Motoyama-ji Temple

Overview

Motoyama-ji Temple (本山寺, もとやまじ) is a Shingon Buddhist temple of the Kōyasan sect, located in Mitoyo, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. It sits at coordinates 34.1396667, 133.6940556. The temple is Temple No. 70 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, the 88-temple circuit that winds through the island of Shikoku. On the pilgrimage route, it follows Kan'on-ji Temple and is followed by Iyadani-ji Temple.

The temple was established in 807, during the Heian period (794–1185), in the second year of the Daidō era (大同). Its principal image is Hayagriva, a horse-headed manifestation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, venerated in Shingon practice as a protector against calamities and obstacles.

History

Motoyama-ji was founded by imperial order. In 807, Emperor Heizei commanded the temple's establishment, placing it within the network of state-sponsored Buddhist institutions that dotted the countryside during the early Heian period. The temple's foundation came at a moment when the imperial court was actively promoting esoteric Buddhism, and Shingon's founder Kūkai was still alive and active in the region.

The temple's early centuries are not recorded in surviving detail, but the structure that now stands as its Main Hall dates from 1300. That year marks a major reconstruction, one of several the temple has undergone since its founding. The Main Hall built in 1300 has survived into the present day and is designated a National Treasure of Japan.

As Temple No. 70, Motoyama-ji has long served as a waypoint for pilgrims walking the Shikoku circuit. Its position in the pilgrimage sequence places it in the latter third of the route, in the western part of Kagawa Prefecture, where the landscape shifts from coastal plains toward the mountains of the interior.

What Stands There Today

The central structure at Motoyama-ji is its Main Hall, a National Treasure dating from 1300. The hall is a rare surviving example of Kamakura-period temple architecture in the region, built in a style consistent with the Shingon tradition of the time. It houses the temple's principal image, Hayagriva, which remains the focus of devotional practice.

Beyond the Main Hall, the temple grounds include the standard complement of a Shingon temple: a bell tower, a pagoda or its foundation, and subsidiary halls for specific rites. The temple is set against a hillside, with the approach path lined by mature trees, a setting typical of the Shikoku pilgrimage temples that were deliberately placed in natural surroundings to aid meditation.

The temple is an active place of worship. Pilgrims arrive throughout the year, dressed in the white robes of the henro (遍路, へんろ, "pilgrim"), and receive the temple's stamp and calligraphy in their pilgrimage notebooks. The temple also serves the local community in Mitoyo, hosting seasonal rites and memorial services.

The Name in Japanese

The temple's full name is Shippōzan Motoyama-ji (七宝山 本山寺). The formal name pairs a mountain prefix, Shippōzan, with the temple name proper, Motoyama-ji.

The temple name proper is written 本山寺 and read もとやまじ (Motoyama-ji). Breaking it down character by character:

• 本 (もと, moto) — "origin," "base," or "root." This character carries the sense of something fundamental or primary. In temple names it often appears as a marker of a main or original site.
• 山 (やま, yama) — "mountain." In Buddhist temple naming, 山 is almost always the second character of a temple's formal name, reflecting the tradition of naming temples after their mountain setting. Here it is read やま, the standard kun'yomi.
• 寺 (じ, ji) — "temple." This is the standard suffix for Buddhist temples in Japanese. It is read じ here, a voiced form of the on'yomi し (shi), which occurs when the character follows another character in a compound.

The mountain prefix 七宝山 (Shippōzan) reads as "Seven Treasures Mountain." 七 (しち, shichi) means "seven," 宝 (ほう, hō) means "treasure," and 山 (ざん, zan) is the Sino-Japanese reading of "mountain," used in this position. The "Seven Treasures" is a Buddhist concept referring to precious materials — gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, agate, ruby, and carnelian — that appear in sutra descriptions of pure lands.

The kana reading for the full name is しっぽうざん もとやまじ (Shippōzan Motoyama-ji). In romaji, the temple is commonly written Motoyama-ji, with the hyphen separating the name from the temple suffix.

Visiting and Context

Motoyama-ji is located in Mitoyo, a city in the western part of Kagawa Prefecture on Shikoku. The temple sits inland from the Seto Inland Sea coast, in an area known for its rolling hills and agricultural land. Pilgrims typically reach the temple by bus from nearby train stations, or by car, as the pilgrimage route in this section of Kagawa is less densely served by public transport than the urban stretches.

The temple is open to visitors year-round. Pilgrims and tourists alike can receive the temple's red stamp (御朱印, ごしゅいん, goshuin) at the reception desk, and the temple staff are accustomed to foreign visitors. The Main Hall is the primary point of interest; visitors are asked to remove shoes before entering and to observe the prohibition on photography inside the hall.

For those walking the Shikoku Pilgrimage, Motoyama-ji comes after the long approach from Kan'on-ji Temple, Temple No. 69, and before the climb toward Iyadani-ji Temple, No. 71. The section between Nos. 70 and 71 is one of the more demanding stretches of the circuit, with a significant elevation gain. Many pilgrims choose to stay overnight in the area around Motoyama-ji before attempting the next leg.

The temple's position in the pilgrimage sequence is meaningful. At No. 70, the pilgrim has completed more than three-quarters of the circuit. Motoyama-ji, with its ancient Main Hall and quiet hillside setting, offers a moment of reflection before the final push through the remaining eighteen temples.