{Shikoku Hachijūhachikasho Meguri}

--WALKING--
---FREE LODGING---
There is a fair amount of free or inexpensive lodging available on the trail. Sometimes that can mean sleeping in a hut with walls that only go half way up to the ceiling, other times it's simple rudamentary lodging, sometimes it's at a temple. It's nothing like a paid minshuku or ryokan, and can be pretty spartan sometimes, but hey.... it is free or cheap.

Here are the English resources i know of:
The most famous list is the Japanese list called the Hagimori List, after the man who puts it together. I only have it in .jpg format because that is how it was sent to me. Here is >>Page 1<< and >>Page 2<< of the most up-to-date 2017 list.
Ohenro House Project
An organization called O-Henro House Shikoku 88 Project, or Henro House in short, has recently started a project of converting older, unused building into inexpensive lodging for walking henro. As of now (July 2017) they have 20 lodges in operation. They say it is "membership based," which means you need to register with them before you can use any of the lodgings, but there is no cost to register. Reservations are required before you can stay and the cost per night is ¥2,800 with no meals included.
Henro Huts
Local governments and volunteer groups have, over the past decade, been building free rest huts at various locations along the route for walking henro. Most of them are built as places henro can take a rest from walking so there are only benches, but many henro sleep on those benches overnight. There is a map of their locations on the web site www.henrogoya.com/koya.html (Japanese), but it's not zoomable so you can't get details about exact location. In addition to these huts, there are a lot of others around the island noted in the guidebook, Shikoku Japan 88 Route Guide, but these outlined below are the "official" huts, whatever that means.

Here's a very short summary of information about these huts:

Tokushima Prefecture
Hut
Number		 Hut
Name		 Location SJ88RG Map Picture
44 Kanyake About 2.0km after Temple 5. Just south of Kanyake Elementary School, where the trail up to Bangai 1 branches off the main henro trail. 18L Picture
45 Kūkai-an Kirihata About 1.7km after Temple 10. 19L Picture
36 Kamiyama About 6.8km after Temple 12, on the trail to T13 going over Tamaga Tōge. Just before the Kagami Daishi. 21L Picture
12 Bizan ABout 6.5km after Temple 17, along the route going past Tokushima Station. Near the station. 23L Picture
48 Kyōzuka-an About 3.0km after Temple 18 and only about 1.0km before T19. 24-b Picture
11 Katsuura About 10.0km after Temple 19. In Ikuna, just before turning off the highway to climb up to T20, at the entrance to the large(ish) farmer's market. 25-a Picture
3 Asebi After Temple 21. At the bottom of the Byōdōji Trail, where Routes 28 & 195 meet. 27R Picture
47 Ōne About 8.9km after Temple 21, along the trail to T22, just as you are coming out of the mountains and back to roads. 27R Picture
4 Kaneuchi About 5.9km after Temple 22, along the road to T23. Just as the trail starts following Route 55. 28L Picture
52 Hiwasa Kaisoku Bune Just before entering the town of Hiwasa. On Route 55. 28L Picture
40 Hiwasa About 5.0km after Temple 23, on Route 55. 29L Picture
50 Mugi About 16.0km after Temple 23, near Mugi Police Station 30R
(detail map)		 Picture
1 Kōhō About 26.0km after Temple 23, on Route 55. Just before Awa Kainan Station. 30R
(detail map)		 Picture
39 Nasa About 28.2km after Temple 23, on Route 55. A little past Kaifu Station. 30L Picture
6 Shishikui About 34.0km after Temple 23, on Route 55. A little past the Shishikui Onsen Michi no Eki. 31-a
(detail map)		 Picture
 
Kōchi Prefecture
Hut
Number		 Hut
Name		 Location SJ88RG Map Picture
8 Kagami About 30km after Temple 27. Past the town of Yasu and then just after Kishimoto Jinja. 37L Picture
28 Matsumoto Daishidō About 3km after Temple 28. 38L Picture
5 Kamohara About 2/3 of the way to Temple 30 ater leaving T29. 39L Picture
32 Tenjin About 7.2km after Temple 34, on Route 56. A little after the trail reconnects with Route 56, cross the Niyodogawa Bridge and you should see it. The hut symbol is missing in the guidebook but there is a symbol for toilets. 43R Picture
17 Susaki After Temple 36. About 2km after where the Yokonami Skyline (Route 47) rejoins Route 23. 44L Picture
31 Soemimizu Suifuyō About 38km after Temple 36. After Tosa Kure Station on the Soemimizu Trail 46-a Picture
13 Saga About 10km after Temple 37. On Route 56. 47-a Picture
22 Ōkata ABout 31.5km after Temple 37. A little past Umi-no-Ōmukae Station. 47-b Picture
15 Shimizugawa About 10km before Temple 39, after leaving T38. Just before Ume no Ki Park. 54R Picture
7 Yoshii On the road to T39. I don't see a symbol in the guidebook, but the online description says it is on Route 21 in Yoshii Shūryoku near Yoshii Bridge. You can see on the map where Route 21 crosses the river. I found it in satellite view on an online map and it is right where the shrine symbol is just before Mihara Campsite, right on the big bend in the road. 49L Picture
54 Shimanto On the trail from Temple 37 to T38. After the Shimanto Ōhashi Bridge, just where Route 321 turns inland. 49R Picture
20 Ashizuri On the road to Temple 39 from Temple 38, as you go up the west coast of the peninsula. Just where the road turns north after leaving T38. 51R Picture
35 Tosa Shimizu On the road to Temple 39 from T38, along the west coast of the peninsula. Just before the Michi no Eki, Meiji no Sato-Tosa Shimizu. 50L Picture
14 Ōura On the road to Temple 39 from T38, as you go up the west coast of the peninsula. About 2km east of Tsukiyama Jinja, just where Route 321, coming south, connects with the coast. 52L Picture
9 Ōtsuki On the road to Temple 39 from T38, as you go up the west coast of the peninsula. Still about 21km from T39. On Route 321, near Fureai Park Ōtsuki. 52L/
53L		 Picture
2 Hiromi It appears that this hut is no longer maintained and is closed. Whether it is still there or not, i don't know. In any case, it is on the way to Temple 39 from T38 as you go up the west coast of the peninsula. It is not marked in the guidebook, but is on Route 321 just a couple of km past rest hut #9, near the Ōtsuki Town Offices. Picture
10 Sukumo On the road to Temple 39 from T38 as you go up the west side of the peninsula. On Route 321 at the Michi no Eki Sukumo Sunny Side Park. 53L/
55R		 Picture
33 Sukumo On the way to Temple 40 after leaving T39. About 5.8km after leaving T39, before entering Sukumo proper. Near Ōida Hospital. 54L Picture
 
