Toka-san Temple

Enryu-ji is the Nichiren Buddhist temple officially named Fukushozan Jizen-in Enryu-ji. It is known as "Toukasan," and the name comes from the fact that it is also the name of the summer festival held every year, and because "Inari" is read as "touka" in on-yomi, leading it to be called Toukasan. At the same time as Enryu-ji, Inari (Touka) Daimyojin was also enshrined, and it is said to have brought widespread peace and prosperity. On festival days, Chuo-dori becomes a pedestrian-only zone and the festival spreads throughout the city center. In Hiroshima, some people treat the Toukasan festival day as the first day to wear a yukata of the season, and the sight of everyone arriving in yukata has become a seasonal tradition that announces the arrival of summer. The festival is said to be held every year for three days starting from the first Friday of June. There is also a tradition at the same time of placing iris leaves and taking an iris bath called "shobu-yu." Recently, it has been lively year-round with people coming to receive goshuin. It is popular because a gold goshuin is available only on festival days. To get to Enryu-ji, it is about 10 minutes by taxi from JR Hiroshima Station, and a 7-minute walk from Kochi-machi Station.