Daikoji, temple 67 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, is located in a fairly out-of-the-way rural area at the bottom of the mountains, with no big towns nearby.
It was established, about 1 kilometer from its current location, in 742 as a branch of Todaiji temple.
The Nio Gate was built in 1318 but rebuit at its current location in 1796.
The Nio are dated to the mid Kamakura Period, around the mid 13th century.
They were repainted in 1790 and are the biggest wooden nio in Shikoku.
Kobo Daishi visited in 792, and thirty years later came back and rebuilt much of the temple.
Two huge trees flanking the approach are said to have been planted by Kobo Daishi himself.
Daikoji was unusual in that it was partly Tendai and partly Shingon, with a Tendai hall still remaining today.
At one point there were 24 Shingon halls and 12 Tendai halls....
A major fire detroyed most of the temple, possibly caused by Chosokabe Motochika, possibly not.
When I visited in 2012 they were already flying banners to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the Pilgrimage in 2014...
The temple moved to its current location and was rebuilt in 1597. The current main hall dates to 1741.
The honzon is a Yakushi Nyorai, commonly known as the Medicine Buddha. It is a secret Buddha unveiled to the public every 60 years.
Known as Sanko (triangle) Pine...
Kumano Sansho Gongen Shrine was seperated from the temple after shinbutsu bunri...
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