Chikurinji

Chikurinji (竹林寺) is the 31st temple of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. It is located in Kochi Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan. It was built in 724. Its deity is Monju Bosatsu, or Manjushri – a bodhisattva associated with wisdom. The temple is therefore quite popular with students, who come here before exams to pray for academic success.

Chikurinji is home to a few historically and culturally significant buildings. Its main hall and reception hall are both recognized as Important Cultural Property and Prefectural Cultural Property, respectively. Painted in hard-to-miss bright red colors, the five-story pagoda stands out at the center. Chikurinji translates to “bamboo forest temple”, named after a mountain in China by Buddhist priests. However, you will find that maple trees outnumber the bamboo by quite a bit here. The gold and crimson colors of the maple trees shine brightly during Autumn.

The temple has a garden preserved in its 14th-century Edo-period style. The garden is registered as a National Place of Scenic Beauty. Visitors can pay a small fee to stroll around the Chinese-influenced garden surrounded by the library. There is another area called Meguri no Mori, where you will find ponds with a stained-glass dome.