Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temple name | 94% | Bottom-left red square seal reads 「南蔵院末 役行者 神変寺」 (Nanzō-in matsu / sub-temple — En no Gyōja — Jinpen-ji). 神変 (Jinpen / Jinben) is the posthumous Buddhist title of En no Gyōja (役行者), the founder of Shugendō, granted to him by Emperor Kōkaku 1100 years after his death. Jinpen-ji is therefore "Temple of En no Gyōja". |
| Pilgrimage number (Sasaguri #60) | 97% | Top-right red rectangular seal reads 「篠粟 四國第六十番」 — Sasaguri Shikoku #60. |
| Honzon (Dainichi Nyorai) | 97% | Center calligraphy clearly reads 本尊 大日如来 (Honzon Dainichi Nyorai) with the central Bonji アーンク (āṃ / vaṃ) — the seed-syllable for Dainichi Nyorai (Mahāvairocana) in Shingon esoteric tradition — surrounded by the flame-and-lotus mandorla. |
| Date | 70% | Date is not directly stamped on this goshuin (no visible Reiwa column). However trip context (between Nanzō-in 23 March 2025 and Hiroshima 24 March 2025) strongly indicates 23 March 2025. The goshuin appears to be a pre-printed (書置き) sheet without date entry. |
Identification
- Name (Japanese): 神変寺
- Name (Romanized): Jinpen-ji (also Jinben-ji)
- Type: Buddhist temple — sub-temple (末寺) of 南蔵院 (Nanzō-in)
- Pilgrimage: Sasaguri Shikoku 88 #60
- Honzon (principal image): 大日如来 (Dainichi Nyorai / Mahāvairocana)
- Dedicated to: 役行者 (En no Gyōja / En no Ozunu, late 7th–early 8th century), founder of Shugendō
- Location: Sasaguri-machi, Kasuga District, Fukuoka Prefecture (within the Sasaguri pilgrimage route, near Nanzō-in)
- Date received: ~23 March 2025 (inferred from trip context — same day as Nanzō-in)
Reading the goshuin
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 篠粟 四國第六十番 | Sasaguri Shikoku #60 | Top right, red rectangular seal |
| 本尊 | Honzon — "Principal image" | Top center, brush |
| アーンク (Bonji) | Āṃ — Sanskrit seed syllable for Dainichi Nyorai | Center, large red Bonji within mandorla |
| 大日如来 | Dainichi Nyorai — Mahāvairocana | Center, large brush over the Bonji |
| 南蔵院末 役行者 神変寺 (red square) | Nanzō-in sub-temple — En no Gyōja — Jinpen-ji | Bottom-left, red square seal |
About En no Gyōja and the temple
役行者 (En no Gyōja), also known as 役小角 (En no Ozunu), was a legendary 7th–8th century mountain ascetic and the founder of 修験道 (Shugendō) — a syncretic Japanese mountain-religion tradition combining Shinto, esoteric Buddhism, Daoism, and folk asceticism. He is said to have practiced on Mt. Katsuragi in Yamato Province (modern Nara/Osaka), opened sacred mountains including Yoshino's Kinpusen and Ōmine, and was eventually exiled to Izu in 699 CE for purportedly using sorcery.
Some 1,100 years after his death, Emperor Kōkaku posthumously granted En no Gyōja the title 神変大菩薩 (Jinpen Daibosatsu / "Divinely-Transforming Great Bodhisattva") in 1799. The temple is named after this title.
Jinpen-ji functions as a small Shugendō-tradition way-station along the Sasaguri pilgrimage, accessible to walkers completing the 88-temple circuit. The 大日如来 honzon (which is also the central deity of Shingon esoteric Buddhism) reflects the temple's Shingon affiliation under Nanzō-in's umbrella, while the En no Gyōja focus reflects Shugendō's mountain-ascetic dimension.
What it's known for / the blessing
- 修験道 / 行者信仰 — Shugendō practice and devotion to En no Gyōja
- 山岳修行 (sangaku shugyō) — mountain ascetic training (figuratively, perseverance through hardship)
- 無病息災 (mubyō sokusai) — protection from disease and disasters
- Pilgrimage credit — Sasaguri #60 stamp toward completing the full 88-temple circuit
About the goshuin design
The Bonji アーンク (āṃ / vaṃ) at the center is the seed-syllable of Dainichi Nyorai in Shingon iconography — represented as a Sanskrit/Siddham letter inside a flame-and-lotus mandorla, identifying the temple's honzon at a glance even without reading the calligraphy. The pre-printed nature of the goshuin (書置き / kakioki) is common at smaller pilgrimage sub-temples that may not always be staffed.
Sources
- Sasaguri 88 official: https://sasaguri88.la.coocan.jp/
- Sasaguri Shikoku 88 Wikipedia: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/篠栗四国八十八箇所
- En no Gyōja background: https://note.com/chikako_minimini/n/ned395e41ad92
- Dainichi Nyorai (Mahāvairocana) Pixiv encyclopedia: https://dic.pixiv.net/a/大日如来
- Nanzō-in main site (parent temple): https://nanzoin.net/
- En no Gyōja Pixiv: https://dic.pixiv.net/a/役行者