It is a headline that's sure to grab a second glance:
'New Kinki pilgrimage targets baby boomers',
however, it turns out that Kinky has not been mis-spelt but refers to the
Kinki (Kansai) region in Japan
Organizers aim to re-create the pilgrimages that were popular prior to the Meiji Restoration, including trips to the Ise and Kumano areas of the region. It also aims to revive Japan's religious tradition of paying homage to both Shinto deities and Buddhist saints, a practice known as Shinbutsu Shugo, the syncretization of the two religions.
On completion the new route, dubbed Saigoku Shinbutsu Reijo (Shinto and Buddhist spiritual fields of Western Japan), is expected to connect about 100 temples and shrines of various sects.
About 20 temples and shrines have already agreed to participate in the scheme. They include Hieizan Enryakuji temple in Otsu; Kongobuji temple in Koyacho, Wakayama Prefecture; Kinkakuji temple and Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto; Iwashimizu Hachimangu shrine in Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture; Horyuji temple in Ikarugacho, Nara Prefecture; and Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine in Osaka.
Labels: Buddhist, Japan, Kansai, Kinki, pilgrimage, Shinto
