The island of Shikoku, Japan contains an old Buddhist pilgrimage route around its perimeter - 88 temples over a distance of about 1200 km. There are long periods of asphalt walking followed by daunting climbs up and down mountain trails. It takes a couple of months to walk the full route, and like the el Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain, is a life-changing experience. This is one of those experiences where there isn't any goal other than personal transformation - it's not for dabblers.