お遍路さん

On the island of Shikoku, one of the four major islands of Japan, there is a pilgrimage whereby one travels to the 88 Buddhist temples said to be founded by Kōbō Daishi.

These days, it's more popular to do the trek by air-conditioned bus in large groups of excited pensioners. This new, convenient method can take as little as a week, though the traditional method of walking can take up to two months to circle the island.

This man asked me to take his picture as he was starting off on his trek the traditional way, by foot. I think he was a bit surprised when I asked if I could snap once more--with my own camera!


This is my 13th photo in the 100 Strangers Project.