The Kaihōgyō is a 1000-day pilgrimage around
Mount Hiei, which takes seven years to complete on foot.
It is a
ritual performed by
monks, or gyoja, in the Tendai sect. The journey is equivalent to a trip around the globe and is traditionally seen as a way for
monks to offer prayers to the
Buddhas and for the well-being of others.
Only 46
monks have survived the ritual since it began in 1885, and those who are .