As a kid, I was already fond of Japan.

It was my first class presentation exam in Junior high school, and my last during my master degree in sustainable tourism. My childhood heroes were Miyamoto Musashi, and Oda Nobunaga, and they nurtured a dream, going to Japan. But this dream became too big, out of reach even. I opted for a one year trip to New Zealand instead, a closer culture, a language that I knew, a rugby world cup, nature, … Lots of reasons. My studies brought me to various europeans countries, and Ecuador for 6 month. As a side job, I was guiding visitors in cave near my birth place, Chartreuse, which I love deeply also.

My first Pilggrimage of Shikoku

In 2016, I took one step, and went to Japan. I didn’t want to do the “traditional” trip, that you might see in 90% of travela agencies out there, the famous Tokyo/Hakone/Fuji/Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Himeji/Hiroshima. First, big towns and crowds aren’t my cup of tea. Furthermore, my hero was living in rural Japan, surrounded by rice fields, and that’s what I wanted to see. Shikoku and the 88 temples appeared to be perfect. My adventures are in french, in the blog part of this webiste : https://innerpeace-japan.com/blog/page/11/ (I might find this courage to translate it all someday, who knows)

But if you want a brief story, I had a bad feeling about this pilgrimage. And it got confirmed. I had high expectations, I was focus on myself, lost in a culture too different from mine, shaken inside everyday. But one thing was certain : I had to come back. It was more than 108 temples, and 1400km walking. There was somethind hidden, deeply, somewhere, and I missed it.

Second pilgrimage

With a bit more money in my pocket, and a master degree, I went back to Shikoku in 2018. Less focus on the physical aspect of this trip, because I knew my body was able to reach the end (my chiropractor might have something to say about it though). As a result, I was more sensible to what was around me. I could see the incredible work that volunteers had to do to clean the path, put up the signs, rebuild after the typhoons, … I appreciated more the “ossetai” culture (offering to the pilgrims) Oranges, Kakis, sweets, but also the smiles and encourangements. I could see the efforts and passion of the hosts. And I had only one thing in mind : give back. To become a part of this adventure, one of the many anonymous hands. And I had this occasion in the temple 58, Senyu-ji, after I met Yasu, and, giving him my calligraphy book, he asked :
Yasu -Why are you doing this ?
Me – I don’t really know.
Yasu – I know ! Because you are CRAZY !
He would then invite me for a coffee, and tell me that the Jushoku (Head temple) is always looking for volunteers to help. I stayed 10 days, to work in rice fields, forests, clean the rooms and the onsen. It is something that happens quite often on a pilgrimage, you find what you need, not necesseraly what you want. I found a place to spread my wings, live my passion, and think about the next step in my life.

My life in Japan

And this next step will be, you might have guessed already, Shikoku. Late 2019, I go back to the temple who hosted me during my second tour, for a longer, and much more intense, period. The idea of guiding people on the pilgrimage was born in this sacred place. Nearly every night, pilgrims came to enjoy the accomodation provided by the temple (Shukubo) and the discussions where always interesting and meaningful. Whatever pushed people on the path of Shikoku, the Island found a way to provide an insight or a answer, even partially, to their sorrows or hopes. That inner peace, to be secured in an important choice we made, to lessen the burden of grief, to be aware of our place in the world neither too much nor too less, that was what’s hidding between the temple of Shikoku. And Inner Peace was the name I chose for my company.

Covid19 changed my plans. I left the temple who had less work for me, to go on pilgrimage number 3, but everything shut down. I was welcom to stay with a family, for a week or two, until the pandemy would come to an end … After several month, the virus was still kicking, so I left this little heaven, and the wonderful people that I call my japanese family now, to find a job and fund my next 2 pilgrimages, required to become an official guide. The rest of my time in Japan was a strange experience, to be the only foreigner (nearly) in a closed country, the only tourist. And to turn around Shikoku, with a lot of closed lodging, became a personal nightmare : an empty island, with no pilgrims, depraved of the essence of the 88 temples…

I came back to France in 2022, with a simple idea in mind, to help people discover this unique place.