Ichinomiya-ji

Ichinomiya-ji's compact urban Takamatsu precinct makes a layered religious history unusually legible. Until 1679 it was the bettō-ji, or administrative Buddhist sister-temple, of Tamura Shrine, Sanuki Province's principal Shinto shrine. The paired institutions served tutelary kami and Buddhist dharma in one sacred zone until Takamatsu lord Matsudaira Yoritsune separated them—nearly two centuries before the broader Meiji separation of Buddhism and Shinto.

A temple visit takes about thirty to forty-five minutes, or around an hour with Tamura Shrine. Camphor trees, modest 1701 halls, and the adjacent provincial shrine retain a meeting of Buddhist and Shinto sacrality. The precinct's jigoku-no-kama is said to rumble with hell when someone inserts their head, and folk tradition warns that a wicked person's head may become stuck. This warm-edged Sanuki admonition is folk teaching, not canonical doctrine.

Ichinomiya-ji is one of the few Shikoku 88 sites where the layered religious landscape of pre-modern Japan is still clearly readable. The combined visit with Tamura Shrine, only a few minutes away, completes the picture: shrine to the right, temple to the left, both held by the same protective field for centuries. Pilgrims often find that the temple's smaller scale focuses attention.

Ancient camphor trees, the modest 1701 halls, and the small folk shrine of the hell pot all sit within easy walking distance of each other.

Originally a Hossō Buddhist temple founded in the early 700s as Daihō-in, then re-established as Shingon by Kūkai in the early ninth century. From an early date the temple administered the adjacent Sanuki Ichinomiya (Tamura Shrine).

After the 1574 fire of the Awa Miyoshi–Kōzai conflict, the temple was revived by the monk Yūsei Daitoku. In 1679, under Matsudaira Yoritsune's domain reform, the auxiliary jingū-ji administrative function ended and Ichinomiya-ji and Tamura Shrine were formally separated. The current halls date from circa 1701.

Pilgrims arrive most often from the Kotoden Kotohira Line, alighting at Busshōzan or Ichinomiya stations and walking five to ten minutes through suburban streets. The Niō Gate opens onto a precinct dense with old trees. The Main Hall and Daishi-dō stand near the centre.

The henro practice is followed at both halls: bow at the gate, hands and mouth purified at the chōzuya, candle and three sticks of incense lit, an osamefuda nameslip dropped, the Heart Sutra recited, and the Shō Kannon mantra (On arorikya sowaka) sounded at the Main Hall. At the Daishi-dō, the Kōbō Daishi mantra closes the rite. The nōkyō stamp is collected at the temple office.

Many pilgrims also visit the small jigoku-no-kama hokora before leaving. It is unimposing and easy to miss. Local tradition says the wicked who put their heads in the stone shrine hear the rumble of hell and may find their heads stuck — a folk admonition rather than a doctrinal teaching, but treated with care. A short walk leads to Tamura Shrine, where the standard Shinto rite (two bows, two claps, one bow) acknowledges the long-paired Sanuki kami.

The Niō Gate fronts the small precinct. Main Hall and Daishi-dō are central. Old camphor trees frame the courtyard. The jigoku-no-kama hokora is small and sits to one side. Tamura Shrine stands a few minutes' walk away.

Founded in the early 700s, by tradition, by the Hossō priest Gien as Daihō-in. The monk Gyōki repaired the pagoda between 708 and 715, and from his time the temple administered the adjacent Sanuki Ichinomiya, Tamura Shrine. Kūkai re-established the temple as Shingon between 806 and 810, carving the principal Shō Kannon and, by tradition, a self-portrait statue. The temple was destroyed by fire in 1574 during the Awa Miyoshi–Kōzai conflict and revived by the monk Yūsei Daitoku.

The present buildings date primarily from 1701. In 1679, under Matsudaira Yoritsune's reform, the temple was formally separated from Tamura Shrine.

Shingon Buddhism (Daikaku-ji branch lineage). Historical Hossō and Ritsu phases. Long historical pairing with the Shinto Tamura Shrine, the Sanuki Ichinomiya.

Pilgrims follow the standard henro rite. After a bow at the gate and purification at the chōzuya, a candle is lit and three sticks of incense placed at the Main Hall. An osamefuda nameslip is deposited, a coin offered, the Heart Sutra recited, and the Shō Kannon mantra (On arorikya sowaka) sounded. The same rite is repeated at the Daishi-dō, ending with the Kōbō Daishi mantra. The nōkyō calligraphy stamp is collected afterwards.

Daily Shingon services continue. Pilgrim hospitality at the nōkyō office is unhurried. The small jigoku-no-kama folk shrine is informally attended; visitors approach it on their own.

Plan to visit Tamura Shrine alongside the temple — the two were paired institutions for nearly a thousand years and still illuminate each other. At Tamura, the standard Shinto rite (two bows, two claps, one bow) is observed. Pause at the camphor trees on the way out; their age is part of the precinct's quiet authority.

Ichinomiya-ji is read as a paradigmatic site of pre-modern Buddhist–Shinto pairing — and as a quiet anticipation of the Meiji-era separation.

Films, episodes, and recorded talks for visitors who want more context before or after a visit. Speculative and alternative-history entries are labelled as perspectives, not as sources for established claims.

Continue through the atlas by country, tradition, physical form, or a focused search that combines this place’s strongest context.

Explore other sacred places in the region. Proximity does not establish access or travel time; check each place’s guidance.

Sanuki Kokubun-ji

Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan

7.8 km away

Negoro-ji

Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan

8.8 km away

Yashima-ji

Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan

10.5 km away

Shiromine-ji

Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan

10.5 km away

Sources consulted for this page. Source categories describe the publication, not a guarantee that every claim is verified. Traditional accounts and outside interpretations may differ.

1. 01The 83rd Temple Ichinomiyaji Temple — Sanuki History & Culture GuideguideLocal cultural guide; covers Hossō origin under Gien, Gyōki repair, Kūkai's Shingon conversion, and Tamura Shrine separation in 1679
2. 02Temple 83, Ichinomiya-ji — Shikoku ToursguideTour-operator guide with reliable historical summary
3. 03Ichinomiyaji – Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture — Henro.orgguideLong-established English pilgrimage reference
4. 04Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage 83rd Sacred Spot, Ichinomiyaji Temple — Experience TakamatsuguideTakamatsu City tourism source
5. 05Customs and Etiquette of the Shikoku Pilgrimage — Henro.orgguidePilgrim ritual reference
6. 06Ichinomiya-ji (Temple 83 of the Shikoku Pilgrimage – Spring 2024) — Setouchi ExplorerblogRecent first-hand visit account, mentions hell-pot folklore