Yakuriji Temple 八栗寺

Official explanation

Yakuriji is a Shingon Buddhist temple said to have been founded in 829 by the priest Kukai (774–835). It is the 85th of the 88 temples associated with Kukai on the Shikoku Pilgrimage route around Shikoku. Yakuriji is located roughly halfway up Mt. Goken and can be reached on foot or via the red and white Yakuri Cable Line cable car from the town of Mure.

Mt. Goken has been associated with religious practices for centuries and this is reflected in Yakuriji Temple’s buildings. In addition to the main hall (hondo) and the Daishi Hall dedicated to Kukai, the temple maintains the Chujobo Hall, which enshrines one of the legendary tengu (mountain goblins) of Kagawa.

Read the full explanation

The temple gets its name from the eight roasted chestnuts that, according to legend, were planted on the grounds by Kukai. Intended as a divination for his journey to China in search of deeper Buddhist learning, the nuts sprouted and grew into trees, giving rise to the name Yakuri, or “eight chestnuts.” To this day, local people often refer to Mt. Goken as Mt. Yakuri.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.