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Unpenji Temple belongs to the Omuro school of the Shingon Buddhist sect. It is located in Ikeda-cho, Miyoshi, Tokuyama Prefecture, and is the 66th temple out of 88 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage. The principal image (gohonzon) of the temple is of the bodhisattva Senju Kannon (Sahasrabhuja).
The temple is on Mt Unpenji (927m high) and is also known as Shikoku-Kouya. The temple site covers a 40ha2 area and is surrounded by ancient cedar, cypress, fir and hemlock trees.
Unpenji was founded by the then 16-year-old monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi), who was moved by the aura of the mountains here. In the year 807, Kukai received an order from the Emperor Saga and climbed up the mountain to the temple again. There, he sculpted the Senju Kannon figure and enshrined it with Buddhist relics and gems. The area thus became a place of pilgrimage.
Later, the temple became famous as an academic institution, then as a monastery, and finally as a prayer hall for the Minesuga clan. The temple declined, however, over the years, and is now much smaller. The temple lies in a world above clouds. Mists cover the surrounding mountains and create a mysterious atmosphere for this pilgrimage site.
The temple is on Mt Unpenji (927m high) and is also known as Shikoku-Kouya. The temple site covers a 40ha2 area and is surrounded by ancient cedar, cypress, fir and hemlock trees.
Unpenji was founded by the then 16-year-old monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi), who was moved by the aura of the mountains here. In the year 807, Kukai received an order from the Emperor Saga and climbed up the mountain to the temple again. There, he sculpted the Senju Kannon figure and enshrined it with Buddhist relics and gems. The area thus became a place of pilgrimage.
Later, the temple became famous as an academic institution, then as a monastery, and finally as a prayer hall for the Minesuga clan. The temple declined, however, over the years, and is now much smaller. The temple lies in a world above clouds. Mists cover the surrounding mountains and create a mysterious atmosphere for this pilgrimage site.
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