Australia and the World Past and Present

Years ago, I walked the 88 temple pilgrimage on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

Over 1000 kilometers of religion, history and culture.

Walkers are out in the elements, travelling from place to place. I was very lucky with the weather. The gods – whether Buddhist or Shinto – seemed to be smiling on me.

I had decided to undertake the walk in December and January.

Most people in Australia are on holiday during the Christmas / January period. I was leaving the Australian summer and going into the Japanese winter. That was fine by me.

Of course most people who do the pilgrimage are Japanese. And peak season is definitely not in winter. Most travel when the weather is warmer. During peak season, accommodation is in greater demand. There are less rooms available and they are more expensive. But if you go in winter, rooms abound, there are less people on the trail and in many ways I think it makes for a more relaxed experience.

These days, the trail is a mix of the old and the new. Due to Japan’s development and urbanisation, some of the trail is along sealed roads or paved paths. But there are still many sections that remain rather natural. You can still pass through forests or bamboo groves.

In the last 12 months I have been hearing stories in the press about bear attacks in Japan. The increase in attacks is a recent phenomenon. It is important to understand that when we talk about bear attacks in Japan, we are talking about the northern areas of the country – Hokkaido or northern Honshu. Much of this has to do with climate, but also human population numbers and urban sprawl. There used to be bears in Kyushu, in the far south, but they are all gone now.

But it got me thinking, were there any bears on Shikoku? Well, it turns out that there are.

They are Japanese black bears. But their numbers are incredibly low – perhaps only 20 or so. Thus, the Shikoku black bear is critically endangered.

So, where are they? They frequent Mount Tsurugi and surrounding mountains. More specifically, they live near the border of Tokushima and Kochi Prefectures, in eastern / central Shikoku. The closest villages to the bears are Naka-chō (那賀町), Tsurugi-chō (つるぎ町), and parts of Kami City (香美市) and Miyoshi City (三好市).

And they do hibernate. They go to ground during winter (usually December – March or April).

They stick to forested areas and avoid human settlements.

They hibernate in hollows at the base of large trees and in rock cavities. Sometimes they shelter in shallow nests hidden under vegetation.

There are no documented attacks on humans or fatalities from bears in Shikoku in modern times.

Encounters are extremely rare and the bears are incredibly shy.

The only cave that I was aware of on the pilgrimage was the one traditionally associated with Kūkai’s meditation – Mikurodo Cave (御厨人窟). This cave is located on Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture, on the southeastern coast of Shikoku. It is close to Hotsumisakiji Temple (最御崎寺) which is the 24th temple on the pilgrimage.

Why is this cave important? Kūkai (774–835) practiced intense ascetic meditation in Mikurodo Cave as a young monk. While meditating there, he is said to have experienced enlightenment upon seeing the morning star (Venus) rising over the Pacific. According to tradition, after this experience, he adopted the name Kūkai, meaning “Sky and Sea,” reflecting the view from the cave.

The 88 temple pilgrimage follows the coast and basically skirts the island in one, big circle.

So, was I ever in any danger? No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t in bear territory. Even if I had been, these bears are extremely shy and avoid humans. Bear attacks are not feared in Shikoku. And unknown to me at the time, the bears were sleeping.