Hospitality gone wild — don't let yourself be hijacked!

If you are planning on walking the Shikoku Pilgrimage in honor of the patron saint Kobo Daishi — be warned. Don't let yourself get hijacked.

I recently went to Shikoku to walk to the last two temples of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. I was on a special mission: to do "petto kuyo" for two Japan Lite readers whose pets had died at the veterinarian's office. Both owners felt their pets had been victims of malpractice and greedy vets. I had a hunch they were right.

I went to Shikoku carrying letters and photos that I would use for kuyo, a Buddhist ritual in which you pray for someone deceased in order to help their soul rest in peace. This is one reason people do the 1,300 km Shikoku Pilgrimage, especially during the first year of a family member's death. Kuyo is one of the most compassionate things you can do for someone.