Shikoku is the fourth largest island of Japan. It's located about 800 kilometers west of Tokyo. The Shikoku Pilgrimage is a unique experience visiting 88 Buddhist temples on this island. The temples are located throughout the island, and walking the entire route from one temple to the next adds up to a journey of more than 1,400 kilometers. You may anticipate it will be challenging, but please don’t worry. You are allowed to use public transportations, if you want.
Tairyuji in Tokushima Prefecture is a good example. This temple is located near the steep mountain summit, 618 meters above sea level. To visit this mountain temple, Tairyuji Ropeway is convenient. The route was opened in 1992 by Shikoku Cable Company. It's a four-cables cross type aerial tramway. Connecting Washinosato and Sancho stations, its route length is 2,775 meters. The height difference between the two stations is 422 meters. Its maximum inclination is 30 degrees. Swiss made gondolas are operated every 20 minutes. It takes about 10 minutes to go one way. Each gondola can accommodate up to 101 passengers.
There are 2 struts on the route. The height of the first strut is 42 meters, which is the tallest in the world. I observed this giant structure on the way to the temple. I could also see the mountain summit was lightly dusted with snow that morning due to the cold weather. Incidentally, I was not a pilgrim, just a tourist. I’m wimp, so, I don’t want to join the 1,400-kilometer-long pilgrimage.
