The eighty-fourth temple is Yashima-ji (屋島寺), set high on the Yashima plateau above Takamatsu, enshrining an Eleven-Headed Thousand-Armed Kannon.
It lies about 5.4 km from the eighty-fifth temple, on the site of a famous battle of old.
The entrance to Yashima-ji is marked by its distinctive red-painted gate.
The vivid colour stands out boldly against the green of the plateau.
Pass through the gate and the temple grounds open out, broad and serene, with a soothing calm.
It is hard to picture that this peaceful plateau was once a battlefield.
Going further, another gate appears, this one of an old-fashioned, traditional design.
The change in style marks your passage deeper into the temple.
This is the main hall, where the Eleven-Headed Thousand-Armed Kannon is enshrined; the image is an Important Cultural Property.
Here on Yashima the Genji and Heike once clashed, in the battle remembered for Nasu no Yoichi’s famous arrow.
Next is the Daishi-dō. There I recited the Heart Sutra and prayed for the safety of my family and for peace in the world.
To pray on so storied a height felt quietly stirring.
There is also a rather unusual torii here, with figures to left and right that look like foxes or badgers.
They belong to the Hage-tanuki, the shape-shifting badger revered as the temple’s guardian.
Yashima-ji stands at about 292 metres, so the walk up can be hard going; for those who find it difficult, there is also a bus.
However you arrive, the views from the plateau reward the climb.
NFT – Crypto Ohenro #05 Goshuin of Yashima-ji（屋島寺） –
This is the goshuin of the eighty-fourth temple, Yashima-ji, somewhat rough in its swift, scribbled style.
Eighty-three temples still remained on my journey, the old battlefield of Yashima spread out below.
The distance to the next temple was about 13.6 km, a fair walk on across the plateau.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the honzon (principal image) of Yashima-ji (Temple 84)?
The honzon (principal image) of Yashima-ji（屋島寺）, Temple 84 of the Shikoku 88 pilgrimage, is Jūichimen Senju Kanzeon Bosatsu（十一面千手観世音菩薩）. It is enshrined in the temple's main hall (hondō), where pilgrims offer incense, recite the Heart Sutra, and receive the temple's goshuin (hand-brushed seal).
Where is Yashima-ji located?
Yashima-ji stands in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, in the old province of Sanuki, on the island of Shikoku, Japan. It is the eighty-fourth of the eighty-eight temples of the Shikoku Henro, the circular Buddhist pilgrimage walked in the path of Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai).
Which Buddhist sect does Yashima-ji belong to?
Yashima-ji belongs to the Shingon Buddhism (Omuro school). Its mountain name (sangō), the traditional honorific title by which the temple is also known, is Nanmenzan Senkō-in（南面山 千光院）.
When was Yashima-ji founded?
Yashima-ji was founded by Ganjin in 754; later converted by Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai). Its history is closely tied to the early growth of the Shikoku pilgrimage.
Which temple comes after Yashima-ji, and how far is it?
The next temple on the route is Temple 85, Yakuri-ji (about 5.4 km). Walking in numerical order, pilgrims continue from Yashima-ji to keep visiting each of the 88 temples and collecting their goshuin.
📖 See the full list of all 88 Shikoku temples →
Can’t make the pilgrimage yourself?Ohenro Gift can walk the 88 temples on your behalf (daisan) and deliver the completed nokyocho.