Kawasaki Daishi (Heikenji Temple)

This famous temple is famous for warding off bad luck and is one of the three mountains of the Kanto region of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. The temple is especially crowded on the first three days of the New Year, when many people from all over Japan visit the temple for Hatsumode.

The official name of the temple is Kongozan Kinjoin Heikenjidera, and it is widely known throughout Japan as a temple to ward off bad luck. The main statue of Daishi was found under the sea.

In 1813, Tokugawa Ienari, the 11th shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, made an official visit to the temple. Since then, the temple has been widely worshipped by both the general public and the warrior class, and is visited by many people as a representative day-trip sacred site in the Kanto region.

Within the vast grounds of the temple, there is a large main hall, a fudo hall, an octagonal five-story pagoda, an automobile traffic safety prayer hall, a statue of a pilgrim master, the Shin Shikoku Sacred Ground sand steps, a large main hall, a hall for believers, a chushoin (middle drawing room), a bell tower, and other structures.

Specialties such as kyuju mochi (rice cakes), kirimame (cut candies), and dharma dolls are sold at the Nakamise in front of the gate.

In July, the Kawasaki Daishi Wind Bell Fair is held, where wind bells are gathered from all over the country to ring out their cool sounds.

Goma prayers for the fulfillment of various wishes of believers are held every day in the main hall of the temple.

History

Heikenji Temple is the head temple of the Chizan School of Shingon Buddhism and was founded in 1128. Its mountain name is Kongozan and its temple name is Kinjoin. It is commonly known as Kawasaki Daishi.

When Heikenji Kenjo cast a net into the sea, he pulled out a wooden statue of Kobo Daishi (Kukai). It is said that Heikenji Kenjo built a small hall to purify the statue and offer it as a memorial service.

Sonken Shonin, a priest of Koyasan, heard the story of the wooden statue and joined forces with Heikenji Kenjo to build Heikenji Temple in 1128.

In 1813, Ienari Tokugawa, the 11th Tokugawa Shogun, made an official visit to the temple to ward off bad luck, and since then, the temple has been widely worshipped by both the general public and the warrior class.

In the old days, the distance from Edo to Kawasaki Daishi was said to be 5 ri (about 19.6 km).

Therefore, the main approach to the shrine was lined with magnificent inns and restaurants, and souvenir stores and other stores were surrounded by these buildings. Clam nabe, a specialty of Kawasaki Daishi, made with clams and vegetables in a miso broth, was very popular.

It was not until the Meiji period (1887-1912) that the street, including Nakamise-dori, took its present form.

In 1899, the Daishi Electric Railway (today’s Keikyu Daishi Line) was opened to serve pilgrims to Heikenji Temple. Since the modern era, Kawasaki Daishi has been known as the birthplace of Hatsumode (New Year’s visit to the temple), which became a nationwide boom thanks to promotions by railroad companies and the media.

It is said that the town in front of the gate was also very crowded with visitors. However, most of the old townscape was lost during air raids during the war. However, after the war, efforts were made to develop Omotesando and Nakamise Dori as a whole, and the lively atmosphere of today was restored.

Every New Year’s Day, the area becomes extremely crowded, with a record 2.96 million visitors in 2012, making it the third most visited place for Hatsumode in Japan.

Once every 10 years, a grand opening of the temple is held, and visitors are given a special protective talisman called akafuda, which is hand-printed with the words “Namu amidabutsu” (meaning “Amitabha” in Japanese). The next one is scheduled to be held in 2024.

Kawasaki Daishi Nakamise Street

This is a traditional shopping street with stores lining both sides for about 200 meters from the main temple gate of Kawasaki Daishi Heikenji-ji.

More than 30 well-known stores and long-established stores sell their specialties such as Tontoko candy and Kyuju mochi (rice cakes) with energetic shouts.

The area is crowded with worshippers and tourists enjoying a meal after visiting the temple or buying souvenirs related to Kawasaki Daishi.

