The Shikoku Pilgrimage: Practical Tips and Anecdotes — An interview with Oliver Dunskus

Oliver Dunskus is a German national who spends most of his year being a marketing manager. However, he has an atypical hobby: spending a few weeks each year walking the most famous pilgrimage of Japan, on Shikoku island. Noticing the lack of practical guidebooks for western pilgrims, he wrote and released the first Shikoku pilgrimage guidebook in German. Then, in January 2021, he released a new book in English, “The 88 Temples of Shikoku: A Guide for the Walking Pilgrim.”

Read on to discover the challenges of walking more than 1,000 kilometers, unique anecdotes involving the locals, how Oliver wrote his guide, and what each trip offers him on a personal level.

What is the Shikoku Pilgrimage?

Could you explain what the Shikoku Pilgrimage is for our readers who may not be familiar with it?

Shikoku is the fourth island of Japan, and is located south of Kobe. It takes about two hours by ship to get there. It is about 200 kilometers wide and 100 kilometers long. There is a pilgrimage path of 1,200 kilometers, mostly around the island’s coasts. Along the path, you go to 88 famous temples that the famous Buddhist priest Kobo Daishi is believed to have visited. There, you can conduct a couple of rituals if…