Some time back, I wrote about my visit to Upenji Temple (Wow Place #77), a memorable stop on the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage Trail. I was reminded of Upenji recently while watching the fascinating new documentary, “The Hikikomori Pilgrimage (2026),” produced by NHK WORLD-JAPAN documentary.
The documentary details the journey of five young men, all social recluses (“Hikikomori”), who embark on a 1,200-kilometer pilgrimage around the island of Shikoku on a journey of self-discovery.
It’s a fascinating story, both externally as well as internally. The movie follows the five participants as they walk from temple to temple over the period of several months, dressed in the pilgrim’s (“henro’s”) “uniform” of straw hats, white shirts, and white pants.
For the young men, this is one of the hardest tasks they’ll take on in their entire lives. Just completing the physical walk, itself, is an enormous test of grit and stamina. But for the participants, it’s the social challenge that proves to be the greater challenge. For the first time in years, the men need to leave behind their prolonged isolation and reconnect with the world — at their own pace, one step at a time.
It’s a fascinating and moving journey of self-discovery and mental fortitude, as the “pilgrims” re-learn how to interact with locals along the way and form bonds with each other. During their walk, they watch how they re-examine their life choices and consider how things might be different when they return back home upon completion of the trek.
I strongly recommend watching this documentary as wells as visiting, in person, as many of the 88 Shikoku Temples as you can. Although I only stopped in at about 3 of the sites on my Shikoku trip, I found all the temples I visited to be serene, almost magical, locations. More often than not, the temples were situated at the top of a hill or mountain, enveloped in soft pines and graceful firs. At every location, I met a variety of welcoming “henro” eager to say hello and share the details of their journeys.
Best of all, along the pilgrimage you won’t likely run into another tourist during the duration of your visit. This is Japan “off-the-beaten-track,” a worthy pilgrimage indeed.
(Due to the confluence of social media, video games, video conferencing and Covid, we’ve all become considerably more reclusive than we used to be. I mean, why go to a movie theater when you can just stream the film at home, saving time, gas and popcorn money? Why join an organization or club when you can get all your social and community needs met on line? Why go out at all?!!! Well, you know why. We humans need in-person connection. We need eye contact with others. We need touch. Since our caveman days, we’ve been wired to be in the same physical space with other people. So whadya say? When you’re done reading this article, go outside! Go to the mall! Have a coffee in a café. Join a club! Be around people! At least for one day, put your Hikikomori tendencies behind you—you’ll be glad you did.)