Overview
Myoju-in is a temple of the Daigo branch of the Shingon school in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City, also affectionately known as Fushimi Koshin-do, a temple of the Koshin faith. Its mountain name is Koen-zan, and it enshrines the Great Blue-faced Vajra (Dai-Shomen Kongo), popularly called Koshin-san. Long revered for blessings related to women's ailments, lower-body illnesses, and marital harmony, it is an approachable temple close to the everyday prayers of ordinary people.
Highlights
- ●A Koshin-faith hall enshrining the principal image Dai-Shomen Kongo, Koshin-san
- ●The local, familiar charm of a temple known as Fushimi Koshin-do
- ●Prayers said to bless women's ailments, lower-body illnesses, and marital harmony
- ●A Shingon Daigo-branch temple bearing the mountain name Koen-zan
History
Myoju-in belongs to the Daigo branch of Shingon Buddhism and has served as a hall of the Koshin faith. The Koshin faith originates in Chinese Taoism and spread across Japan as a folk belief in which people stayed awake through the night of the Koshin day of the sexagenary cycle to pray for health and longevity; the Blue-faced Vajra is enshrined as its principal image. Here, the Great Blue-faced Vajra, affectionately called Koshin-san, has gathered devotion especially for prayers concerning women's ailments, lower-body illnesses, and marital harmony. For details of its founding, please check official information when you visit.
Access
The temple is located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City, around 34.94 degrees north and 135.76 degrees east, within the Fushimi townscape. Fushimi is a highly accessible district served by the Keihan, Kintetsu Kyoto, and JR Nara lines, so the temple can be reached on foot from a nearby station. It pairs well with a visit to Fushimi Inari Taisha and the area's sake-brewery streets. Confirm the exact nearest station and directions through official sources.
Best season
You can visit year-round, but in keeping with the Koshin faith, days that fall on Koshin in the calendar hold special meaning. The surrounding Fushimi area is pleasant to stroll in every season, and the cherry blossoms of spring or the sake-brewery views of autumn fit easily into an itinerary. In the summer heat, a visit in the cooler morning or evening hours is most comfortable.
Map
34.9425, 135.7605 · Wikidata
Suggested itinerary
- 1Walk from a nearby Fushimi station to Myoju-in (Fushimi Koshin-do)
- 2Pay respects to the principal image Dai-Shomen Kongo and learn about the Koshin faith
- 3Quietly pray for health and marital harmony
- 4Continue on to explore Fushimi's sake breweries and the Inari district
Did you know?
💡 At Koshin halls that enshrine the Blue-faced Vajra known as Koshin-san, the three wise monkeys, see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil, are often linked to the faith. That this temple has been known for blessings tied to women's ailments, lower-body illnesses, and marital harmony, wishes rooted in daily life, speaks well to its character as a temple of popular devotion.
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