Overview
Renge-ji is a temple of the Buzan branch of Shingon Buddhism in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. Its mountain name is Shikkozan (also read Murooka-yama), and it enshrines Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of Healing, as its principal image. It is a bangai (extra) temple of the Shikoku Eighty-Eight Sacred Places, as well as the third of the Iyo Twelve Yakushi and the forty-second of the Matsuyama Shin-Shikoku pilgrimages, set firmly within the region's pilgrimage routes. A striking feature is that the grounds and their surroundings are designated Scenic Woodland Protection District No. 1, home to many great camphor trees. As its pilgrim's verse says, where there is faith, illness is healed at Renge-ji, which grants the medicine of lapis lazuli, the temple is cherished as a place of prayer linked to the healing power of Yakushi.
Highlights
- ●A Shingon Buzan place of prayer enshrining Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of Healing
- ●A pilgrimage station serving the Shikoku Eighty-Eight bangai and the third Iyo Twelve Yakushi
- ●Greenery of the grounds designated Scenic Woodland Protection District No. 1
- ●A quiet setting thick with great camphor trees
History
Renge-ji belongs to the Buzan branch of Shingon Buddhism and enshrines Yakushi Nyorai as its principal image, serving at once as a bangai temple of the Shikoku Eighty-Eight, the third of the Iyo Twelve Yakushi, and the forty-second of the Matsuyama Shin-Shikoku. This overlap of pilgrimage stations shows how deeply the temple has been woven into the faith and pilgrimage history around Matsuyama. As its pilgrim's verse invokes the medicine of Yakushi, it has long received the prayers of those wishing for recovery from illness. For details of its founding, please consult official sources.
Access
The temple is located in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. It lies along the pilgrimage routes leading out from central Matsuyama and can be visited while making the rounds of the Matsuyama Shin-Shikoku or Iyo Twelve Yakushi stations. For specific routes by public transport or car and for parking, it is best to check the latest information from Matsuyama's tourism guidance or the temple's official sources before setting out.
Best season
Because the grounds and their surroundings are a Scenic Woodland Protection District thick with great camphor trees, spring to early summer, when the fresh greenery shines, and autumn, when the trees take on color, are especially beautiful. In the leafy season the shade is pleasant, ideal for quiet worship and strolling. When visiting on pilgrimage, dress for easy walking to suit the season and weather.
Map
33.8769, 132.7542 · Wikidata
Suggested itinerary
- 1Follow the pilgrimage route from central Matsuyama to Renge-ji
- 2Worship before the principal image Yakushi Nyorai and learn the origin of its verse
- 3Stroll quietly through the woodland around the great camphor trees
- 4Continue the pilgrimage to other Iyo Twelve Yakushi and Matsuyama Shin-Shikoku stations
Did you know?
💡 As the pilgrim's verse says the temple grants the medicine of lapis lazuli, the principal image Yakushi Nyorai has been revered as a Buddha who heals illness. It is also unusual for the grounds and their surroundings to be designated Scenic Woodland Protection District No. 1, where great camphor trees quietly enhance the temple's dignity.
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