Daihōon-ji Temple

Overview

Daihōon-ji is a temple of the Shingon Chizan school in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto, widely known by its popular name Senbon Shakadō. Its mountain name is Zuiōzan and its principal image is Shaka Nyorai (the Buddha). Centred on its main hall, designated a National Treasure of Japan, it is famed for the Okame legend and for the daikon-taki radish boiling held each December.

Highlights

• ●The main hall (Senbon Shakadō), a National Treasure of Japan
• ●The principal image Shaka Nyorai and the Six Kannon in the treasure hall
• ●The December daikon-taki radish boiling, a year-end tradition
• ●The Okame legend connected to the main hall

History

Founded in 1221 by the monk Gikū, the temple has long safeguarded its main hall, which is designated a National Treasure and stands as one of Kyoto's most venerable structures. Its treasure hall serves as the 16th stop of the New Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, enshrining the Six Kannon, and the temple is also counted among the Thirteen Buddhist Sites of Kyoto as a noted temple of the Shingon Chizan school.

Map

35.0319, 135.7399 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Enter the grounds through the gate of the temple known as Senbon Shakadō
2. 2Pay respects to Shaka Nyorai in the National Treasure main hall
3. 3Visit the treasure hall and the Six Kannon of the New Saigoku circuit
4. 4Follow the sights tied to the Okame legend and take in seasonal events

Did you know?

💡 A legend concerning the building of the main hall tells of Okame, a wife whose virtue in supporting her husband has been handed down for generations. The nickname Senbon Shakadō is widely known, remembered together with the daikon-taki.

Nearby spots