Temple 68, Jinne-in
Jinne-in, The Temple of God’s Grace, is temple No. 68 on the Shikoku pilgrimage or Henro. Due to a peculiarity of history, it shares a compound with Temple 69, Kannon-ji at the foot of a hill called Mt. Kotohiki.
What to see
The main hall of Jinne-in is a modern structure built of concrete and wood in 2002. The temple office of Jinne-in and Kannon-ji are one and the same. The adjoining Gigi-en is a circular garden.
History
The origin of the temple is shrouded in legend, although it began as a Shintō shrine, Kotohiki Hachimangu. Both Gyōki and Kūkai are said to have visited and made additions. Later, when the pilgrimage was established, Kotohiki Hachimangu became Jinne-in Temple and over time it shared functions as worship site and temple office with Kannon-ji Temple. In the Meiji period, (1868 to 1912) with the separation of Shintō and Buddhism, Buddhist statues enshrined at Kotohiki Hachimangu Shrine were moved to a building called Saikon Hall at Kannon-ji Temple. This hall became Jinne-in Temple and was designated as the 68th pilgrimage temple.
Legends
When the priest Nisshō was practising asceticism on Mt. Kotohiki, he saw a boat on the sea with an old man playing the koto. When the man vanished, Nisshō realised he was Hachiman Daimyōjin. The priest enshrined the koto and the boat on the mountain and named the shrine Kotohiki Hachimangu.
Information
Name in Japanese: 神恵院
Pronunciation: jin-nei-een
Address: Yahatacho 1-2-7, Kanonji, Kagawa 768-0061
