Buddhist temple
Dainichi-ji
大日寺(だいにちじ)
Kōnan, Kōchi Prefecture
Temple No. 28 of the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage, a temple of the Chizan school of Shingon Buddhism with the mountain name Hōkaizan and the cloister name Kōshōin. Its principal image is Dainichi Nyorai, the fundamental buddha of Shingon esoteric Buddhism, enshrined in the form of Kongōkai Dainichi Nyorai.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Prayers associated with this place
Principal image: Dainichi Nyorai (Kongōkai Dainichi Nyorai)
History and things to know
According to the temple's tradition, it is said to have been founded by Gyōki Bosatsu in the Tenpyō era, and in Kōnin 6 (815) Kōbō Daishi Kūkai, while traveling around Shikoku, is said to have revived it. In the Meiji period it was abandoned for a time because of the anti-Buddhist movement, but it was soon restored through the efforts of its parishioners and has kept the light of the Dharma burning to this day.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
There are temples of the same name in various places, so please confirm that this is Hōkaizan Kōshōin Dainichi-ji, Temple No. 28 (Bodaiji, Noichi-chō, Kōnan).
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 大日寺「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」(2026-10-21 確認)
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