Zentsū-ji, Buddhist temple in Zentsuji, Japan
Zentsū-ji is a Buddhist temple in Zentsuji, Japan, that spreads across two separate precincts and includes several prayer halls. The eastern precinct houses the Kondō Hall, while the western side features the Mieido Hall and other structures connected by broad gravel paths.
In 807, Saeki no Tagimi founded the temple at the birthplace of Kūkai, who later developed the Shingon school of Buddhism. The current buildings were reconstructed after fires in the 15th and 16th centuries and retain the original layout.
As the 75th stop on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, the temple receives pilgrims daily, who wear white robes and bamboo hats and collect stamps in their pilgrimage books. The eastern precinct preserves buildings protected by the government as cultural treasures, including wooden halls with curved roofs.
The temple sits about one and a half kilometers from JR Zentsuji Station and can be reached on foot in around 20 minutes. The grounds include parking for visitors arriving by car, and the main halls are accessible via flat pathways.
Beneath the Mieido Hall runs a passage one hundred meters long, which visitors walk through in complete darkness while touching the walls for guidance. The walls are decorated with mandalas that remain invisible in the dark, but the act of touching is meant to create a spiritual connection.
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