The Kondō (Golden Hall) Engraved with 500 Years of Wind and Snow

• Name: Mani-zan Hōzō-in Kokubun-ji
• Main Deity: Senju Kanzeon Bosatsu (Thousand-Armed Kannon)
• Goeika (Pilgrimage Song):
• This temple, built by dividing the country and amassing treasures,
• leaves its blessings even to the last generations.

Access From Temple No. 28, Dainichi-ji

• On foot: Walk along the road through the rural landscape. The road is flat and allows for a peaceful walk. Approx. 9.2 km, 2 hours 30 minutes.
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• By Car: Return to the front of Noichi Station and head west on the road along the Tosa Kuroshio Railway. Head north from the Gomen urban area. Approx. 12.5 km, 30 minutes.
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• Public Transport: Return to Noichi Station, take the Tosa Kuroshio Railway for 10 minutes to Gomen Station on the JR Dosan Line. Take a bus from here (see DATA section).

An ancient temple associated with Ki no Tsurayuki

The predecessor of this temple was Tosa Kokubun-ji, one of the provincial temples built in various provinces in 741 (Tenpyō 13) by an imperial edict of Emperor Shōmu to establish provincial temples. In other words, the area around this Kokubun-ji was once a flourishing center of politics and culture in Tosa Province. During the Heian period, when the poet Ki no Tsurayuki, known for the “Tosa Nikki” (Tosa Diary), was appointed as the governor of Tosa, it is said that he set up his residence near this temple and deepened his friendship with the chief priest.

Scattered Cultural Property Buildings

On the east side of the spacious precincts, an earthen platform about 2 meters high and 3 meters wide remains, which is thought to be the remnants of an earthen mound from the Tenpyō period. There is also a central foundation stone for a pagoda, and the entire temple grounds are designated as a National Historic Site as a cultural property.

Passing through the magnificent Niō-mon (Niō Gate) in the rōmon (two-story gate) style built in 1655 (Meireki 1), and advancing along the approach where an avenue of Japanese cypress trees creates a solemn atmosphere, the Kondō (Main Hall) stands right in front. Although large in scale, the Kondō is a simple building with a hipped, shingled roof. It was built in 1558 (Eiroku 1) by Chōsokabe Motochika, who unified Tosa during the Sengoku period, and is designated as a National Important Cultural Property. If you look closely, the front part of the hipped roof protrudes to form a kōhai (canopy), which is a unique style, but this is because it was renovated by the Yamauchi clan, the lords of the Tosa domain, during the Edo period. The Tosa Kashiwa (Tosa oak), the family crest of the Yamauchi clan, is carved into the kaerumata (frog-leg struts) of the kōhai.

The Daishi Hall, standing to the left of the Kondō, was built in 1634 (Kan’ei 11). This one has a copper-plate roof that was renovated in 1960 (Shōwa 35). To the left of the Daishi Hall, a Jizō Bosatsu is enshrined in a small hall. It is called the “Sakedachi Jizō” (Abstinence Jizō), and people who want to stop drinking or want someone to stop drinking visit here.

Passing through the Chūmon (Middle Gate) from the belfry near the Niō-mon, you come out into a garden planted with cycads and camellias, typical of southern countries. Peonies are beautiful in spring, and azaleas and hydrangeas in early summer.

DATA

Address: 546 Kokubu, Nankoku City, Kōchi Prefecture
Phone: 088-862-0055
Access: From Gomen Station on the JR Dosan Line, take the Nankoku City Community Bus Ueda-JA Kōchi Hospital Line for 10 minutes, get off at Kokubun-ji dōri, and walk for 5 minutes.
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.