Kiyomizu-dera (Yasugi)

Zuikōzan Kiyomizu-dera (瑞光山清水寺) stands on Mt. Zuikō in Yasugi, eastern Shimane Prefecture, about 8 km south of JR Yasugi Station and 15 to 20 minutes by car from Yonago Station across the Tottori border. The 28th station of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, it is one of four independent Japanese temples sharing the 'Kiyomizu' (清水, 'pure water') name and a spring-water Kannon origin tradition.

This Yasugi institution is distinct from Kiyomizu-dera in Higashiyama, Kyoto; Banshū Kiyomizu-dera in Katō, Hyōgo; and Otowasan Kiyomizu-dera in Isumi, Chiba, each with its own lineage.

Temple tradition says Sōnryū founded it in 587 CE after a divine vision led him to a pure mountain spring, though that date is uncertain. It is reliably documented as a major Tendai institution by the 9th-century revival around 806. The nationally designated Important Cultural Property Konpondō, the precinct's oldest surviving structure, was reconstructed in 1393 and renovated in 1992. After the Sengoku-period Amago–Mōri war destroyed the complex, Matsue Domain patronage supported Edo-period rebuilding, including San'in's only three-story pagoda.

As San'in's foremost Tendai esoteric (taimitsu) training hall, Kiyomizu-dera enshrines Jūichimen Kannon (Eleven-faced Kannon), invoked for purification, exorcism, and protection from calamity. Pilgrims continue its over-millennium yakuyoke devotion against evil spirits and bad fortune. Momijikan serves reserved Buddhist vegetarian shōjin ryōri within the precinct, and overnight pilgrim lodging is available.

The first thing to settle for any visitor is the disambiguation. There are at least four distinct Kiyomizu-dera in Japan: in Higashiyama, Kyoto; in Katō, Hyōgo (Banshū Kiyomizu-dera); in Isumi, Chiba (Otowasan Kiyomizu-dera); and the Yasugi temple in Shimane. Each is a separate institution with its own founding, sectarian, and architectural history. The shared 'Kiyomizu' name reflects a common iconographic theme — pure spring water as a sign of Kannon's compassionate presence — rather than any administrative link.

The Yasugi temple is the one designated the 28th station of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and the foremost Tendai esoteric training hall in the San'in region.

The quality of thinness here rests on a long stone path through an ancient grove rising to the Konpondō — a Muromachi-period (1393) hall whose age is among the oldest in San'in. The architectural integrity of the Konpondō, the only three-story pagoda in the San'in region, and the yakuyoke devotion together produce a deeply layered atmosphere: the Tendai esoteric reading of Jūichimen Kannon as a Bosatsu of purification anchors a 1,400-year tradition of warding off evil from this mountain.

Pilgrims often describe the long forested approach as the practice of leaving burdens behind before entering the main hall.

The second register is regional and contemporary. Kiyomizu-dera is the foremost Tendai esoteric (taimitsu) training hall in San'in — a designation that gives the temple living monastic significance beyond pilgrimage tourism. The seasonal blue/green dragon dance procession, the Momijikan shōjin ryōri restaurant within the grounds, and the temple's overnight lodging extend the visit into a longer contemplative practice for those who reserve in advance.

Mid-November to early December brings vivid maple foliage; cherry blossoms in late March and early April are the spring counterpart. December through March, lodging and meal reservations are not accepted, and the temple returns to a quieter monastic register.

Reaching Kiyomizu-dera is most straightforward by car or taxi: about 15 to 20 minutes from JR Yonago Station and 8 km south of JR Yasugi Station. Bus connections from Yasugi Station are available but infrequent. The address is Kiyomizu, Yasugi, Shimane.

From the trailhead the precinct opens onto a long stone path through an ancient grove of trees. The walk is unhurried and the path's length is itself part of the temple's structure: the 1,400-year tradition of yakuyoke (warding off evil) imagines the approach as a release of accumulated misfortune before reaching the Konpondō. The Konpondō, the main hall reconstructed in 1393, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property and one of the older surviving wooden temple structures in San'in.

Inside, the Jūichimen Kannon honzon stands at the public altar; pilgrims light incense, drop a saisen coin, and chant the Kannon-kyō or the Hannya Shingyō.

The three-story pagoda — the only such pagoda in the San'in region — stands within the precinct and can be climbed for panoramic views over the wooded ridge. The temple office issues the Chūgoku 33 Kannon #28 nōkyō stamp and arranges yakuyoke prayers (kitōshiki) for those who request them.

Momijikan, a shōjin ryōri (Buddhist vegetarian) restaurant within the temple grounds, serves elaborate Tendai-tradition meals by reservation; bookings are not accepted from December 1 through the end of March. Overnight lodging is available at the temple by advance reservation. The blue/green dragon dance procession is held in spring (March or April) and again in autumn — confirm dates directly with the temple.

Mid-November to early December is the peak for vivid maple foliage; quieter visits are possible on weekday mornings and outside the foliage season.

By car or taxi, drive 15 to 20 minutes from JR Yonago Station or 8 km south of JR Yasugi Station; bus connections are infrequent. From the trailhead, walk the long stone path through the ancient grove to the Konpondō. Light incense, offer at the saisen box, and chant before the Jūichimen Kannon honzon. Climb the three-story pagoda for panoramic views, and request yakuyoke prayers at the temple office if desired. Bring nōkyō-chō for the Chūgoku #28 stamp.

