ABOUT
About this spot
Kanshin-ji is an old temple in Teramoto, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture. Temple tradition says it was founded in 701 by En no Ozunu and was first called Unshin-ji. It is known for its National Treasure main hall and its principal image, the seated Nyoirin Kannon, and is also famous as a temple connected with the warrior Kusunoki Masashige of the Nanbokucho period. According to tradition, Kobo Daishi (Kukai) invoked the Big Dipper here in 808, and the seven star mounds in the grounds are said to form a three-dimensional mandala of the seven stars and Nyoirin Kannon. Jitsue is regarded as the real founder, and construction is said to have begun around 827. The temple was protected by the Hatakeyama clan in the Muromachi period, lost its lands to Oda Nobunaga in the Sengoku period, and later received a donation from Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The anti-Buddhist movement of the Meiji era greatly reduced the number of sub-temples; Makimotoin and Chuin remain today. In 2019 it was designated a component of a Japan Heritage story. The main hall (National Treasure) was built in the Shohei era of the Nanbokucho period and is said to be the oldest National Treasure main hall in Osaka Prefecture. It is a leading example of the eclectic style that mixes Japanese and Zen-style architecture. The seated wooden Nyoirin Kannon (National Treasure) is a six-armed esoteric statue from the early Heian period. It is a hidden image shown only on April 17 and 18 each year. The Kanshin-ji engi shizaicho is also a National Treasure, and the unfinished pagoda, the Karitei-mo-do hall, the Onshi lecture hall and the study are Important Cultural Properties. The temple was the family temple of the Kusunoki clan, and Masashige is said to have supervised construction of the main hall's outer area on the emperor's order. His head mound is in the grounds. The plum garden has about 300 trees, and the temple is known for plum, cherry and autumn colors. Hours are about 9:00-17:00, with admission of 300 yen for adults and 100 yen for children, and 700 yen on the two days the main image is shown. Allow about an hour. Chihaya Castle (about 5.5 km away) is another site linked to Kusunoki Masashige.
Last updated October 24, 2026