9.Koyasan Kozanji Temple

A temple of the sacred mountain Koyasan
relocated to faraway Usuki

　The history of Kozanji Temple begins with Kongobuji Temple, the head temple of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. When Hideyoshi Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked Kishu (present-day Wakayama and Mie Prefectures) in 1585 and the fighting approached Koyasan, temple founder Saint Ogo Mokujiki Ogo negotiated directly with Hideyoshi and protected the mountain. Later, Ogo built Seiganji and Kozanji Temples on Koyasan, but in the Meiji Era (1868-1912), the two temples merged and became known as Kongobuji Temple. At that time, the monk Genjo, who lamented the disappearance of the Kozanji name, relocated “Kozanji” to Usuki with the cooperation of the Inaba Clan. The quiet mountaintop location of the temple grounds attracts not only local visitors but also many researchers of Buddhist statues. This temple, where numerous Buddhist statues connected to Koyasan are enshrined, seems to be a place of prayer for the faithful as well as a place where one can learn about the essence of Buddhist culture. Many people attend the temple’s seasonal events, such as its Kaiun Goma prayer for good fortune in the new year, the Setsubun star festival, and the memorial service for Jizo, the guardian deity of children, in autumn. Local residents call it the “Koyasan of Usuki” with a sense of great fondness.