Temple 56, Taisan-ji

The Temple of the Mountain of Peace

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Temple 56, Taisan-ji

Taisan-ji is temple No. 56 on the Shikoku pilgrimage or Henro. The temple is located in the countryside near Imabari.

What to see

Taisan-ji is located on sloping farmland on the outskirts of Imabari City. It stands on a platform of sloping stone walls topped with a beautiful white plastered wall. To enter the compound, you go up a few steps flanked by stone pillars. Facing you is the guest hall. The temple office is on the right, belfry, and concrete Daishi Hall are to the right. The main hall, rebuilt in 1854, is set back to the left. The belfry was built in 1881 using old timber from the drum tower at Imabari Castle which was demolished then.

There is no longer a Niō Gate, but the old, black Niō stand in the corridor between the main hall and the guest hall. If you peer through the glass you can see them.

In the grounds are stone statues of Fudō Myōō, En no Gyōja, Shōbō, and Kannon. There’s a shrine to Benten in a small pond.

History

In 824, the temple was granted an imperial sanction by Emperor Junna, and although it had seven halls and ten monasteries, it declined after being destroyed several times in wars.

Legends

According to temple legend, when Kūkai visited the area in 815 during the rainy season, the nearby was overflowing, which was thought to be caused by an evil spirit that was said to haunt the village. Kūkai built an embankment with the villagers and performed rituals on the riverbank that stopped the flooding.

The pine tree in the precincts is said to have been planted by Kūkai and is thought to confer benefits to the legs and feet.

The name Taisan-ji is taken from the phrase ‘Woman gives birth to a baby’ in the Enmei Jizō Sutra. Consequently, the temple is visited by women seeking an easy childbirth.