Ikiyasan Chomei-ji
滋賀県
Thirty-first temple of the Saigoku 33 — mountain temple of long life tradition by Lake Biwa, reached by 808 stone steps
Founded
619
Type
Temple
Visited
Want to go
Access
From JR Omihachiman Station, take Omi Railway Bus to Chomeiji (~25 min), then 20 min on foot up 808 stone steps
157 Chomeiji-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga
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Info
Temple
Founded 619
1407 years
Founder
Prince Shotoku (traditional)
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Buddhist Sect
Independent (Tendai-derived)
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Overview
Chomei-ji is the thirty-first temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, set on the slopes of Mt. Chomeiji (333 m) on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa. According to legend, during the reign of Emperor Keiko the legendary minister Takenouchi no Sukune carved the words "long life and fulfillment of all wishes" on a great willow tree on this mountain, after which he is said to have lived more than thr…
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Origins
By tradition, during the reign of Emperor Keiko the legendary minister Takenouchi no Sukune carved "long life and fulfillment of all wishes" on a great willow tree on this mountain and lived for over three hundred years. In 619 Prince Shotoku visited the site, carved a triad of Senju Kannon, Eleven-…
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Pilgrimage Circuit
A pilgrimage of 33 Kannon temples — the oldest Kannon circuit in Japan, winding through 6 prefectures in the Kinki region and Gifu
千
About Senju Kannon
Wooden seated Thousand-Armed Kannon by Tankei (Sanjūsangendō, Kyoto, National Treasure, Kamakura period)
Senju Kannon (Thousand-Armed Kannon): rescues all beings through a thousand methods, with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes. Usually represented with 42 arms standing for the full thousand — an expression of boundless compassion.
Kannon Forms · Seven Kannon
聖
Shō
十
Jūichimen
千
Senju
如
Nyoirin
馬
Batō
准
Juntei
不
Fukūkenjaku
View all 33 sites of Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage →
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Divine Benefits
Healing & Longevity
Matchmaking
Safe Childbirth & Fertility
Warding Off Evil
Recovery from illness, bodily wellness, peace of mind. Especially efficacious at Yakushi and Kannon temples.
Derived from the enshrined deity "千手観音・十一面観音・聖観音 三尊（重文）"
人Related Figures— 2
人
Prince Shotoku
Saint of the Seventeen-Article Constitution
Age 45 at founding
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Centuries later, in 619, Prince Shotoku visited the site and carved a triad — Senju Kannon, Eleven-Headed Kannon and Sho Kannon — from the same sacred willow, enshrining them as the principal image and naming the temple Chomei-ji ("Temple of Long Life").
Minamoto no Yoritomo
First Shogun of Kamakura
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It is recorded that Minamoto no Yoritomo donated to Chomeiji Temple during the late Heian period. This 31st site of the Saigoku Pilgrimage, set on the slopes of Mount Chomeiji on Lake Biwa's eastern shore, has long been venerated for longevity prayers. Yoritomo's patronage reflects the deep faith that early medieval warriors placed in this ancient sanctuary.
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