Shikoku Pilgrimage Temple: No. 10 Kirihata-ji

Kirihata-ji_Great Pagoda

Kirihata-ji: The Temple of the Weaving Maiden Legend

  • Name: Tokudo-zan Kanjoin Kirihata-ji
  • Main Deity: Thousand-Armed Kannon (Senju Kannon Bosatsu)
  • Goeika (Pilgrimage Song):
  • If one can cut away worldly desires at Kirihata-ji,
  • There will be no obstacles even in the next life.

Access From Temple No. 9 (Hōrin-ji):

  • On Foot: From the south side of Hōrin-ji, follow the road westward. Continue according to the signposts, turning right and left several times, and you will arrive at the approach to Kirihata-ji lined with shops selling pilgrimage goods. Distance: approx. 3.7 km / about 1 hour on foot.
  • 　
  • By Car: Same route as the walking course.
  • 　
  • Public Transport: None available for this section.

The First Mountain Temple for Pilgrims

For pilgrims who begin their journey from Temple No.1, this is the first mountain temple they encounter.
The gentle slope leading to the temple is lined with shops selling pilgrimage items. Passing through the temple gate, one is greeted by a long, steep stone stairway.

Kirihata-ji_333 steps

After climbing 99 steps, the stairs turn right; after another 159 steps, there is a small resting place. Beyond this point are 33 steps for women and 42 steps for men, corresponding to the ages of bad luck (yakudoshi). Climbing these steps is believed to ward off misfortune, leading up to the Main Hall and Daishi Hall.

Kirihata-ji_33 steps for women
Kirihata-ji_42 steps for men

The total of 333 stone steps serves as a prologue to the many challenges that pilgrims will face on their journey ahead.

The Legend of the Weaving Maiden (Hatakiri Kannon)

According to legend, when Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai) visited this area, he met a young woman weaving cloth at the foot of the mountain. The Daishi asked her for a piece of cloth to mend his worn-out robe. Without hesitation, the girl cut off a piece from the cloth she was weaving and offered it to him. Deeply moved by her selfless act, Kōbō Daishi asked what she wished for. The girl replied, “I wish to pray for the peaceful repose of my late parents.” In gratitude, Kōbō Daishi carved a statue of Kannon overnight and bestowed upon her the Tokudō Kanjō (ordination into the Buddhist priesthood and its accompanying ritual). It is said that the girl then transformed into a living Buddha and took the form of Kannon Bodhisattva. To preserve this legend, a statue of “Hatakiri Kannon,” holding a piece of woven cloth, stands beside the Main Hall today.

Kirihata-ji_Hatakiri Kannon

Important Cultural Property: The Great Pagoda

Beyond the Main Hall and Daishi Hall, another stone stairway continues upward. After climbing 56 steps, one reaches the Fudō Hall, and another 56 steps beyond that stands the Great Pagoda, designated as an Important Cultural Property. Originally built in the Shingon temple of Sumiyoshi Taisha Jingū-ji in Ōsaka, the pagoda was relocated here during the Meiji era when many Buddhist structures were destroyed under the policy of separating Shintō and Buddhism. It was constructed in 1607 under the patronage of Toyotomi Hideyori, at the suggestion of Tokugawa Ieyasu, to pray for the repose of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s soul. This two-storied pagoda differs from the more common tahōtō type. Both its upper and lower stories are square in shape, making it an architecturally unique and historically valuable structure.

Kirihata-ji_Great Pagoda

DATA

Address: 129 Kannon, Kirihata, Ichiba-chō, Awa City, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan
Phone: 0883-36-3010
Access: About 20 minutes by car from JR Tokushima Line Kamojima Station
Parking: Available (free)
Lodging: None

Your Pilgrimage, Your Art

Completing the Shikoku Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime journey—but what if you could preserve it in a form that lasts forever?

Many pilgrims collect red stamps and calligraphy from each temple on a special silk scroll called a nōkyōjiku.

This sacred record of your path can be transformed into a kakejiku—a traditional Japanese hanging scroll—not only preserving the memories, but turning them into a work of cultural and spiritual art.

It’s more than a souvenir—it’s a way to honor your journey, your prayers, and your growth.

To learn more about how a nōkyōjiku becomes a kakejiku, and what makes this transformation so meaningful, please refer the below link.


