Hashikuraji: 15th Bekkaku Temple

The name, “Hashikuraji” has in it, “hashi”, or chopsticks, an every day unifying ubiquitous tool of daily life for all Japanese. In 828 Konpira Daigongen revealed himself to the priest Kukai and promised to save all who use chopsticks, a pledge of salvation for all.
High above the world of daily life, Hashikuraji maintains its rituals and traditions. Twice a year, on the 12th day of both April and November to celebrate the temple’s interconnection with Konpira, a lavish memorial service called "Mahaparinirvana Tendai” is held. In it, 600 scrolls of the Mahaparinirvana Paramita Sutra are read out, and the prayers of believers are heard.
Hashikuraji is a guardian deity of Konpira, created with the desire to save all people, to grant them happiness, and is designated as a National Tangible Cultural Property.
A brief ropeway journey to the base of the temple, and several hundred steps beyond, will bring you to the temple grounds. The temple buildings are ornate, its wooden eaves crafted exquisitely, and quiet stone and trees provide a frame for a truly inspiring experience. Hashikuraji is one of the rare remaining places where visitors can see Shinto and Buddhist traditions yet linked together.