Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Okusan-ji Temple

 

     Okusan-ji Temple is said to have been founded in 651 by the ascetic hermit Hodo. Located near the borders of present-day Nishiwaki City to the north and Kato City to the east, the temple historically drew worshippers from across neighboring counties. Although destroyed by fire in 1601, it was rebuilt in 1607. Following extensive repairs to the Main Hall and other structures in 1687, the complex underwent further reconstructions and renovations to reach its present state.

     Among the temple's structures designated as Prefectural Important Tangible Cultural Properties, the oldest is the Main Hall, constructed in 1687 by the master carpenter Kanda Sakuzaemon. The skill of Kanda—a prominent local shrine and temple carpenter (miyadaiku)—is evident in unique architectural details, such as eaves pillars integrated directly into the structural framework, bat-shaped hana-hijiki (flowering bracket arms), and koryo (cambered tie-beams) featuring designs tailored to their precise location.

     The shikidai (formal step-up entrance), the Jizo-in Guest Hall, and the kuri (monk's living quarters)—which features a scenic rear pond—share distinct architectural elements with Mount Koya’s Kongosanmai-in Temple. Together with the Shisoku-mon (four-legged gate) of the Taishi-do Hall and the earthen storehouse, the complex reflects the prestige of a high-ranking Edo-period (1603–1867) sub-temple. While the surviving buildings date from the Edo period or later, the temple's spatial layout—stretching from the ro-mon (two-story gate) at the base of the mountain to the taho-to (two-story pagoda) on higher ground—skillfully adapts to the natural terrain, preserving the authentic atmosphere of a medieval mountain temple.

     Okusan-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

From deep within the mountain, waters flow,

And on the forest stream they softly glow.

Through leafy boughs the moonbeams gently glide,

To clear the dark and shine on every side.

Address: 15 Kunimasacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2401

Phone: 0790-45-0049