Virtual Ika 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Shakudo-ji Temple

     Mt. Kodakami (the altitude of 923 meters) itself used to be holy precincts, which were set up by Gyoki (668-749) and Taicho (682-767) in 726.  The holy mountain used to have 5 big temples according to Kodakami-yama History, which was published in 1407: Hokke-ji, Shakudo-ji, Kannon-ji, Takao-dera, and Anraku-ji Temples.  Kannon-ji Temple used to have its branch temples: Keisoku-ji, Iifuku-ji, and Enkan-ji Temples.  a 7 temples according to a record kept in Kofuku-ji Temple: Kannon-ji, Hokke-ji, Shakudo-ji, Mangan-ji, Anraku-ji, Matsuo-ji, and Enman-ji Temples.  In either case, Shakudo-ji Temple was one of those important temples.  And According to the Kofuku-ji Temple’s record, Shakudo-ji Temple was founded by Enho in 726, and revitalized by Saicho (767-822) in 805.  In 1354, Gensho revived the temple.  It moved to the foot of the mountain by the turn of the 16th century.  In 1894, the temple gate burned down, and the living building was washed away by the landslide.  It became priest-less.  In 1914, Shakudo-ji and Takao-ji Temples merged, and became today's Shakudo-ji Temple.