Sanuki Kokubunji Temple

Overview

Sanuki Kokubunji Temple is a temple of the Shingon-shu Omuro-ha sect located in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture. It's the 80th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage and a bustling ancient temple visited by many pilgrims. Tradition holds that it was built in 741 AD during the Nara period by imperial order of Emperor Shomu, founded by Gyoki with an eleven-headed thousand-armed Kannon Bosatsu statue (Jōroku-butsu) as the principal image. While the current principal image is not from that era, it's one of the pre-Edo period Buddhist statues of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Its Jōroku-butsu statue is one of only two in Shikoku (the other being the Yakushi Nyorai statue at Zentsuji Temple), and as a standing statue, it's the largest in the Shikoku Pilgrimage. The current temple grounds overlap with the original Kokubunji temple layout. The remains of the temple grounds are exceptionally well-preserved among the remaining Kokubunji temple sites nationwide, earning it designation as a Special Historic Site. Only Enosho Kokubunji Temple ruins and Hitachi Kokubunji Temple ruins share this distinction. Additionally, the main hall, principal image, and bronze bell are designated as Important Cultural Properties. Excavations revealed the Nara-period temple grounds measuring 240 meters north-south and 220 meters east-west, encompassing the current Sanuki Kokubunji Temple and the neighboring Horinji Temple. The temple layout followed the Daikan Daishiki style, with the middle gate, Golden Hall, and lecture hall arranged in a straight north-south line. A pagoda is believed to have stood east of the inner enclosure, connected to the Golden Hall by a cloister. The remains are well-preserved, with foundation stones of the Golden Hall and seven-storied pagoda remaining in their original positions. Excavations have also revealed cloister, monk's quarters, bell tower, post-and-pillar buildings, and the remains of a rammed-earth wall, suggesting the existence of a middle gate and south gate. The old temple grounds have been developed as an archeological park, featuring a 1:10 scale stone model of the Nara-period temple layout and a life-size reconstruction of part of the rammed-earth wall. Because of their excellent state of preservation, the monk's quarters have been covered with a protective structure, and parts of the building have been restored. Sanuki Kokubunji Temple is a precious place where you can touch history and culture and spend a relaxing time. Please visit.