Bright On Buddhism · Nicholas Bright Haight

Nick on Pilgrimage

April 18, 2025·15 min·1 clip

Nick Bright reveals he's walking 750 miles across Japan to visit 88 Buddhist temples.

This episode of Bright on Buddhism features host Nick explaining his upcoming 50-55 day walking pilgrimage around Japan's 750-mile Shikoku circuit. Nick and co-host Docs outline how this journey will disrupt their regular podcast recording schedule. The pilgrimage involves visiting 88 Buddhist temples historically linked to the monk Kukai Kobodaishi. Nick details his plan to walk an average of 15.5 miles per day, starting with a 10-mile day and gradually increasing his distance. He describes packing very lightly, carrying only essentials like clothing, a first aid kit, waterproof layers, and basic technology including a phone and charger. He outlines four lodging options along the route: hotels, traditional ryokan inns, temple stays (shukubou) offering vegan meals, and shared minshuku lodgings. Nick has used the website henro.org to map his entire route and identify potential places to stay each night. He explains he will only make reservations three to four days in advance to avoid cancellations, except during Japan's busy Golden Week holiday from April 29 to May 5. A significant challenge will be securing accommodations during Golden Week, which he compares to trying to book a room during American Thanksgiving. One interesting insight is Nick's approach to training, noting that while marathon runners train by running over 26 miles, you cannot realistically train for a 750-mile walk by walking the same distance. His primary logistical focus is maintaining flexibility with bookings to respect Japanese cultural norms around last-minute cancellations. The pilgrimage concludes with a traditional visit to Mount Koya (Koyasan), the headquarters of Shingon Buddhism founded by Kukai. Nick plans to document the trip by writing a daily travel log in both English and Japanese to share online. To cover the podcast's upload gap, he may send weekly, unedited voice memos from the road for Docs to potentially release. The co-hosts also discuss contingency plans, which might include Docs hosting guests to talk about religions other than Buddhism or having informal conversations with friends. The episode's tone is informational and preparatory, with a conversational style between the two hosts. It carries an undercurrent of uncertainty, as it was recorded in advance and the hosts acknowledge plans may change. Listeners interested in Japanese Buddhism, pilgrimage logistics, or long-distance walking adventures would find this episode engaging. Those preferring the show's typical scripted discussions on Buddhist philosophy might find this scheduling announcement less compelling.

As heard by us

A pilgrimage story that makes logistics part of the spiritual terrain.

Bright on Buddhism turns a pilgrimage update into a grounded look at commitment. The episode follows Nick as he leaves the U.S. for Japan and starts the 750-mile Shikoku pilgrimage on foot, with the hosts laying out the 88 Buddhist temples, the daily mileage, and the practical…

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Why you'd press play

You want a Buddhism episode anchored in a Shikoku pilgrimage and a show schedule that has to change.

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