Ōkubo-ji

photo by ウランボルグ · CC BY-SA 3.0

photo by Dokudami · CC BY-SA 4.0

Temple number 88, the last one: every spring the pilgrims’ staffs are burned here.

It is the goal of the kechigan, the fulfilment of the vow: this is where those who have walked all 88 temples of Shikoku arrive. In the Hōjōdō hall the pilgrims’ walking staffs (henro-zue) are gathered, and burned every spring and on Mountain Day. The temple stands at the foot of Mount Nyotai, at about 450 metres, and houses a wooden statue of Yakushi Nyorai.

According to tradition it was founded in the Nara period (717–724) by the monk Gyōki, and enlarged in the ninth century by Kūkai. The wooden statue of Yakushi Nyorai kept in the temple dates from the late eighth century. In 2021 the pilgrimage route it belongs to, of which this temple is the end point, was designated a National Historic Site.

ℹ️ Temple grounds open approximately 7:00–17:00, free entry. Free car park for 40 cars.

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org · sanuki-kanko.jp

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