Itsue Takamure, born in 1894, grew up to become a remarkable woman: a pioneering feminist scholar — one whose work remains controversial — and an anarchist, though her progressive thinking did not prevent her from collaborating with Japan's militarist government during World War II.

Before she became that remarkable woman, when she was just 24, she set out, as people still do, on a pilgrimage to 88 of Shikoku's temples.

That she had the gumption to do this suggests that Takamure was a brave and independent young woman, but in many other ways she seems to have been no more impressive than any other well-read, hypersensitive, self-conscious young person. Like such young people, her memoir is at times charming, and at times tiresome.