Nachisan Seiganto-ji
和歌山県
First temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage — sacred Kumano site beside Nachi Falls with a Momoyama-style main hall and three-storied pagoda
Founded
313
Type
Temple
Visited
Want to go
Access
About 30 min by Kumano-Goboh Nankai bus from JR Kii-Katsuura Station, then 10 min on foot
8 Nachisan, Nachikatsuura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama
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Info
Temple
Founded 313
1713 years
Enshrined Deity
如意輪観世音菩薩
Founder
Ragyo Shonin (legendary)
Buddhist Sect
Tendai sect
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Overview
Seiganto-ji, the first temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, is a Tendai temple in Nachisan, Nachikatsuura, Wakayama. By tradition it was founded by the Indian monk Ragyo Shonin, who enshrined a golden Nyoirin Kannon retrieved from the basin of Nachi Falls. It served alongside Kumano Nachi Taisha as a syncretic Shinto-Buddhist sanctuary, attracting frequent imperial pilgrimages — Retired Emp…
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Origins
By temple tradition, Seiganto-ji was founded in the reign of Emperor Nintoku by Ragyo Shonin, an Indian monk who drifted ashore at Kumano and enshrined a golden Nyoirin Kannon image he had recovered from the basin of Nachi Falls. The temple developed as a syncretic Shinto-Buddhist sanctuary integrat…
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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
如
About Nyoirin Kannon
Wooden seated Nyoirin Kannon (Kanshinji, Osaka, National Treasure, early Heian period)
Nyoirin Kannon (Wish-Fulfilling Kannon): grants the prayers of beings, holding the wish-fulfilling jewel (cintāmaṇi) and the Dharma wheel. Typically depicted seated with six arms in a contemplative half-lotus pose.
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 →
Your 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 "如意輪観世音菩薩"
記Related Articles— 3
記
記
Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage: History and Highlights of All Temples
Founded in 718 by Tokudo Shonin and revived by Emperor Kazan, the Saigoku 33 is Japan's oldest Kannon pilgrimage spanning 1,000 km across seven prefectures. From Seiganto-ji to Kegon-ji, this guide covers history, highlights, and practical visiting tips.
basics
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記
Mongaku's Turbulent Life — From Tragic Killing to Yoritomo's Uprising
Mongaku (1139–1203), the wild monk who became a priest after accidentally killing the married woman he loved, endured a hundred-day austerity under Nachi Falls, and while exiled in Izu showed Yoritomo his father's skull to urge rebellion — becoming a behind-the-scenes catalyst of the Genpei War.
era
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記
Ippen's Dancing Nenbutsu — The Faith of Total Renunciation
Ippen (1239–1289) founded Ji-shu Buddhism and popularized "odori nenbutsu" (dancing nembutsu). Owning nothing, wandering Japan, and burning all his writings at death — the life of the saint who taught "only through renunciation."
era
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