Sanuki Kokubun-ji is temple No. 80 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. Each prefecture has a temple named Kokubun-ji, which are official state temples, founded by order of Emperor Shōmu in 741, and temple No. 80 was the state temple established in the province of Sanuki, today’s Kagawa Prefecture. The temple is home to the…
Tennō-ji is temple No. 79 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. Its name derives from the fact that Sutoku Tennō (Emperor Sutoku) lay in state here after his death in 1156, following banishment from Kyōto after his attempted coup against his brother. The temple is nestled in a valley near the Inland Sea in Sakaide….
Goshō-ji is temple No. 78 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. It stands on the lower slopes of Aonoyama, a small mountain near the Inland Sea in Utazu. What to see Goshō-ji is unusual among the pilgrimage temples in that two different sects, Shingon and the minor Ji-shū sect, coexist within the same temple grounds….
Dōryū-ji is temple No. 77 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. It stands among houses and fields beside a main road on the Zentsūji plain not far from the Inland Sea. What to see If you approach Dōryū-ji from the main road beside the Inland Sea, you’ll notice that the temple is rich in statuary….
Konzō-ji is temple No. 76 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. It occupies a spacious sandy compound among houses and fields on the Zentsūji plain. The temple is renowned for being the birthplace of Enchin, founder of the Tendai Sect, and as the temporary home of General Nogi Maresuke, hero of the Russo-Japanese War. What…
Zentsū-ji is temple No. 75 on the Shikoku pilgrimage or Henro. The first Shingon temple in Japan, it’s renowned as the birthplace of Kūkai. It’s the largest temple complex in Shikoku with seven shrines and a pagoda. It’s counted as one of the three great sacred places related to Kūkai, along with Mt. Kōya in…
Koyama-ji is temple No. 74 on the Shikoku pilgrimage. It stands at the foot of Mt. Kabuto, a low mountain being eaten away by a quarry. Things to see Next to the quarry is the temple car park with a high wall and gate separating the temple from the industry. The temple compound is quite…
Shusshaka-ji is temple No. 73 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage. The temple stands at the bottom of the imposing Mt. Gahaishi offering expansive views.
Mandara-ji is temple No. 72 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. It stands on a slope under the shadow of strangely shaped Mt. Gahaishi. The former inner sanctuary of the temple can be seen on the shoulder of the mountain. What to see A Niō guardian gate stands at the entrance to the temple. The…
Iyadani-ji is Temple 71 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage or Henro. This is a very large temple complex spread over a geologically interesting area with much to see. There are more than 1,500 carvings of Amida Buddha and his attendants in the rock walls, and the words Namu Amida Butsu, said to be carved by Ippen…