Gakuenji has always been one of my favourite temples. Located in fairly remote mountains, it takes some effort to visit.
Unfortunately, even in the twenty or so years I have known it the temple has lost several large structures. As well as being number 25 on the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage, it is also number 3 on the Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage.
Some shots from that visit can be seen here.
The temple is very, very old, being founded in the last decade of the 6th century. A monk prayed at the waterfall here and Empress Suiko's eye problem was healed and so she ordered a temple built.
It was a major shugendo centre and later became a Tendai sect temple.
Legend has it that Benkei trained here and carried a bell here from Mount Daisen, an obvious mirror of the famous story of him taking a bell up to Mount Hiei.
The current main hall was built while the Mori controlled much of Chugoku in the late 16th century.
Between its original founding and the current site, the temple was destroyed and moved several times, including having two separate precincts.
Because of this is has two honzons, a Kannon and a Yakushi, both secret.
These are just about the only statues you can see inside the very dark interior...
About twenty years ago the treasure hall was broken into and thieves made off with numerous treasures... an indication of how remote it is.
The grounds become packed with visitors during the autumn colours season.....
Next to the main hall is the Matarajin Shrine. This used to be located at Izumo Taisha and was disassembled and carried up the mountain when Izumo Taisha removed all Buddhist elements in the 16th century. Matarajin is a fairly obscure deity, mostly seen at Tendai temples. Curiously, Matarajin is equated with Susano, and it was Gakuenji that stated that Susano was the primary deity of Izumo Taisha until the 16th century, a fact that is now recognized by historians but ignored by everyone else.
One of the few structures still left at Gakuenji is the magnificent priests quarters and library.
It has an Imperial Gate only used by imperial messengers, and in fact the current Emperor visited here when he was Crown Prince.
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