Kanshinji Temple

Straddling the border of Osaka, Nara, and Wakayama prefectures, Kanshinji is said to have been founded in 701 by the ascetic En no Gyoja. In 815, the monk Kukai rebuilt it as a training center for Shingon Buddhism. Originally called 'Unshinji,' it was renamed 'Kanshinji' when Kukai carved a Nyoirin Kannon (Seven-Star Wish-Fulfilling Kannon) as its principal image during the rebuilding. This National Treasure statue is unveiled to the public only two days a year, April 17 and 18. Its wooded grounds hold the grave of Jitsue, a disciple of Kukai, the mausoleum of the 97th Emperor Go-Murakami, and the grave of the warrior Kusunoki Masashige. Known for plum, cherry, and autumn foliage, it's also the 25th site of the Kansai Flower Temple pilgrimage, a Shin-Saikoku pilgrimage site, and the 13th site of the Ancient Pagoda Temple pilgrimage.