Okubo-ji Temple

Okubo-ji is a Shingon-affiliated temple in Tawa, Sanuki City, Kagawa Prefecture, and the 88th and final temple of the Shikoku Eighty-eight Temple pilgrimage. Its principal image is Yakushi Nyorai, and it sits in the mountains near the border with Tokushima.

According to temple tradition, the priest Gyoki built a hermitage here in the Yoro era (717-724). Kukai is said to have practiced in the cave of the inner shrine after returning from Tang China and enshrined a life-size Yakushi statue in the hollow of the valley, which gave the temple its name.

The wooden Yakushi statue is a Kagawa Prefecture Cultural Property. The pilgrim trail leading here was designated the national historic site Sanuki Henro Michi in 2021, and the grounds were added in September 2025. Pilgrims who complete the circuit offer their walking staffs at the Hojo-do hall.

The trail to the inner shrine on Mt. Nyotai starts from the grounds, so wear sturdy shoes. Parking is free, and there is no temple lodging.