I was 17 years old when I spent a summer on the island of Shikoku, long before the bridge was built to facilitate development. In my small village, many people had never seen a westerner, and I was a towering curiosity with my long blond hair.
I learned about openness and generosity during that time, and the travel bug infected my heart forever. I also learned about the Shikoku Henro (pilgrimage), since it passed near the village where I stayed. I thought about doing it, before deciding to do the Camino next year. Perhaps the Shikoku Henro will be next.
There's a very interesting book called Making Pilgrimages, Meaning and Practice in Shikoku by Ian Reader. He has extensive observations and discussion about walking the route versus the prevalent pilgrim bus tours. In other words: who's a true pilgrim? Not surprisingly, he was as impressed by the sincerity of some bus pilgrims as he was dismayed by the insincerity of some walking pilgrims. Sound familiar?
The author also makes numerous cross-references to studies made of the Camino pilgrimage. So, without realizing it the time I read the book, this was my first introduction to the Camino. No wonder it called to me.