Temple 37, Iwamoto-ji
Temple 37, Iwamoto-ji
Iwamoto-ji is temple No. 37 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, or Henro. It’s located close to the JR Yodo Line and the Shimanto River.
The main hall was rebuilt in 1978 and its ceiling was fitted with 575 paintings collected from around Japan. You may recognise some of the subjects.
The temple was one of seven founded by Gyoki in the area. Kukai later visited the area and constructed further buildings and enshrined more images. Chosokabe’s forces burned down all the buildings in the late 1500s.
Today’s Iwamoto-ji was rebuilt with help from the head priest of Kongofuku-ji. With the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism in the early Meiji period, the temple fell into disuse, but in 1890, the images of the deities were enshrined together in the main hall.
The temple is currently experimenting with an art and meditation project.
Information
Name in Japanese: 岩本寺
Pronunciation: iwamoto-ji
Address: 3-13 Shigekushimachi, Shimanto, Takaoka-gun, Kochi 786-0004
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