Tales of a Summer Henro

Pilgrims, or 'henro' as they are known in Japanese, have been walking clockwise around Shikoku, Japan's fourth largest island, for well over one thousand years. They follow in the footsteps of the great Buddhist saint Kobo-daishi, searching for the ever elusive enlightenment that he found there. They visit the 88 sacred temples, and in overcoming the hardships of the journey they become better for it. Or so the theory goes! Nowadays nearly all 'henro' travel in cars, taxis or buses, and physical hardship doesn't come into it! Craig was a 'walking henro' in the summer of 1995 and this book contains the tales of his journey. This is one of five books available on Amazon about McLachlan's various adventures in Japan. He has also walked the length of Japan (3200kms in 99 days!), climbed Japan's 100 Famous Mountains in record time (78 days!), journeyed around the Saigoku 33 Temples of Kannon Pilgrimage, and trekked from the Sea of Japan to the Pacific Ocean climbing all Japan's 3,000-meter peaks along the way. See www.craigmclachlan.com.