Chikurin-ji — temple 31 of the Shikoku Henro

photo by Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0

photo by Ka23 13 · CC BY-SA 4.0

The only one of the 88 temples dedicated to Monju: the pagoda holds relics from Bodhgaya, India.

Founded by imperial order by the monk Gyōki, who searched all over Japan for a place resembling China's Mount Wutai (五台山, which gives the hill its name) and found it here. It is the thirty-first temple of the pilgrimage to the 88 sacred sites of Shikoku, and the only one of the 88 to worship Monju Bosatsu, the bodhisattva of wisdom, as its principal deity, which is why students come here. The pond garden, attributed to the master Musō Soseki, was recognised as a Place of Scenic Beauty (名勝) in 1934 and is among the three main gardens of the prefecture. The five-storey pagoda, built in 1980 of pure cypress wood, holds Buddhist relics brought from Bodhgaya, in India, where the Buddha attained enlightenment.

On Godaisan hill, next to the Makino Botanical Garden, the temple keeps 17 Buddhist statues from the Fujiwara and Kamakura periods in its treasure hall, all designated national Important Cultural Properties.

ℹ️ Temple grounds open 8:00–17:00 (may be closed during religious services); garden and treasure hall 8:30–17:00, last entry 16:30. Combined garden+museum ticket ¥800 adults / ¥400 junior high and younger; garden only ¥500/¥250; museum only ¥400/¥200; preschool children free. Free car park, 70 spaces. Address: 〒781-8125 高知県高知市五台山3577, tel. 088-882-3085.

🚉 Chiyorichō-sanchōme · 28 min walk

Sources: city.kochi.kochi.jp · junpai-center.net · jeepe.jp

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