Chichibu Pilgrimage Scroll, Chichibu, Saitama, Japan

In addition to several smaller courses, I completed four major pilgrimages in Japan.

The first three of these made up the 100 temples dedicated to Kannon (Chinese Guanyin), the Bodhisattva of Compassion:

• the Saigoku 33;
• the Bando 33; and
• the Chichibu 34

I also did the Shikoku 88, dedicated to Kukai/Kobo Daishi.

But the only scroll I had made on any of these was for the Chichibu (though I have "stamp books" for the others).

I purchased and carried (for 100km, or 60 miles, entirely on foot) a plain piece of paper with the Kannon image in its center; it was backed with a sort of "guide" to tell temple staff where to place the stamps and do the hand calligraphy for each temple.

While I was on Shikoku, a friend took the scroll and had it mounted, and I picked it up from her on my way back to Tokyo. The backing sheet had been removed, and the completed scroll was framed in this beautiful brocade.

If our house ever catches fire, it's the first thing I'll grab!

Posted to Reddit et al, February 16, 2025

The scroll hangs 2' by a little over 6' (call it 60 cm by 185 cm)

A slightly closer view shows the figure of Kannon and some of the stamps.

This closeup shows Kannon's face.

The first time I saw my scroll hanging it was in the tokonoma (alcove) in my friend's traditional tatami room.