Ehime Prefecture
Hut
Number		 Hut
Name		 Location SJ88RG Map Picture
19 Tsushima-Kamota On the way to Temple 41 from T40, about 21km after T40. On Route 56, after where the Kashiwazaka Trail reconnects wit the highway. 57-a Picture
26 Wanya On the way to Temple 41 from T40. On the henro detour over Matsuo Tunnel. At the top of the climb. 57-b Picture
21 Uwajima-Mitsuma About 47km after Temple 40, on the way to T41. After Uwajima City proper, and about 4km before T41. On Route 57. 60-a Picture
16 Uwa About 3.5km after Temple 43 on the way to T44. On Route 56, just past Kami-Uwa Station, where the train tracks branch west and the road continues north. 62-a Picture
49 Hijikawa
Genryūnosato		 About 10km after Temple 43, on the way to Temple 44. On Route 56 just before Tosaka Tunnel. 62-a Picture
38 Uchiko On the way to Temple 44 from Temple 43. On the northern route, of the two routes between Uchiko Town and Kuma Kōgen. Just past where the northern and southern routes split. 64L Picture
34 Kuma Kōgen On the way to Temple 46 from T45. On Route 12, just east of the Tōnomidō Tunnel. 65L Picture
25 Ishiteji Mae Just before getting to Temple 51. I don't see it marked in the guidebook, but it is in the Family Mart parking lot a half km before the temple. 67-b/
68R		 Picture
27 Kama Daishi About 13.3km past Temple 53, on the way to Temple 54. At the temple for Kama Daishi. 70a Picture
41 Imabari Hidaka About 1.5km after Temple 56, on the way to Temple 57. Right on the edge of the Sōja River. 71R Picture
23 Senyūji settaisho About 1.3km after Temple 57, on the way to T58. A little off the main trail. 72L Picture
43 Kosumosu/
Cosmos		 About 38.5km after Temple 64, on the way to T65, at one of the points where the road henro walk on and Route 11 meet. Not far from Iyo Mishima Station. 77b-R Picture
37 Shinkinan-Hōō About 8.5km after Temple 65, on Route 192 heading to T66. About 2km east of Bangai 14 and about 2km west of the Ehime/Kagawa border. 79L Picture
 
Kagawa Prefecture
Hut
Number		 Hut
Name		 Location SJ88RG Map Picture
30 Zenigata ABout 5.5km after Temple 67, on the way to T68/69. A couple blocks north of the henro trail, which follows Route 6 at this point. Head to the right just past where Route 6 and Route 11 intersect. 81L Picture
53 Chatokoro
Mitoyo
Takase		 About 6km after Temple 70, on the way to T71. On Route 11, near Shirai Hospital. This hut was proposed by Choi SangHee, a Korean woman who has spent considerable time on the henro trail and works towards Korean-Japanese friendship. 82R Picture
29 Tadotsu-Okanoyama About 1.5km after Bangai 18, on the way from the bangai to Temple 72. Next to Aratama Shrine. 83L Picture
18 Marugame
Jōken		 About 3.3km after Temple 77, on the way to T78. Near Marugame Station and Marugame Castle. 84R Picture
42 Udatsu-Hirotaike
Kōen		 About 1.4km after Temple 78, on the way to T79. On Route 33. 85L Picture
46 Pibotto
Sakaide		 About 4.4km after Temple 78, on the way to T79. About 1km past Sakaide Station. 85R Picture
51 Goshikidai
Kodomo
Omotenashidokoro		 Very near Temple 82. You will pass it as you walk in on the trail from T81. 86R/
87R
(detail map)		 Picture
24 Takamatsu
Ichinomiya		 After Temple 82, on the way to T83. Where the henro trail intersects Route 12, near Ichinomiya Elementary School and a half-km before T83. 87R/
88L		 Picture
A call for more information
If you have information about free lodging that you can share with everyone, please let me know and i'll add it to this page. (Contact Information)
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