Meisekiji (明石寺)

thanksgiving morning, before heading to a bloated english teaching conference, chris and i killed some time stopping at the Meiseki Temple. this temple is one of the 88 famous temples of the shikoku pilgramage. meiseikiji happens to be number 43. we arrived around 9 in the morning and we were just in time to see bus loads of pilgrims starting off their day. take a minute to see what we saw!

this is traditional pilgrimage attire. typically they are dressed in white from head to toe, donning the traditional straw hat. pilgrims who make the entire journey on foot usually take about 2 months to circle the entire island. they will also ask for donations to continue the pilgrimage. they usually do this by silently standing holding out a donation cup.

many travelers are surprisingly old and carry all their belonging in a pack. they travel a light as possible to be able to endure the trek. it is said that even if a foreigner decides to take up the pilgrimage, if they also wear the hallmark wardrobe, they (like all others on the journey) will be treated with more respect and kindness. many shikokuins (?) support these pilgrims and will gladly give donations to help with food expenses. the pilgrims typically stay in the temples to rest at night, and will visit as many as 5 or 6 in a day. to commemorate the trek, pilgrims will have their book stamped with the unique seal of each temple visited.