The eleventh temple is Fujii-dera (藤井寺), dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai and known for the wisteria from which it takes its name.
It lies about 12.9 km from the twelfth temple — the start of the notorious henro-korogashi, the steep mountain climb that many pilgrims remember as their first real test.
This is the entrance to Fujii-dera. The gate is very small, but it has a genuinely lovely atmosphere about it.
Unusually for the route, Fujii-dera is today a Rinzai Zen temple, and something of that quieter, pared-back spirit seems to hang about the place.
This is the main hall, where Yakushi Nyorai is enshrined; the image is an Important Cultural Property, popularly revered as a Yakushi who wards off misfortune.
A statue of Kōbō Daishi stands beside the main hall, and it is said that he planted five colours of wisteria here after praying for an end to an epidemic.
This is the Daishi-dō. After chanting the sutra day upon day, the words come without needing to look at the text, and here I was able to pray in a calm, almost meditative state of gratitude.
It felt like a fitting place to gather myself before the hard climb that lay ahead.
NFT – Crypto Ohenro #78 Goshuin of Fujii-dera（藤井寺） –
This is the goshuin of the eleventh temple, Fujii-dera, the last calm seal before the mountain climb.
Ten temples were left to go, and I gathered myself for the hard ascent ahead.
The distance to the next temple was about 9.8 km — the long, steep henro-korogashi waiting just beyond the gate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the honzon (principal image) of Fujii-dera (Temple 11)?
The honzon (principal image) of Fujii-dera（藤井寺）, Temple 11 of the Shikoku 88 pilgrimage, is Yakushi Nyorai（薬師如来）. 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 Fujii-dera located?
Fujii-dera stands in Yoshinogawa, Tokushima Prefecture, in the old province of Awa, on the island of Shikoku, Japan. It is the eleventh 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 Fujii-dera belong to?
Fujii-dera belongs to the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism (Myōshin-ji line). Its mountain name (sangō), the traditional honorific title by which the temple is also known, is Kongōzan Ichijō-in（金剛山 一乗院）.
When was Fujii-dera founded?
Fujii-dera was founded by Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai); revived as a Rinzai Zen temple in 1674. Its history is closely tied to the early growth of the Shikoku pilgrimage.
Which temple comes after Fujii-dera, and how far is it?
The next temple on the route is Temple 12, Shōsan-ji (about 12.9 km). Walking in numerical order, pilgrims continue from Fujii-dera 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.