Sect: Daigo School of Shingon Buddhism
Principal Deity: Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha)
Founded: Around 650
Goeika (Sacred Chant): “There is light, even in the darkest heart. Visiting the boundless temple at Asakura, One finds illumination.“
Emanation Form: Ruri Kannon
Ruri Kannon is depicted standing on a lotus petal floating on the water while holding a “ruri” vessel—an incense burner in a deep blue hue with a reddish tint. It is said that chanting the name of Ruri Kannon can lead one to safety from water-related dangers, guided by a mysterious firelight. For this reason, Ruri Kannon is widely revered as a guardian deity for disaster prevention and warding off misfortune.
○ History & Origins
Around the year 650, when Emperor Saimei visited Iyo Province, a monk named Muryo Shonin, who accompanied the imperial entourage, founded Kurumanji in Asaji (a location about a five-minute drive southwest of the current site). The principal deity, Amida Nyorai, is said to have been crafted by Prince Shotoku.
The second head priest of this temple, Yuryo Shonin, was the son of Kono Gyokuoki, a feudal lord of Iyo. Due to this connection, the temple became the Kono family’s prayer temple. Later, during the Tensho era (around 1580), another head priest, Yujitsu Shonin, moved the temple to its current location under the patronage of Takeda Nobukatsu, the lord of Ryumonzan Castle (approximately a 15-minute drive south of the temple).
In 1582, when Ryumonzan Castle fell and Nobukatsu was killed in battle, Yujitsu Shonin secretly sheltered Nobukatsu’s 16-year-old son, Tomiwakamaru, at the temple and raised him for about ten years. Eventually, Tomiwakamaru became a Daishoya, a high-ranking village official during the Edo period. Records of successive village officials, known as the Muryoji Documents or Takeda Family Documents, are still preserved at the temple today.
○ Message from the head priest
Open your heart to everything—Kannon, the people you meet along the way, the trees and flowers, the insects and the earth, the sun and the clouds, the sounds and scents, your own body and breath, your warmth and sensations. Let yourself be fully present as you visit the temple.
○ Access
Address: 776-3 Asakura Kamiko, Imabari, Ehime, 799-1607, Japan
Phone Number: 0898-56-2156
Large Buses: Not permitted (see map for details)
Microbuses: Partially permitted
Official Website