Sumiyoshi, located near the Daisenmon Gate, is a long-established store that sells Kuzumochi, a specialty of Kawasaki Daishi that brings good luck. With its chunky texture and delicate flavor, you can enjoy the taste of freshly made mochi in the Japanese modern café inside the store.

Next door, “Kadoya” specializes in “Kaiun Daruma” (lucky charms) with wishes such as “victory” and “good health.

The “Daishi-maki” from the long-established Domoto Seika, which has been in business since 1909, is a gem of a hand-rolled seaweed with the crispiness of a rice cracker, the crispiness of seaweed, the sweet and spicy taste of soy sauce sauce, and the light salty taste, all of which go well together.

At Matsuya Sohonten, founded in 1868, popular products include “Sekidome-ame”, a starch syrup with herb extract, which has been passed down from generation to generation, and “Sarashi-ame”, a soft cut glutinous rice candy.

At the entrance of the “Reputation Hall”, a candy cutting demonstration is held, and the sound of a knife cutting the candy is pleasantly echoing.

Other shopping streets are lined with specialties and lucky foods of Kawasaki Daishi, where visitors can relax, enjoy a delicious meal, and happily select souvenirs.

Halls and Temple Buildings

Dahondo: Completed in 1964, this hall is dedicated to Kobo-Daishi, a priest who protects people from bad luck. Inside the hall, there are statues of Daishi Child, Kannon, Fudo Myoo, Aizen Myoo, Mandala of the Vajrayana Realm, and Mandala of the Tathagata Realm, and during the day gomaku offerings are held to fulfill various wishes.

Daisanmon Gate: Completed in 1977 to commemorate the 850th anniversary of the founding of the temple. The upper level is a sutra repository where sutras copied at sutra reading sessions and dedicated sutras are stored.

Fudo Hall: Built in 1890, the hall was reconstructed in 1964. The main deity, Fudo Myoo, was commissioned by Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, and is the 7th of the 36 Fudo sacred sites in the Kanto region and the 1st temple of the Muso Fudo sacred sites.

Fudomon Gate: This gate was moved after the war by the 43rd Ryucho Wajo from Fukushima Prefecture, where he had a connection. After the current Daisanmon gate was built, it was used as Fudomon.

Yakushiden: Built in 1963, the Yakushiden was rebuilt in 1970 in an Indian-style hall. It enshrined Kobo Daishi, Fudo Myoo, and the sixteen benevolent deities of prajna protection, but was moved to a new prayer hall in 2006 and newly inaugurated as “Yakushiden”.

Chukkoto (octagonal five-story pagoda): Completed in 1984 to commemorate the 1,150th anniversary of Kobo-Daishi’s death and the grand opening of the temple. The octagonal shape of the pagoda allows visitors to view the interior on certain days.

Sutra Repository: Completed in 2004 to house 7,240 volumes of the Qianlong version of the Daizang Sutra, said to be the last wooden version of the Daizang Sutra in China.

Futoku Inari Hall: Located between the Main Hall and the Fudo Hall, this is the only hall that survived the Pacific War.

Shotoku Taishi Hall: This hall is dedicated to Shotoku Taishi.

Kiyotaki Gongen Hall: This hall enshrines Kiyotaki Gongen, who was invited from Daigoji Temple in Kyoto.

Kaneuro-do (bell tower hall): The temple bell is rung on New Year’s Eve and on certain days of the year.

Daihonbo: This hall functions as the temple office and is open to the general public.

Shinko Kaikan: This building is used for various purposes and has a lobby featuring stained glass windows and a fountain.

Chushoin: This building has a tea ceremony room and is used for congregational entertainment.

Kongokaku: This building is used as an application center for gomafuda during the New Year’s holiday.

Gomochi Shinaisho and Ogoma Reception Center: This is used to receive gomafuda, and is also used to receive and serve the congregation.

Seikouin: This area is off-limits to the general public.

Cemetery: This is a cemetery for parishioners and contains the graves of Kitanoko Toshimitsu and Kawasaki Hiroko.

Pilgrimage Daishi Statue: A standing statue of Kobo Daishi, surrounded by the Shin-Shikoku