Replicating Pilgrimages in Japan and Beyond

This book challenges the common assumption that pilgrimage is defined by distance, hardship and travel to renowned sacred destinations. Focusing on small-scale replications of Japan’s famous Shikoku pilgrimage, Ian Reader demonstrates that pilgrimage is equally shaped by proximity, accessibility and local meaning. Across Japan, replicas of the Shikoku route range from regional circuits to sites only a few metres long, yet they share the same structure and are believed to offer the same spiritual benefits as the original.Drawing on extensive fieldwork and historical research in Japan, alongside research in the UK and France, Reader shows that replication is not a marginal aspect of pilgrimage but a central and innovative feature of pilgrimage cultures worldwide. Through case studies of replicated Shikoku pilgrimages and local versions of the Lourdes shrine, he explores how sacred sites are reproduced, how new pilgrimage traditions emerge, and how communities use them to express local identity and affirm the significance of their own places.By highlighting the imaginative and adaptive nature of pilgrimage, the book reveals how the sacred can be recreated almost anywhere. It also examines why many replicated pilgrimages have flourished while others have declined, offering new insights into the changing dynamics of pilgrimage in Japan and beyond.