Additional Information:
The temple was founded by Gyōgi on the orders of Emperor Shōmu. The honzon was also carved by Gyōgi. It was later rebuilt by Ryokuchō Ochi, the ruler of Iyo Province in the 8th century. Before Kōbō Daishi converted it to Shingon Buddhism, it belonged to the Hossōshū (Yogacara School of Buddhism).
Legend states that a rich and stingy man, named Emon Saburō, lived in Ebara village, Iyo Province. One day a henro came to his door begging for alms. Saburō refused and pushed him away. The next day he came again and Saburō again pushed him away, this time a little more forcefully. This continued in the same manner until the eighth day when Saburō completely lost his temper and threw the monk's begging bowl to the ground shattering it into eight pieces. The henro said nothing and simply walked away.
The next day one of Saburō's eight sons died for an unknown reason. Each day thereafter another of his sons died until by the eighth day he had lost all his sons. Realizing what he had done, Saburō repented of his stingy ways and made up his mind to repent for all the sins he had committee before and find the henro and beg his forgiveness.
Knowing that the henro was walking the pilgrimage, Saburō began walking around the island in the normal clockwise manner looking for him. Not finding him on his first trip around he began again. He walked the complete pilgrimage 20 times but had still not met with him so he decided to walk it in reverse order, hoping that this would allow their paths to cross. On this, his 21st pilgrimage, he met Kōbō Daishi at the base of the mountain leading to Temple 12. However, by this time he was completely worn out and was dying.
He begged forgiveness and repented of all his wrong-doings. Kōbō Daishi told him that his hard work on the henro trail and his repentance had washed away his sins and asked if he had any last wishes. Saburō told him that he hoped he would be reborn as the lord of Iyo Province so that he would have the power to do good. He swore that in his next life he would atone for all the wrong-doings he had done in this life.
Kōbō Daishi picked up a small stone, wrote something on it, and placed it in Saburō's hand, at which time he passed away quietly and at piece. Kōbō Daishi buried his body beside the trail and marked the grave by planting Saburō's staff in the ground. That staff eventually grew into a great cedar tree.
Later, in the early 17th century, the wife of Ikitoshi Kōno (the daimyō of Yuzuki castle) gave birth to a son but the child was never able to open his left hand, even after three years. At last the chief priest of Annyōji (the former name of Temple 51) was called and he succeeded in opening the hand through prayer. When the hand opened, they found a stone on which was written "Incarnation of Emon Saburō."
When this child became an adult he took over as the ruler of Yuzuki Castle and the temple was renamed Ishiteji.
Most of the temples in the complex were destroyed by Chōsokabe and his armies in the 16th century and later rebuilt. Of interest is the tiny stone that the baby boy held in his hand, a temple museum, and a memorial monument of haiku poems.
The temple is in the heart of the city and very near to Dōgō Onsen, which is worth a visit. The hondō is classified as a National Treasure.
