Between Ink and Vermilion
At every temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, you’ll see a sign reading Nōkyōsho—the temple office where pilgrims receive their inscriptions.Inside, monks or attendants dip their brushes into black ink, moving with steady grace as the scent of ink and the red of the seals ease the tension of the traveler’s day.
Many people call these goshuin, but the original term is nōkyō, meaning “offering a sutra.”
It was once a proof of having recited or copied a Buddhist scripture—a spiritual receipt rather than a souvenir.
To receive it after prayer is to crystallize the meaning of the entire journey in a single, quiet moment.
The Origin of “Offering Sutras”
The word nōkyō literally means “to dedicate a sutra.”In medieval Japan, devotees offered handwritten scrolls to temples.By the Edo period, as commoners began making pilgrimages, temples developed a system of writing the temple name, principal deity, and date in black ink, then stamping in red to acknowledge the offering.
This fusion of record and ritual transformed pilgrimage itself—from private asceticism into a living culture of “recording prayer while walking.”
Each page of ink and vermilion in the nōkyōchō (stamp book) forms a layered record of one’s journey, a diary written in faith.
How Nōkyō Differs from Goshuin
Across Japan, temples and shrines issue goshuin as commemorative seals, but Shikoku’s nōkyō carries a deeper ritual meaning.While goshuin marks a visit, nōkyō certifies an act of devotion—recitation, bowing, and offering.
It is inscribed in a dedicated nōkyōchō rather than on loose paper, and uniquely, Shikoku pilgrims can receive multiple stamps in the same book each time they complete the circuit.
As the red ink deepens and black calligraphy overlaps, the book itself becomes the story of a life re-walked and re-prayed.
Forms of Nōkyō: Book, Scroll, Robe, and Image
There are four main forms in which pilgrims may receive nōkyō:
- Nōkyōchō (stamp book) – the most common, with temple name, deity, and date written in ink and sealed in red.
- Nōkyōjiku (scroll) – a large hanging scroll collecting all 88 seals, later mounted for home altars.
- Byakue (white pilgrimage robe) – some pilgrims receive stamps directly on their robe, turning their garment into a living record.
- Omie (temple image card) – a printed image of each temple’s principal deity, given together with the nōkyō.
Each of these items is a “tool of memory,” turning time walked into visible form.
The brushstrokes and seals bridge belief and documentation—linking the spiritual and the tangible.
Etiquette and Practice
Before receiving nōkyō, pilgrims first pray or recite sutras at both the Main Hall and the Daishi Hall.The inscription is a sign that this offering was accepted.
When queuing, open your book to the correct page and secure it with a clip.
Follow temple instructions about adding your name.Do not close the book until the ink dries, and ask permission before photographing the process. If receiving stamps on a robe, place a backing board inside to prevent smudging.
Each gesture has meaning.The movement of the brush, the sound of paper, the scent of ink—all invite the pilgrim to pause and breathe in the silence between prayer and record.
Times and Offerings
Temple offices generally operate between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., with queues forming during peak seasons. Typical nōkyō fees are around 500 yen for a book, 700 yen for a scroll, and 300 yen for a robe. These are not “service charges” but offerings of gratitude for recording one’s devotion.
They should be given with respect and calm awareness.
A Record of Prayer
After completing all eighty-eight temples, the nōkyōchō becomes far more than a record—it is a history of one’s prayers. When placed on a home altar or framed as a scroll, it transforms from notebook to sacred object, preserving the time walked as part of one’s spiritual path.
As you turn each page, the scent of ink and layers of red evoke the days and temples behind you. What is written there is not just temple names—it is your own footsteps made visible.
Nōkyō is not a purchase of blessings but a sign that your prayer has been received.
With that quiet assurance, you can set off again toward the next temple.
More Than a Record
Each seal is proof of days walked, a trace of heart and hand. The fragrance of ink, the shine of vermilion, the flow of calligraphy—together they give the journey form.
The eighty-eight stamps in your book are not imitations of others but a map of your own pilgrimage. From the space between black ink and red seal, the Shikoku you have walked quietly rises again.
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