62 Hōju-ji

Hōju-ji is the 62nd temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, one of Japan's most celebrated Buddhist circuits comprising 88 temples across the island of Shikoku. It belongs to the Shingon sect, an esoteric school of Buddhism established in the early 9th century by the monk Kūkai, also revered as Kōbō Daishi, who is said to accompany every pilgrim on the route in spirit. Located in Saijō, Ehime Prefecture, the temple sits unusually close to urban infrastructure — sandwiched between the Yosan railway line and National Route 11 — giving it a distinctly city-bound character compared to many of its more rural counterparts. Pilgrims, known as ohenro, traditionally dress in white robes and collect a red ink stamp at each temple as proof of passage.