Sanuki Road in Autumn--Okubo-ji Temple

Okubo-ji Temple of Sanuki City, Kagawa Prefecture, is Temple 88 on the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage route.

The 88 temples of Shikoku, collectively known as Shikoku Hachijūhakkasho, are a group of temples associated with the Buddhist monk Kukai (also known as "Kobo Daishi"). They are amongst the foremost of Shikoku's sacred sites. The circular route of these temples stretches a total of some 1,400 kilometers all around the island of Shikoku. Pilgrims bring a vast array of emotions to this road that has "no beginning and no end."

In 2015, the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Japanese government recognized the route, specifically the Shikoku Henro open pilgrimage route along with its unique culture of pilgrimage, as a cultural heritage site of Japan.

Now as well as in the past, large number of pilgrims made this special pilgrimage with the 88th temple--Okubo-ji--as their goal. Situated in Tokushima Prefecture in the mountains near the border of Kagawa Prefecture, Okubo-ji is in the place where fall comes earliest in the prefecture. The approach to the temple is lined with red-leafed trees, while the grounds feature gingko trees, making the temple a popular destination for not only pilgrimage but also for autumn foliage viewing.

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