Nagao-ji (Temple 87)

Nagao-ji is the 87th temple of the Shikoku pilgrimage, standing at the edge of the town of Nagao in Sanuki City, at the terminus of the Kotoden Nagao tram line. As the penultimate stop on the 88-temple circuit, it holds special emotional weight for pilgrims: the long journey around the island is almost complete, and only the final mountain temple, Okubo-ji, remains.

The temple is traditionally attributed to the monk Gyoki in the 8th century, later associated with Kobo Daishi (Kukai). Its principal image is a Sho Kannon, a form of the bodhisattva of compassion. The grounds are broad and open, entered through a gate flanked by a pair of notable stone stupas designated as cultural properties, said to have been erected in the Kamakura period. Twin great trees, a spreading main hall and a Daishi hall face a wide gravel courtyard, and the flat, uncluttered layout gives the temple a calm, settled feeling well suited to its role as a place of pause and reflection.

Nagao-ji has long been a gathering point. Because it sits on level ground with easy access, it traditionally served as the last comfortable stop where pilgrims could rest, resupply and prepare before the demanding walk up into the hills to Okubo-ji. Today that role continues, and the temple often has a gentle, companionable atmosphere as ohenro compare notes on their journeys, buy final supplies and steel themselves for the last leg. In the past, pilgrims here would ritually shed the straw sandals and worn gear of the road, and the sense of a journey drawing to its close still lingers.

The temple is also associated with an annual traditional event and with local folk customs, and its cultural-property stone stupas make it of genuine historical interest beyond its pilgrimage role. Cherry blossom softens the courtyard in spring, and the temple is pleasant in the mild light of autumn.

Practically, Nagao-ji is among the most accessible pilgrimage temples: the tram terminus is a five-minute walk away, and there is ample parking and restrooms. This makes it easy for day visitors as well as walking and bus pilgrims. Devotions follow the standard pattern — purification at the water basin, incense and candles, sutra chanting at the main and Daishi halls, and collection of the temple's calligraphic stamp in the pilgrimage book.

Allow around 40 minutes to see the gate, the stone stupas, the main and Daishi halls and to soak up the reflective mood. From here it is a short journey on to temple 88, Okubo-ji, tucked in the mountains to the south, where the pilgrimage traditionally reaches its fulfilment. Visiting Nagao-ji and Okubo-ji together lets you share in the quiet elation of pilgrims completing their circuit. As always, keep your visit calm and respectful, mindful that for many of the white-clad travellers around you this is one of the final steps of a journey that may have taken weeks.