Arai Yakushi Baishoin Temple
Main Image Yakushi Ruriko Nyorai and Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu (Two-in-One Principal Image) Category Other
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DescriptionThe principal image of Baishoin, widely known in Nakano as Arai Yakushi, is an unusual two-in-one sacred image of Yakushi Ruriko Nyorai and Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu. Temple tradition holds that it was a guardian image of the Nitta clan, was lost during warfare, and was rediscovered in 1586 inside a hollow plum tree in Arai, leading to the establishment of the temple. In the Edo period it became known as Chigan Yakushi for healing eye ailments, linked to a tradition concerning Tokugawa Hidetada’s daughter Kazuko, and also as Kosodate Yakushi for prayers for children’s healthy upbringing. The principal image is a secret image and, according to the temple, is unveiled only in Years of the Tiger. Goma rituals continue to be held on the 8th, 18th, and 28th of each month, and the temple remains one of Nakano’s representative pilgrimage temples.
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