Temple 56, Taisanji

History of the temple

There is an ancient legend about Taisanji that it was a place to appease evil spirits that caused people to lose their lives due to water-related disasters. Kobo Daishi visited this area around 815. The Soja River flowed through the area and flooded every year during the rainy season, washing away rice paddies, houses, and human lives. The villagers were afraid and distressed, and believed that the flood was the work of evil spirits, so they called it the Hitotori River (Taking-away-people River). Hearing of this, Kobo Daishi helped the villagers build an embankment and performed the secret ritual of dosha kaji (blessing of the soil) seven times. On the final day, Enmei Jizo Bosatsu (Earth Treasury Bodhisattva of Long Life) appeared in the air and told them that their prayer had been fulfilled.

Later, Kobo Daishi planted a Pine Tree of Remembrance here. He carved a statue of the Jizo Bosatsu he had seen in that vision as the principal image of the temple. Then he built a hall for worship and named it Taisanji. The name of the temple is said to have been taken from the first of the Ten Great Prayers in the Enmei Jizo Sutra, Nyonin Taisan. The word taisan also has a meaning of praying for the repose of the departed and relief for the spirits of the dead. It evokes the image of Mt. Kinrinzan, where the spirits of the dead gather.

The temple later became an imperial temple for the Emperor Junna (reigned 823-833). It flourished as a large temple with seven main temple buildings and ten monk’s cells, plus a Jizobo and a Fudobo. However, due to repeated fires during invasions of the area, the temple shrank in size. The temple grounds, which were located at the top of Mt. Kinrinzan, were moved to the current location at the foot of the mountain, where Kobo Daishi is said to have planted a pine tree.

The place called To no Moto, about 300 meters to the right of the temple, is said to be the birthplace of Gyonen (1240-1321), a monk in the Kamakura period who compiled the Hasshu Koyo.

Highlights

• Hondo
• Pine Tree of Remembrance (near the Daishido)
• Dosha Kaji (Soil Blessing Ritual)
• Jizo wheel (diagonally in front of Hondo. It is said that turning this wheel will break the bonds of reincarnation of the Six Realms. The Six Realms are the six lost worlds of mankind, including hell and the realm of hungry ghosts)

Details

Number: Temple 56
Names: Kinrinzan, Chokuōin, Taisanji
Denomination: Shingon sect
Principal image: Jizo Bosatsu (by Kobo Daishi)
Founder: Kobo Daishi
Founded: 815
Mantra of Jizo Bosatsu: On Kakakabi Sanmaei Sowaka

Access

Address: 1-9-18 Koizumi, Imabari City, Ehime 794-0064
Phone: 0898-22-5959
Parking: Available
Lodging: None
Official website: None
Driving directions: From the Imabari Interchange, drive straight on Route 196 toward Toyo City. At the intersection about 500 meters ahead, turn right, then go straight and you will see the temple on your right.