58 仙遊寺 (Senyū-ji)

Sen'yū-ji is the 58th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, a circuit of 88 sacred sites ringing the island of Shikoku that is one of the most celebrated Buddhist pilgrimages in Japan. The temple belongs to the Shingon school founded by the monk Kūkai — venerated as Kōbō-Daishi — who is said to have established the route in the 9th century. It sits near the summit of 294-metre Mt. Sareizan on the northern outskirts of Imabari, tucked into dense cedar forest that muffles the outside world almost entirely. Traditional pilgrims, known as Henro, complete all 88 temples on foot over roughly 40 to 60 days, dressed in white robes and conical straw hats. Visitors not undertaking the full pilgrimage can reach the temple via a short but steep forest trail from the base of the mountain.