Kakurinji Temple
Main Image Standing Kongo Rikishi Guardians (Nio Statues) Category Tenbu (Deva)
Impression TagsPowerDignityStillness
DescriptionKongo Rikishi guardian statues protect the gate of Kakurinji, Temple No. 20 on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. Tradition attributes them to Unkei, a Buddhist sculptor of the Kamakura period, although the attribution has not been confirmed. After passing the powerful guardians, visitors encounter crane statues recalling the temple's founding legend of a pair of white cranes protecting a golden Jizo Bodhisattva. Kakurinji stands about 470 meters above sea level amid old cedar and cypress trees. Its grounds include a three-story pagoda designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Tokushima Prefecture. According to temple tradition, Kobo Daishi founded the temple in 798. Known as a tranquil mountain sanctuary reached by a steep pilgrimage path, it allows visitors to see the guardian statues up close at the gate.
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