Your Shikoku Pilgrimage, Your Art: Make Your Journey a Kakejiku, Japanese Traditional Scroll Art – ART NOMURA
What is the Shikoku Pilgrimage? Shikoku’s 88-Temple Pilgrimage (Shikoku Hachijūhakkasho Henro) is a sacred rou … Continue reading Your Shikoku Pilgrimage, Your Art: Make Your Journey a Kakejiku, Japanese Traditional Scroll Art →
 

 

 

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CEO Message

Our Feelings For Kakejiku

 The Japanese people have long set a high value on aesthetic senses since ancient times. As a result, the
peculiar culture which is not seen in other countries blossomed and many aspects of the modern Japanese
culture come from it. Parts of Japanese culture has been introduced to people in other countries recently,
so the number of people from other countries who are interested in Japanese culture has been increasing.
However, the Japanese aesthetic senses, which are the bases of Japanese culture, have been nurtured
through a long history, intertwining various elements intricately, such as climate, geographical features,
religion, customs and so on. Therefore, they are very difficult to understand not only for people from other
countries, but even for the Japanese people. I think the best tool which conveys these difficult senses
understandably is a “kakejiku.”
 The kakejiku (a hanging scroll; a work of calligraphy or a painting which is mounted and hung in an
alcove or on a wall) is a traditional Japanese art. It's no exaggeration to say that paintings are what
express aesthetic senses at all times and places. The kakejiku is an art which expresses the Japanese
aesthetic senses. The kakejiku has long been used in traditional Japanese events, daily life and so on since
ancient times. As a result, there are various customs of kakejiku in Japan; kakejiku and the life of the
Japanese are closely related. We can see Japanese values through kakejiku.
 The kakejiku is a cultural tradition which the Japanese people should be proud of. However, many people
in other countries don't know much about it because it hasn't been showcased as much. This is why I
decided to try to introduce it. The kakejiku world is very interesting and beautiful. We want not only the
Japanese, but also many people from other countries to know and enjoy it. I hope that many people will
love kakejiku someday.

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Company Profile
syaoku.jpg(120220 byte)

Name Art Nomura

President Tatsuji Nomura

Founded1973

Established1992

Address7-23 Babadori, Tarumi-ku, Kobe city,
Hyougo Prefecture, 655-0021, Japan


Capital10 million yen

URLhttp://nomurakakejiku.com

Our Business

 Art Nomura is an art dealer which produces kakejiku (hanging scrolls). We mount many paintings and calligraphic works in kakejiku in my factory. Kakejiku are our main product. We also remount and repair old or damaged kakejiku. We share the traditional Japanese art of kakejiku with people all over the world.


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Access Map

Access Map

 The Japanese people have long set a high value on aesthetic senses since ancient times. As a result, the
peculiar culture which is not seen in other countries blossomed and many aspects of the modern Japanese
culture come from it. Parts of Japanese culture has been introduced to people in other countries recently,
so the number of people from other countries who are interested in Japanese culture has been increasing.
However, the Japanese aesthetic senses, which are the bases of Japanese culture, have been nurtured
through a long history, intertwining various elements intricately, such as climate, geographical features,
religion, customs and so on. Therefore, they are very difficult to understand not only for people from other
countries, but even for the Japanese people. I think the best tool which conveys these difficult senses
understandably is a “kakejiku.”
 The kakejiku (a hanging scroll; a work of calligraphy or a painting which is mounted and hung in an
alcove or on a wall) is a traditional Japanese art. It's no exaggeration to say that paintings are what
express aesthetic senses at all times and places. The kakejiku is an art which expresses the Japanese
aesthetic senses. The kakejiku has long been used in traditional Japanese events, daily life and so on since
ancient times. As a result, there are various customs of kakejiku in Japan; kakejiku and the life of the
Japanese are closely related. We can see Japanese values through kakejiku.
 The kakejiku is a cultural tradition which the Japanese people should be proud of. However, many people
in other countries don't know much about it because it hasn't been showcased as much. This is why I
decided to try to introduce it. The kakejiku world is very interesting and beautiful. We want not only the
Japanese, but also many people from other countries to know and enjoy it. I hope that many people will
love kakejiku someday.

(or press ESC or click the overlay)