Pielgrzymowanie kobiet w Japonii w świetle XIX-wiecznego dziennika z podróży Nishimury Misu
Women’s Pilgrimages in Japan as Reflected in the 19th-Century Travel Diary of Nishimura Misu

Summary/Abstract: Based on 'Tabi no Michikusa' ['Places I Encountered on My Journey'], a 19th-century travel account, this paper aims to discuss the first-hand experiences of a woman pilgrim named Nishimura Misu. Her 158-day pilgrimage took her to thirty-three wondrous places of worship dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon in Western Japan and Zenkō-ji as main destinations, as well as other historically famous sites. The paper argues that, given the limited mobility of low-status women during the Edo period (1603–1868), she disguised her travel as a pilgrimage to pray for the happy rebirth of her late husband and daughters, which was considered a socially acceptable form of traveling. Thus, she meticulously performed rituals for the dead throughout her journey. Misu’s experiences were greatly impacted by the “no women allowed” rule, still effective at some Buddhist temples and sacred mountains, which led to the development of unique practices, such as taking special routes for women (nyonin michi), attending halls for women pilgrims (nyonindō) and conducting pilgrimage rituals through a proxy, as well as visiting nyonin Kōya - temples of Shingon Buddhism intended as a substitute for Mount Kōya.

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