吉祥院

Overview

Kichijoin is a temple of the Tendai school in Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture. Also known as Gokoku-in, its mountain name is Shukokuzan. Enshrining a Thousand-armed Kannon (Senju Kannon) as its principal image, it has long been cherished by pilgrims as the third station of the Mogami Thirty-three Kannon pilgrimage.

Highlights

• ●A place of Kannon devotion centered on the Thousand-armed Kannon
• ●The third station of the Mogami Thirty-three Kannon pilgrimage
• ●The alternate name Gokoku-in and the mountain name Shukokuzan
• ●A Tendai-school temple handed down in the capital, Yamagata City

History

As a Tendai-school temple that has kept its Dharma flame, Kichijoin bears the alternate name Gokoku-in, an origin echoed in its mountain name Shukokuzan (「Mountain that Guards the Nation」). Its principal image, the Thousand-armed Kannon, is revered as a bodhisattva who saves all beings with countless hands. As the third station of the Mogami Thirty-three Kannon, it continues to play a part in the region's pilgrimage culture.

Map

38.3106, 140.3363 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Visit Kichijoin (Gokoku-in) from central Yamagata
2. 2Worship before the principal Thousand-armed Kannon
3. 3Receive a goshuin seal as a Mogami Kannon pilgrimage station
4. 4Extend your walk to nearby sanctuaries and the city of Yamagata

Did you know?

💡 The alternate name 「Gokoku-in」 and the mountain name 「Shukokuzan」 both carry a wish for the peace of the nation. As one station of the Mogami Thirty-three Kannon circuit, it also makes a fine starting point for a journey visiting the other sanctuaries.

Nearby spots