Japan Incentive Group

In the last blog I introduced you to a book that I wrote that came from many years of training as a karate student, and as a karate coach. The purpose was simply to give you more information about who I am, and maybe also what our little company can do for you.

And while I am talking about that book, I should also mention another book that I wrote called, “Your Pilgrimage in Japan”. This book is one that comes from my own experiences of doing the 88 Buddhist Temple Pilgrimage of Shikoku. I completed the pilgrimage in 2016 and shortly thereafter I took all my writings and notes and photos of each temple and assembled the book.

I loved my experiences on the pilgrimage trail, and the incredible opportunities to truly deep-dive into Japanese spirituality, culture, history, and folklore. That was simply marvelous and I am now currently going through the pilgrimage for a second time, but more slowly to learn more and understand more.

The Shikoku Pilgrimage is long. It is 1400 kilometers and will take you about 6-8 weeks to walk all of it. It is much like a zen ring that threads through the four prefectures of Shikoku Island. Each prefecture is another “dojo” of developing enlightenment – a story in the revealing of the pilgrim’s growing enlightenment as they travel.

Pilgrims today travel these 1400 kilometers in a variety of ways – walking, cycling, traveling by buses and trains, and by car. Or mixing it all up as they go along. You can visit the temples in any order you like as you gather the “signatures” in calligraphy form in your “temple stamp book”. When you complete all 88 temples you travel to the Koyasan cemetery to pay homage to the originator of the pilgrimage – Kukai (known also as Kobo Daishi posthumously).

I wrote this book in the same tone and tenor as my karate book. This was not “Look at Mark playing at pilgrim and enjoy his deep thoughts on his personal enlightenment”.

I hardly have deep thoughts or enlightenment as it is… but I do have curiosity and boundless enthusiasm to introduce newcomers to deep Japan experiences. I would very much like anyone coming to Japan to have some time walking through field and forest, along roads and through villages, and by the rivers and through bamboo covered mountains to see these temples and learn the stories here.

Pilgrimage is something so personal and wonderful and illuminating. Let’s talk about how we can integrate elements of the “un-discovered” Japan into your incentive trip to Japan. Your teams will love it, and it will spark something within to help them understand purpose and meaning and contribution and collectivity and unity.

We would love to send you and your people on a day or two walking on the path of enlightenment. It is sure to be a treasure to remember forever.