Yanai Daishi (Kongo-ji Temple)

This temple is known as a sacred place of Zen meditation related to the monk Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), and is referred to as the “O-daishi-sama” (Great Teacher) of Yanai. It is a place of prayer and ascetic training with a history of more than 1,000 years. Even the feudal lord Kikkawa Kou and his wife undertook ascetic training here in the Edo period. Many visitors come here for prayers or walking all year-round, particularly for New Year’s prayers, festivals, and the seasons of cherry blossoms, spring greenery, and autumn maple leaves. The temple is also the setting of a novel by the esteemed writer Ibuse Masuji. The temple grounds connect to the trail entrance for the traverse hiking route between Mt. Mitsugadake and Mt. Kotoishiyama, known as the “Suo Alps”, which is popular for its ocean views.
Goshuin (Temple Seal and Calligraphy) can be received here.