Senju-ji Temple

About

Senju-ji was founded about 1,300 years ago, when En no Gyoja — the legendary founder of Shugendo — was guided to this spot on Mt. Ikoma by a mysterious light, where the Thousand-Armed Kannon is said to have appeared before him and asked that a temple be built here.

In the Heian period, the great master Kobo Daishi (Kukai) lodged at Senju-ji and carved an image of the Thousand-Armed Kannon from sacred incense wood. Later, the temple halls were lost to fire during the Koretaka rebellion; by legend, the Kannon statue leapt into a nearby pond to escape the flames. When the poet Ariwara no Narihira came to this land, the pond shone with light and the statue reappeared — and he restored the temple. From this legend the temple came to be called “Hikaridou,” the Hall of Light.

The principal image — a 42-armed standing Thousand-Armed Kannon attributed to the Kei school — is designated an Osaka Prefectural Cultural Property. Senju-ji is the 10th sacred site of the Kawachi Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage and a fudasho of the En no Gyoja Reiseki pilgrimage.

Seasonal Flowers

The precincts are known for their seasonal flowers. Plum and cherry blossoms in spring, and camellias in winter, color the grounds throughout the year and are one of the quiet highlights of a visit.

Goshuin (Temple Seal)

Goshuin — the temple’s hand-brushed seal — are available to pilgrims and visitors, including designs for the Kawachi Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage and the En no Gyoja Reiseki pilgrimage.