1.
pilgrimage, esp. to the 88 temples of Shikoku; pilgrim
A Buddhist pilgrimage around sacred sites, above all the circuit of eighty-eight temples on the island of Shikoku associated with the monk Kūkai (弘法大師). The word also names the pilgrim, usually as お遍路さん.
Common collocations
- お遍路さん: a pilgrim (friendly, everyday form)
- 四国遍路: the Shikoku pilgrimage
- 歩き遍路: making the pilgrimage on foot
- 遍路道: the pilgrimage route
- 遍路に出る: to set out on the pilgrimage
Cultural note
The full circuit on foot is more than 1,000 kilometers and usually takes forty to sixty days. Pilgrims wear white and carry a wooden staff, and local people traditionally offer them food, drink, or a place to rest, a custom called お接待. Many people do the route in sections, by bus, or by car.