©Takehito Shima

16th Manga Division Jury Selections

ARUKIHENROZUKAN

SHIMA Takehito [Japan]

Outline

A struggling manga artist, who is single and in his thirties, and a former office lady, who has turned into a shut-in, set off on a pilgrimage around Shikoku in the belief that by visiting all of the 88 temples their wishes will be fulfilled. What do they encounter on this 35-day, 1090.8-kilometer journey, a condensed version of life itself? The pilgrimage is carefully depicted in a realistic and profound manner based on the writer’s own experience of walking the circuit.