Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage
The Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage (西国三十三所, Saigoku Sanjūsan-sho) is a pilgrimage of thirty-three Buddhist temples throughout the Kansai region of Japan, similar to the Shikoku Pilgrimage. In addition to the official thirty-three temples, there are an additional three known as bangai (番外). The principal image in each temple is Kannon, known to Westerners as the Bodhisattva of Compassion (or sometimes mistranslated as 'Goddess of Mercy') ; however, there is some variation among the images and the powers they possess.
It is traditional for pilgrims to wear white clothing and conical straw hats and to carry walking sticks. While the route was historically traveled by foot, today pilgrims usually use cars or trains. Pilgrims record their progress with a prayer book (納経帖, Nōkyō-chō), which the temple staff mark with red stamps and Japanese calligraphy indicating the temple number, the temple name, and the specific name of the Kannon image. Some pilgrims receive the stamps and calligraphy on wall scrolls (for a decorative hanging) and on their white coats (to be cremated in) as well.
The goeika songs of the 33 temples are widely known and frequently grouped together.
Temples
| No. | Temple | Honzon (main image) | City/Ward/Town | Prefecture | Image | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seiganto-ji | Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra) |
Nachikatsuura | Wakayama |  |
33°40′9.15″N 135°53′23.31″E |
| 2 | Ki-mii-dera | Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha) |
Wakayama | Wakayama |  |
34.185167°N 135.190025°E |
| 3 | Kokawa-dera | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra) |
Kinokawa | Wakayama |  |
34.280961°N 135.405908°E |
| 4 | Sefuku-ji | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra) |
Izumi | Osaka |  |
34.392908°N 135.511578°E |
| 5 | Fujii-dera | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra) |
Fujiidera | Osaka |  |
34.570186°N 135.596556°E |
| 6 | Minamihokke-ji (Tsubosaka-dera) | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra) |
Takatori | Nara |  |
34.426417°N 135.809861°E |
| 7 | Oka-dera | Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra) |
Asuka | Nara |  |
34.471789°N 135.828372°E |
| Bangai | Hōki-in | Sakurai | Nara |  |
34.532819°N 135.909858°E | |
| 8 | Hase-dera | Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha) |
Sakurai | Nara |  |
34.535894°N 135.906825°E |
| 9 | Nan'endō (Kofuku-ji) | Fukūkenjaku Kannon (Amoghapāśa) |
Nara | Nara |  |
34.6825°N 135.830278°E |
| 10 | Mimuroto-ji | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja) | Uji | Kyoto |  |
34.900478°N 135.819194°E |
| 11 | Kami Daigo-ji | Juntei Kannon (Cundi) | Fushimi-ku, Kyoto | Kyoto |  |
34.950992°N 135.819586°E |
| 12 | Shōhō-ji (Iwama-dera) | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja) | Otsu | Shiga |  |
34.933°N 135.878389°E |
| 13 | Ishiyama-dera | Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra) |
Otsu | Shiga |  |
34.960419°N 135.905625°E |
| 14 | Mii-dera | Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra) |
Otsu | Shiga |  |
35.013358°N 135.85285°E |
| Bangai | Gankei-ji | Kyoto | Kyoto |  |
34.988639°N 135.801167°E | |
| 15 | Imakumano Kannon-ji | Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha) |
Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto | Kyoto | _hondo.jpg.webp) |
34.979706°N 135.780842°E |
| 16 | Kiyomizu-dera | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra) |
Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto | Kyoto |  |
34.994831°N 135.785003°E |
| 17 | Rokuharamitsu-ji | Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha) |
Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto | Kyoto |  |
34.997103°N 135.773308°E |
| 18 | Chōhō-ji (Rokkaku-dō) | Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra) |
Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto | Kyoto |  |
35.007222°N 135.760278°E |
| 19 | Gyōgan-ji (Kōdō) | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja) | Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto | Kyoto |  |
35.0163°N 135.767761°E |
| 20 | Yoshimine-dera | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja) | Nishikyo-ku | Kyoto |  |
34.938167°N 135.644194°E |
| 21 | Anao-ji | Shō Kannon (Aryavalokitesvara) |
Kameoka | Kyoto |  |
35.006675°N 135.549192°E |
| 22 | Sōji-ji | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja) | Ibaraki | Osaka |  |
34.829103°N 135.581569°E |
| 23 | Katsuō-ji | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja) | Minoh | Osaka |  |
34.865833°N 135.491111°E |
| 24 | Nakayama-dera | Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha) |
Takarazuka | Hyōgo |  |
34.821667°N 135.367667°E |
| Bangai | Bodai-ji | Sanda | Hyōgo |  |
34.940389°N 135.2405°E | |
| 25 | Kiyomizu-dera | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja) | Katō | Hyōgo |  |
34.972494°N 135.081822°E |
| 26 | Ichijō-ji | Shō Kannon (Aryavalokitesvara) |
Kasai | Hyōgo |  |
34.859308°N 134.819025°E |
| 27 | Engyō-ji | Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra) |
Himeji | Hyōgo |  |
34.891139°N 134.658139°E |
| 28 | Nariai-ji | Shō Kannon (Aryavalokitesvara) |
Miyazu | Kyoto |  |
35.595439°N 135.187372°E |
| 29 | Matsunoo-dera | Batō Kannon (Hayagrīva) | Maizuru | Kyoto |  |
35.497428°N 135.469375°E |
| 30 | Hōgon-ji | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra) |
Nagahama | Shiga |  |
35.421122°N 136.143225°E |
| 31 | Chōmei-ji | Senju Kannon Jūichimen Kannon Shō Kannon |
Ōmihachiman | Shiga |  |
35.162683°N 136.064003°E |
| 32 | Kannonshō-ji | Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra) |
Ōmihachiman | Shiga |  |
35.144667°N 136.161028°E |
| 33 | Kegon-ji | Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha) |
Ibigawa | Gifu |  |
35.537372°N 136.607897°E |
See also
- Japan 100 Kannon, pilgrimage composed of the Saigoku, Bandō and Chichibu pilgrimages.
- Bandō 33 Kannon, pilgrimage in the Kantō region.
- Chichibu 34 Kannon, pilgrimage in Saitama Prefecture.
- Shikoku Pilgrimage, 88 Temple pilgrimage in the Shikoku island.
- Chūgoku 33 Kannon, pilgrimage in the Chūgoku region.
- Kannon
- Buddhism in Japan
- Tourism in Japan
- For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the Glossary of Japanese Buddhism.
