- Time of past OR future Camino
- Too many and too often!
Something seasonal which I came across this morning. According to this article there is a custom in Japan to visit temples and shrines dedicated to the "seven lucky gods" at New Year - recording your visits to each site by collecting stamps on a special card. That sounds familiar. 
Usually the route is only a few km long and can be walked quite easily on a single day. The article describes one of the many possible routes in some detail. It looks and sounds like a very condensed version of walking the Shikoku 88 temple circuit. In Japanese mythology the seven lucky gods arrive by ship in Japan at New Year time. I couldn't help seeing parallels with some European Christmas traditions like the Dutch Sinterklaas celebrations. The seven deities have their origins in Buddhism, Shinto and Taoism - like much of religion in Japan the roots of the custom are very eclectic!
japantoday.com
en.wikipedia.org
Usually the route is only a few km long and can be walked quite easily on a single day. The article describes one of the many possible routes in some detail. It looks and sounds like a very condensed version of walking the Shikoku 88 temple circuit. In Japanese mythology the seven lucky gods arrive by ship in Japan at New Year time. I couldn't help seeing parallels with some European Christmas traditions like the Dutch Sinterklaas celebrations. The seven deities have their origins in Buddhism, Shinto and Taoism - like much of religion in Japan the roots of the custom are very eclectic!
The Sakura Seven: A walk to gain good fortune
In Japan, various rituals and activities can be undertaken to bring on good luck or good fortune. These are especially popular at New Year’s, when one’s slate has been wiped clean to begin again. One such activity is the Seven Lucky Gods Pilgrimage, a walking course to visit and pay…
japantoday.com
