ABOUT
About this spot
Kakurin-ji is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Kitazaike, Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture. Known as the Horyu-ji of Harima, it holds two National Treasures: the main hall and the Taishi-do. The principal image, a statue of Yakushi Nyorai, is a hidden Buddha kept in the main hall. According to temple tradition, Prince Shotoku, who had studied under the Goguryeo monk Ebin, built a hermitage here in 589, though this is temple tradition and the early history is not well documented. In 852 Ennin is said to have repaired the halls, bringing the temple into the Tendai school. In 1112 Emperor Toba bestowed a plaque and the temple took the name Kakurin-ji, becoming an imperial prayer temple. It flourished in the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, escaped war damage in the Sengoku period, and declined in the Edo period; the grounds are now shared by three temples. The two National Treasures are the highlights. The main hall, dated to 1397 by a ridge tablet, is a representative example of a style blending Japanese and Zen architecture. The Taishi-do, built in 1112, is said to be the oldest surviving building in Hyogo Prefecture and contains Heian-period wall paintings. Other buildings, including the Jogyo-do, bell tower and Goma-do, are Important Cultural Properties, and a new treasure hall opened in 2012. Allow about one and a half to two hours. The temple is open from 9:00 to 16:30 (gate closes at 17:00) every day. It is about 8 minutes by Kako Bus from JR Kakogawa Station, or about a 15-minute walk from Sanyo Electric Railway Onoe-no-Matsu Station. Himeji Castle and Akashi Castle can be added to the trip.
Last updated October 24, 2026