Kakurin-ji Temple

Kakurin-ji Temple is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture. Its sangō (mountain name) is Todo-san, and it is also called the “Horyu-ji of the West,” a famed temple with one of the longest histories in the Harima region. Because there is a tradition that it was founded by Prince Shotoku, it is also affectionately known as “Todo no Taishi-san.” Access is about a 25-minute walk from Kakogawa Station on the JR Sanyo Main Line, or about a 15-minute walk from Onoe-no-Matsu Station on the Sanyo Electric Railway. The Main Hall (Hondo), built in the Muromachi period, and the Taishi Hall (Taishi-do), built in the Heian period, are National Treasures. The grounds also include a three-story pagoda, offering plenty to see, and it is a temple you will want to visit at a leisurely pace. The Treasure Museum displays more than 200 items across many fields—sculpture, paintings, crafts, documents, and more—making it a must-see. Bodhi trees and sālā (saraca) trees are planted within the precincts, and during blooming season you can also enjoy their fragrant scent. At New Year, a traditional event continued since the Heian period, the Shusho-e (Oni-oi) rite, is held, where red and blue demons appear to drive away misfortune and entertain worshippers.