Maegamiji Temple
Main Image Three Images of Ishizuchisan Zao Daigongen Category Other
Impression TagsDignityMysterySolemnity
DescriptionAt Maegamiji, head temple of the Shingon Ishizuchi school and Temple No. 64 on the Shikoku 88 pilgrimage, three images of Ishizuchisan Zao Daigongen embody the meeting of mountain worship and Buddhism. Normally hidden, the images are unveiled at a monthly evening rite on the 20th. During the ceremony, worshippers may have an image brought into contact with an afflicted part of their body while praying for recovery, an unusually direct expression of living faith. Zao Gongen is a syncretic mountain deity closely tied to the ascetic founder En no Gyoja and the Ishizuchi tradition. The images' dates, artists and heritage status have not been established. During the annual July 1–10 mountain opening, they are traditionally taken to Oku-Maegamiji high on Mount Ishizuchi, so they may be absent from the lower temple. Published start times differ between 19:30 and 20:00; confirm both timing and participation arrangements before visiting.
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