Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage on Foot

Overview

Japan's most walkable pilgrimage is not Shikoku — it is this 100km loop through the low mountains of Chichibu, ninety minutes from Ikebukuro on the Seibu line. Thirty-four temples dedicated to Kannon, goddess of mercy, thread through persimmon orchards, cedar plantations and the town's back streets. You carry a nokyocho stamp book and collect hand-brushed calligraphy at each temple office; the rhythm of bell, bow and stamp becomes the trip. The moment: climbing the ladder-steep steps to temple 31, Kannon-in, where the hall is tucked under a rock overhang, and hearing nothing but water. Most walkers take four to six days, staying in ryokan and business hotels in Chichibu town and finishing at Suisen-ji, temple 34, in the hills near Mitsumine-guchi. Spring brings the shibazakura moss-phlox fields; November the fire festival build-up and blazing maples. The catch is temple office hours — stamps stop at 4pm sharp (winter 5pm closures vary), so plan stages backwards from the last office. Budget around £450–£550 for five days including trains from Tokyo.

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Prefilled for 1 October 2026 — the next best-season window. Search on partner sites — opens in a new tab.