After being compelled to take Buddhist vows at nineteen in 986 (Kanna 2), Cloistered Emperor Kazan (968–1008) completed the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage himself and became honored as its 'restorer.' Seiganto-ji was designated the first temple in this circuit, making Nachisan the spiritual starting point of a pilgrimage that Kazan brought back to life through his personal devotion to the Kumano faith. His revival of the pilgrimage spread Kannon worship broadly among the common people and laid the foundation for the Saigoku 33 Pilgrimage, which continues to draw pilgrims after more than a thousand years. In this firstranked temple, the deep prayer that Kazan wove into his pilgrimage circuit lives on.