The Main Hall of Yanaizu Kokuzoson

The Main Hall (hondo) dates from late in the Edo period (1603–1867), although the thatched roof was replaced with copper tiles in 1979. The structure houses a statue of Kokuzo Bosatsu, the bodhisattva of wisdom and merit. It is said that the statue was carved on a nearby mountain in 726 by the priest Gyoki (668–749) as a wish that the region, which at the time was suffering from famine and disease, might experience good fortune. Gyoki built a hall on the mountain to enshrine the image, and it is this building that became the foundation of Yanaizu Kokuzoson Temple.

In 818, the revered priest Kukai (774–835; posthumously known as Kobo Daishi) visited the mountain site, where he carved statues of Daikokuten and Bishamonten, Buddhist deities who are among Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods. Kukai had the temple moved to its current location, and the two statues now flank the Kokuzo Bosatsu image in the Main Hall.

The Kokuzo Bosatsu statue is a so-called “hidden Buddha” and is concealed in a special enclosure in the sanctuary. It is revealed to the public only once every 33 years in a tradition dating back to 771, when the statesman Otomo no Yakamochi (718–785) declared the image too sacred for regular viewing. Over the centuries, the temple has faced natural disasters and fires, yet the main statue has remained unharmed.

Kokuzo Bosatsu is the guardian deity for those born in the years of the Ox and Tiger. Look near the Main Hall for the petting statues of these animals, which are said to bring good fortune if rubbed.