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Follow a well-maintained mountain trail to this sacred temple surrounded by natural beauty
Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Kurusonzan Shuzenji Temple is an old Shingon Buddhist temple famous as a sacred place founded by Kobo Daishi and restored by Zen Master Eisai. It is located on the middle slope of Mount Kuruson (616 m), regarded since ancient times as a holy mountain. Kuruson is a transliteration of Sanskrit and means "fulfill one's dearest wish."
Following the well-maintained mountain trail to the summit, it is about 750 m to the main hall (20 or 30 minutes on foot), and then about another 950 m from the main hall to the Okunoin, or inner sanctuary.
The principal image of this temple is the Eleven-Headed Kannon Bodhisattva. The statue is normally not on display, but is made available for worship to the general public once every 21 years.
The temple's forest, which covers 260 hectares, is densely packed with evergreen broad-leaved trees, creating a mystical atmosphere. Among these is the giant cedar tree Ipponsugi (Lone Cedar) standing beside the main hall, which has existed since the Heian period (794–1185), with a diameter at breast height of 3.2 m and a height of over 50 m.
Standing in a certain corner of the Soshido hall next to the main hall, one can view this cedar and the sacred Kannon Rock formation at the same time to gain a sense of how the entire mountain is a spiritual place.
How to get there
From Hakata Station, take the Sanyo Shinkansen to Kokura Station (about 15 minutes). From there, take the JR Kagoshima Main Line train to Shimonoseki Station (about 15 minutes), then drive about 1 hour.
2643 Mukurouji, Toyota-cho, Shimonoseki-shi, Yamaguchi-ken
