through his own experience. I appreciated that enormously. His reflections feel genuine rather than rehearsed, and he allows the journey to unfold without insisting that every encounter produce some profound spiritual revelation.
The book also succeeds as a travel narrative. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Japanese countryside, the temples, the people he meets and the practical realities of being a pilgrim. There is something appealing about the simplicity of the undertaking: walking from one temple to the next, finding somewhere to sleep, dealing with fatigue and weather, and gradually settling into the rhythm of the journey.
The Buddhist dimension adds another layer. Questions of impermanence, attachment, suffering, compassion and the search for meaning emerge naturally from the experience. As someone interested in Buddhist practice, I found these reflections particularly engaging. Sibley doesn’t present himself as a spiritual authority, and I think the book is stronger for it. He is a curious traveller trying to understand what the pilgrimage might have to teach him.
Perhaps what I liked most was that the book never lost sight of the journey itself. The physical act of walking gives the narrative its structure, while the encounters and reflections provide its depth. There is a satisfying relationship between the outer journey through Japan and the quieter inner journey that develops along the way.
Final Reflection
This was one of those books where I genuinely enjoyed spending time in the author’s company. Sibley’s observations, questions and occasional frustrations felt familiar, and I could easily imagine myself approaching the same pilgrimage with much the same mindset.
It also left me curious about walking the Shikoku pilgrimage myself someday. There is something deeply attractive about a journey that combines physical effort, solitude, cultural discovery and Buddhist practice without requiring any particular expectation of what one might find.
A wonderful combination of travel writing, personal reflection and spiritual exploration. 5 stars.
June 28, 2024
This is an excellent account of author Robert C. Sibley's experience of walking the 1,400km Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage in Japan. He describes his reason for walking the pilgrimage at first as "escapist"; he wanted "to escape the confines of everyday life." He admitted he wasn't a Buddhist; however, pilgrimages have a way of changing people, and he was open to finding a "spiritual sensibility." Sibley had completed the Camino de Santiago in Spain already (as I have), and this was another quest for him. He wove together interactions with his companions and other henro (pilgrims) he met along the way, Japanese culture, landscape and food, and finally the proper ways to approach and offer prayers in each temple.
He met a Japanese father and son, Shūji and Jun, who were walking together in hopes of solving the son's "problems." They became friends on the trail, although it wasn't until deep into the pilgrimage that Sibley found out the extent of the family's struggles. He also met another Japanese man, Tanaka-san, who was walking to "fill an emptiness in his heart." Together, the four of them completed the pilgrimage despite many struggles and blessings along the way.
I don't think from his descriptions that I could walk such a pilgrimage with all of the mountains on this pilgrimage route. But it was wonderful to share in his experience by reading about it. It seemed a wonderful experience.
He met a Japanese father and son, Shūji and Jun, who were walking together in hopes of solving the son's "problems." They became friends on the trail, although it wasn't until deep into the pilgrimage that Sibley found out the extent of the family's struggles. He also met another Japanese man, Tanaka-san, who was walking to "fill an emptiness in his heart." Together, the four of them completed the pilgrimage despite many struggles and blessings along the way.
I don't think from his descriptions that I could walk such a pilgrimage with all of the mountains on this pilgrimage route. But it was wonderful to share in his experience by reading about it. It seemed a wonderful experience.
March 27, 2026
this is my 2nd reading post completing my 88 temple pilgrimage in late 2023
2nd reading was even better than the 1st
this is a beautifully insightful and heartfelt account of the wonderful experience Shokoku’s Henro Michi has to offer.
has inspired me to do another lap in 2027
EnJoy
☺️
2nd reading was even better than the 1st
this is a beautifully insightful and heartfelt account of the wonderful experience Shokoku’s Henro Michi has to offer.
has inspired me to do another lap in 2027
EnJoy
☺️
December 23, 2024
Great story, the ending is a bit heavy - wow
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