【Japan tourism】 Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage trip [No.79] Kinkazan Kousyouin Tennouji

2023年4月12日2023年4月15日

Tennouji

Principal image	Eleven-faced Kannon Bodhisattva
Honzon mantra	Onmaka kyaronikya sowaka
Denomination	Shingon Buddhism Omuro sect

Place

Temple lodging： none

Phone：0877-46-3508

Gosyuin(red stamp)

History

Gyoki, who visited this area for his tour of Shikoku, named this mountain, where a large amount of ore was produced, “Kanayama" as “the mountain where Kanayamahime and Kanayamahiko are seated". And it is said to have originated from the construction of Kanayama Manishu-in, whose principal image is Yakushi Nyorai.

Kanayama is also known for having the only aluminum deposit in Shikoku, and near the top is covered with sanukite called kankan stone, which is rich in resources.

During the Konin era, Kobo Daishi visited and moved the dilapidated Kanayama Manishu-in to the current location of Tennoji. And it is being revived as 'Kinkazan Myojojuji Manishuin’.

Kobo Daishi is said to have been convinced that it is possible to revive all kinds of things from the encounter with Tendo (Kanayama Gongen) and the divine water that springs from the mountain. Then, he restored the ruined temple and carved eleven-faced Kannon Bodhisattva, Amida Nyorai, and Aizen Myo-o and enshrined them in the temple hall.

The temple’s name, Tenno-ji, comes from the fact that it was the place where the retired emperor Sutoku was exiled after being defeated in the Hogen War (1156). When Emperor Sutoku passed away here in 1164 (Choukan 2), Emperor Nijo built Emperor Sutoku Shrine as a memorial service. Emperor Go-Saga gave the temple the title of Eternal Bettoshoku, and it came to be called 'Emperor Sutoku Temple’.

Due to the separation of Shintoism and Buddhism in the Meiji era, the temple was temporarily abandoned, but Kosho-in Temple, which was the main subordinate temple, was moved to this place, and it is now known as Kinkazan Kousyouin Tennouji.

Highlight

【three-wheeled torii】 Instead of the main gate, there are three torii gates with small side torii gates on the left and right sides of the normal torii gate.

It is about 7 km (about 15 minutes by car) to the next 80th bill place “Kokubunji"!