Aizen-in Temple

Overview

Aizen-in is a temple of the Koya-san Shingon school in Itano, Itano District, Tokushima Prefecture. Its mountain name is Kinkeizan and its principal image is Fudo Myoo, and locals fondly call it the “Fudo-san of Nato.” As the inner sanctum (okunoin) of Konsen-ji, the third temple of the Shikoku 88 Sacred Places, it is a temple of distinction, said to have been founded by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) in 815. Rooted in the Itano countryside, it is a place of prayer where pilgrims can quietly join their hands along the way.

Highlights

• ●The distinction of being the inner sanctum of Konsen-ji, the third Shikoku temple
• ●An old Koya-san Shingon temple said to be founded by Kobo Daishi in 815
• ●Faith in the “Fudo-san of Nato,” which enshrines the principal image Fudo Myoo
• ●The temple's origin echoing between its mountain name Kinkeizan and its hymn

History

According to temple tradition, Aizen-in was founded in 815 by Kobo Daishi, who is also said to have carved the principal image of Fudo Myoo himself. Placed as the inner sanctum of Konsen-ji, the third temple of the Shikoku pilgrimage, it has long drawn the faith of pilgrims. The mantra of the principal image and the goeika pilgrimage hymn are handed down to this day, and the hymn, which begins by singing of light shining on pine branches and the golden pheasant, weaves in the temple's origin tied to its mountain name, Kinkeizan.

Map

34.1399, 134.4393 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Visit Konsen-ji, the third temple, and learn of its tie to its inner sanctum Aizen-in
2. 2Join your hands before Fudo Myoo at Aizen-in and take in the quiet grounds
3. 3Reflect on the temple's origins conveyed in its mantra and goeika hymn
4. 4Continue along the pilgrim path some 2 km to Dainichi-ji, the fourth temple

Did you know?

💡 Fondly known locally as the “Fudo-san of Nato,” the temple sees a steady stream of worshippers offering prayers to its principal image, Fudo Myoo. The mountain name Kinkeizan derives from the “golden pheasant” (kinkei) also sung in the goeika hymn, so the temple's name and its hymn echo one another. Its role as an inner sanctum, too, conveys the deepening faith of the pilgrimage.

Nearby spots