Ikaruga-dera Temple

Overview

Ikaruga-dera Temple is said to have been founded when Prince Shotoku received land in Ibo County, Harima Province from Empress Suiko. He moved from the Ikaruga Palace in Yamato Province, named the area "Ikaruga-no-sho," and established a government office and a temple. This area prospered as a manor belonging to Horyu-ji Temple, with Ikaruga-dera playing a central role in its management. Ikaruga became a prominent center for the Prince Shotoku faith, fostering a unique cultural flourishing within Harima Province. Since its founding, Ikaruga-dera was a branch temple of Horyu-ji Temple. However, it was destroyed by warfare in the late Muromachi period and gradually rebuilt through the efforts of Akamatsu Masuhisa and his son Akamatsu Hirohide, the lords of Tatsuno Castle, and Enshin of Enko-in Temple on Raku-rakuzan Mountain. During this rebuilding, the temple converted from its status as a Horyu-ji branch temple to a Tendai Buddhist temple. In the Edo period, it became a temple with land granted by successive shoguns, a status it retains to this day. The temple grounds are filled with highlights, including the three-story pagoda, designated as an Important Cultural Property, and the Shotoku-den Hall, enshrining a statue of Prince Shotoku at the age of sixteen. Beloved by history buffs and devout followers alike as a temple associated with Prince Shotoku, Ikaruga-dera is also known as the 32nd temple of the New Saigoku Thirty-three Kannon Pilgrimage sites, the 18th temple of the Banshu Yakushi Pilgrimage, and the 28th site related to Prince Shotoku, attracting many worshippers.