13/06/2026
Chichibu Fudasho, Kechigan
(Chichibu Pilgrimage Completion Ceremony)
Walking the Chichibu Pilgrimage.
After a week of walking and visiting the 34 temples dedicated to Kannon, covering more than 100 km across one city and three towns, Chichibu City, Yokoze, Minano, and Ogano, in Saitama Prefecture, we completed the pilgrimage. The route crosses valleys, mountain paths, forests, and rice paddies, following a sacred tradition spanning nearly eight centuries.
In the Year of the Horse, which occurs once every 12 years, the 34 temples of the Chichibu Pilgrimage simultaneously open the halls containing their hidden Kannon statues. Visitors can view the sacred statues and touch the ropes connected to them.
The temples of the Chichibu Pilgrimage are included among the 100 Japanese Kannon Sacred Sites, together with the 33-temple Saigoku Pilgrimage and the 33-temple Bandō Pilgrimage.
Walking the Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage, a journey of compassion and gratitude. 🙏
Now our nōkyōjiku (pilgrimage stamp scrolls), bearing the seals and calligraphy of all 34 temples, will be mounted as traditional kakejiku hanging scrolls, creating a lasting memorial of this pilgrimage.
📸 Chichibu Fudasho No. 34, Suisen-ji Temple,
KRD Nelson, June 2026.
