Actual Fushimi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Choken-ji Temple

     We stepped out of Chushojima Station along Keihan Line, and walked along the canal, the Horikawa River, which runs out of the Uji River, to get to Terada-ya Inn, where Sakamoto Ryoma (1836-1867), a Bakumatsu-Ishin hero, was almost killed in 1866.

     As we approached Choken-ji Temple, loud flashy red walls and buildings surprised my eyes.  They looked very Chinese when many Japanese temples enjoy their beauty through a sense of austerity and antiquity.  The area the temple is located used to be the Chushojima entertainment district.

     Choken-ji Temple’s main deity is Sarasvati.  As Sarasvati is often depicted holding a biwa, a traditional Japanese lute, some people respect her as a goddess of performing arts, which used to be essential in entertainment districts.

     The temple offers a very unique talisman, in the shape of a medieval coin with a spiral shell depicted on one side.