Hyōseki

Hyōseki (標石) are engraved stones that line the Shikoku pilgrimage trail to indicate the name, direction, and distance to the next temple. The first were erected by Yūben Shinnen, a figure known as the father of modern pilgrimage, beginning in the 17th century.

He is said to have erected nearly 200 of them. The other major figure in setting up Hyōseki was Nakatsukasa Mohei in the 19th and early 20th centuries.