Sohonzan Zentsuji

Sohonzan Zentsu-ji is a temple in Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture, and the 75th temple of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. Because Kukai (Kobo Daishi) was born in Zentsuji, it is popular with tourists as a particularly special temple compared to others. It offers experiences such as training programs and sutra-copying sessions. In the Osuna-fumi dojo, sand from all 88 pilgrimage temples is laid out, and it’s said you can gain merit equivalent to making the full 88-temple pilgrimage. The pitch-dark “Kaidan-meguri” (underground passage) is also popular. At the temple lodging “Iroha Kaikan,” there is accommodation for people walking the pilgrimage, and you can also bathe in Daishi-no-Sato-yu Onsen. The all-keyaki (zelkova) five-story pagoda is 43 m tall and a must-see. The precincts cover about 45,000 m², and there are 27 buildings registered as Tangible Cultural Properties. The camphor tree said to be about 1,000 years old feels powerful just to look at. Zentsu-ji is believed to bring blessings such as warding off misfortune, household safety, luck in competition, financial luck, and love luck. Access is about a 15-minute walk from Zentsuji Station.