To deepen the visit, reserve a Momijikan shōjin ryōri lunch (April–November) or arrange an overnight stay through the temple website.

Temple tradition holds that the monk Sōnryū (尊隆上人) founded Kiyomizu-dera in 587 CE after being guided by a divine vision to a mountain spring of pure water. The historical date is uncertain. The temple was revived in 806 CE — the era of the rise of Tendai in Japan under Saichō and the early disciples — and entered the documentary record as a major Tendai institution by the late Heian period.

The Konpondō was reconstructed in 1393 (Muromachi period) and renovated in 1992; this is the oldest surviving structure in the precinct and the temple's nationally designated Important Cultural Property. During the Sengoku period the complex was destroyed in the Amago–Mōri war that ravaged the San'in region, and rebuilding proceeded during the Edo period under the patronage of the Matsue Domain.

The current three-story pagoda — the only such pagoda in the San'in region and a Shimane Prefecture-designated Tangible Cultural Property — dates from this Edo-period rebuilding.

Four temples in Japan share the 'Kiyomizu' name and a Kannon-and-spring-water founding tradition: Higashiyama (Kyoto), Banshū (Hyōgo), Otowasan (Chiba/Isumi), and Yasugi (Shimane). Each is institutionally distinct from the others, with separate lineages and histories. The Yasugi temple is the one designated the 28th station of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and the foremost Tendai esoteric (taimitsu) training hall in San'in.

The honzon is Jūichimen Kannon (Eleven-faced Kannon), and the temple's identity as a place to drive away evil spirits — yakuyoke — has been continuous for the better part of 1,400 years.

The historicity of the 587 founding by Sōnryū, like most very early temple founding accounts in western Japan, is not securely documentable from contemporary records. The exact succession of head priests across the medieval period is also not fully recoverable. What is reliably documented is the 1393 Konpondō, the Edo-period three-story pagoda, the prefectural-level cultural property status of the pagoda, and the temple's modern designation as the foremost taimitsu training hall in San'in.

Kiyomizu-dera is a Tendai temple in the lineage of Saichō and the early disciples, anchored in the Mount Hiei headquarters of the school and designated the foremost Tendai esoteric (taimitsu) training hall in the San'in region. Its 1,400-year tradition of yakuyoke devotion to the Jūichimen Kannon honzon distinguishes its devotional identity from the other Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, Hyōgo, and Chiba.

The temple's liturgy follows Tendai esoteric (taimitsu) practice — recitation of the Kannon-kyō and Hannya Shingyō at the Jūichimen Kannon honzon, with goma fire rituals on scheduled days. Yakuyoke (warding off misfortune) prayer rites have been the temple's distinctive lay-facing practice for 1,400 years; pilgrims and lay visitors arrive specifically to receive these prayers, particularly during life transitions or before exams, marriages, and travel.

The blue/green dragon dance procession is held in spring and autumn, and the Konpondō's central role in regional Tendai practice continues.

Chūgoku 33 Kannon pilgrims arrive year-round for the #28 nōkyō stamp at the temple office. Momijikan, the shōjin ryōri restaurant within the grounds, serves Tendai-tradition Buddhist vegetarian meals by reservation; bookings are not accepted from December 1 through the end of March. Overnight pilgrim lodging is available by advance reservation through the temple website. Mid-November to early December brings the foliage peak and the largest visitor numbers; the spring blossom and dragon-dance season is the second peak.

Allow 1.5 to 3 hours for a focused visit; longer if combining with shōjin ryōri or an overnight stay. Walk slowly through the long stone path and the ancient grove — the approach is structurally part of the practice. At the Konpondō, light incense, offer at the saisen box, and chant or quietly listen before the Jūichimen Kannon honzon. Climb the three-story pagoda for the regional view and consider requesting a yakuyoke kitōshiki at the temple office.

Pilgrims should bring nōkyō-chō for the Chūgoku #28 stamp.

Kiyomizu-dera in Yasugi is the foremost Tendai esoteric training hall in San'in — a Muromachi-period Konpondō and Edo-period three-story pagoda set on a forested mountain ridge, with a 1,400-year tradition of yakuyoke devotion. The visit rewards holding clear that this is the Yasugi temple, institutionally distinct from the famous Kyoto, Banshū (Hyōgo), and Otowasan (Chiba) temples of the same name.

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.

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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. 01Kiyomizu-dera | Yasugi Travel Guide — Yasugi City Tourism AssociationofficialOfficial municipal tourism source
2. 02Zuikozan Kiyomizudera Temple (Yasugi Kiyomizudera Temple) — Japan Tourism Agency / MLITofficialGovernment tourism database — sect, history, cultural properties
3. 03清水寺 (安来市) - Wikipedia (JA) — Wikipedia contributorsofficialJapanese Wikipedia entry; founding tradition (587 by Sōnryū), 806 revival, sectarian and architectural detail
4. 04Kiyomizu Temple | Shimane Japan Official Travel Guide — Shimane PrefectureofficialThree-story pagoda detail; foremost training hall for Tendai esotericism in San'in region
5. 05Shojin Ryori Restaurant Momijikan — Sanin Mannaka AmbassadorguideDetail on Momijikan shōjin ryōri restaurant within temple grounds
6. 06Day 52 – The Chūgoku 33 Temple Kannon Pilgrimage – Kiyomizu-Dera Temple #28 — Tali LandsmanguidePilgrim's account; first-hand visit