Jakkō-in

Jakkō-in sits on the opposite side of Ōhara from the more famous Sanzen-in. It’s reached by a very pleasant walk through a quaint ‘old Japan’ village. It’s a relatively small temple that can’t compete with the beauty of its popular neighbour, but it does make an interesting end point to a fine walk in the country. The history of the temple is exceedingly tragic. The actual founding date of the temple is subject to some debate (it’s thought to be somewhere between the 6th and 11th centuries), but it acquired fame as the temple that harboured Kenrei Mon-in, a lady of the Taira clan. In 1185 the Taira were soundly defeated in a sea battle against the Minamoto clan at Dan-no-ura. With the entire Taira clan slaughtered or drowned, Kenrei Mon-in threw herself into the waves with her son Antoku, the infant emperor; she was fished out – the only member of the clan to survive. She was returned to Kyoto, where she became a nun and lived in a bare hut until it collapsed during an earthquake. Kenrei Mon-in was then accepted into Jakkō-in and stayed there, immersed in prayer and sorrowful memories, until her death 27 years later. Her tomb is located high on the hill behind the temple. The main building of this temple burned down in May 2000 and the newly reconstructed main hall lacks some of the charm of the original. Nonetheless, it is a nice spot. Jakkō-in is west of Ōhara. Walk out of the bus station up the road to the traffic lights, then follow the small road to the left. Since it’s easy to get lost on the way, we recommend familiarising yourself with the kanji for Jakkō-in and following the Japanese signs.