On 19 February, Professor Susan Whitfield presented the lecture Pilgrimage from Nara to Norwich: Commonalities Across Cultures and Religions offering fascinating insights into a new endeavour that emerged from the Sainsbury Institute’s Nara to Norwich project. Drawing connections between Nara and Norwich, the presentation was structured in four parts: (1) an introduction to human-made sacred landscapes and the history of pilgrimage in Europe and Asia; (2) a discussion on how pilgrimage has shaped landscapes; (3) an exploration of who undertook pilgrimages; and (4) a consideration of gender perspectives within pilgrimage practices. This lecture was part of the Sainsbury Institute’s Third Thursday Lecture series as well as the Japan Studies: Past, Present and Future lecture series, which is organized with generous support of the Royal Asiatic Society and the Courtauld Institute of Art. Held at Norwich Cathedral’s Hostry, the event was accompanied by a virtual showcase of the associated project, Pilgrimage and the Anthropocene, presented through a digital headset by Olivia Butler.
Professor Whitfield started her presentation with an introduction to human-made sacred landscapes and the history of pilgrimage in Europe and Asia. Considering humankind’s history and its relationship with religious practices, it is unsurprising that people have created structures to mark and honour sacred sites for millennia. These sites were usually integrated into their natural surroundings, which explains why many ritual locations were situated on mountains or formed around existing rocks, trees, and bodies of water. Indeed, these environmental elements played a crucial role in the establishment of sacred sites, as water, for instance, has long been regarded not only as essential for life but also as a powerful symbol of purification. With the growth of formalized religion, such as Buddhism and Christianity, more sacred sites were created that are associated with the founders of these religions.
Professor Whitfield raised the example of Okinoshima (Fukuoka Prefecture), a sacred island in Japan that gained significance as an offering site for visitors. According to Japanese legends, the island is home to three Munakata princesses (Munakata Sanjoshin), who are known as the daughters of the sun goddess Amaterasu: Tagori, Tagitsu, and Ichikishima. It is said that they were created by Susanoo-no-Mikoto, a god associated with the ocean and the storm, by his act of purifying his sword in water. In India, water and rivers are likewise frequently associated with deities. One example is the Ganges River, which is known as a sacred place of purification in Hinduism. And to please the deities in different parts of the world, pilgrimage became popular and continues to be popular, attracting visitors around the globe, stimulating tourism and infrastructure in certain areas.
As a result of pilgrims visiting these holy sites, the landscape was shaped by human needs. By showcasing different images and examples from Japan and India, Professor Whitfield discussed how pilgrimage enforced the needed for inns, places to eat and drink, and entertainment to be built at these sacred places. This, in turn, shaped the landscape with markers for pilgrims to find their ways and created infrastructure for travel, as can be seen in the example of the Ise shrine. The same is true for the Hasedera shrine, which will be the starting point of the Sainsbury Institute’s upcoming Japan pilgrimage in 2027. However, pilgrimage can also negatively impact the environment, as larger numbers of visitors have the potential to destroy the sites and their ecology. In this context, it is important to note that sacred landscapes can also be replicated in order to render them more accessible to pilgrims in other parts of the world or even relocated to different regions.
Moving on, Professor Whitfield explored who undertook pilgrimage, by raising the example of how everybody, from kings to commoners, went to Walsingham, a civil parish and Christian pilgrimage site in Norfolk, England. In Japan, it is known that monks and nuns in particular went on pilgrimages, as we have their accounts left to reconstruct their journeys. One of those monks is Ennin (c. 793–864), who left his impressions in Ennin’s Diary: The Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law (Nittō Guhō Junrei Kōki). His records enable us to retrieve valuable information about the history of the sites, the logistics of travel, among other aspects. Ise shrine in Mie Prefecture, on the other hand, was a place for the emperor and the elite. Aside from the social role, or the position in society, pilgrimage was also sometimes limited by gender. During the Heian period (794–1185), pilgrimage in Japan was also limited by social status. This has, however, changed during the Edo period (1603–1868), when the number of beggar-pilgrims grew.
These restrictions on pilgrimage were particularly evident for women, owing to both practical and moral constraints imposed upon them by societal norms. For example, until 1872, the sacred mountain Kōya in Wakayama Prefecture was forbidden for women. As a result, women created a route around the central shrine, creating shrines and accommodations just for women to navigate this forbidden place. Furthermore, Professor Whitfield raised the example of an English woman pilgrim, Margery Kempe (c. 1373 – after 1438), who is known for embarking on three major international pilgrimages and numerous local journeys. In Japanese history, there are also traces left of women pilgrims and travellers, which can be discovered by reading their diaries. Another remarkable example is a book titled Walsingham (1946). In the front of the book, there is a hand-written list of people who participated in a cross pilgrimage in 1948, carrying a cross from London to Walsingham. This is a well-known event that was primarily meant for male pilgrims. However, the list of participants also includes three women’s names – apparently those who wanted to join but were not officially accepted in the group. The official list, however, shows that there were indeed women pilgrims who were allowed to participate as cooks. This shows how pilgrimages were influenced by the long-standing differences in society.
Professor Whitfield brought her lecture to a close with an announcement for the upcoming pilgrimage from Norwich to Walsingham, which will take place from June 9–12, 2026. Further information, including on how to be involved, can be found here. In contrast to some of the historical contexts mentioned, this pilgrimage is intended as an inclusive event, welcoming all who wish to participate in the walk. As an integral component of this new project, this pilgrimage will focus on the pilgrims’ motivations to engage with these sacred sites and on their experiences during the journey. In doing so, it will connect past traditions with present experiences and future developments in pilgrimage as part of the Nara to Norwich project.
Dr Clara Momoko Geber-Mérida
Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellow 2025-26