Zentsuji, the 75th temple of the Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage and birthplace of the monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi), holds its most sacred annual observance on June 15 to commemorate Kobo Daishi's birthday. Priests in full Shingon esoteric Buddhist vestments perform the goma fire ritual beneath the temple's iconic five-storey pagoda, while white-clad henro pilgrims gather from across the island. The evening procession by torchlight through the corridor of enormous camphor trees—some over 1,000 years old—is a profoundly atmospheric highlight. Chanting sutras resonate through the ancient precinct as incense smoke rises into the canopy.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Temple/Shrine
- Season
- Spring
- Month
- June 15
- Region
- Shikoku
- Prefecture
- Kagawa
- City
- Zentsuji
Highlights
- ◆Goma fire ritual by Shingon Buddhist priests
- ◆Torchlit procession under 1,000-year-old camphor trees
- ◆Kobo Daishi birthday commemoration ceremony
- ◆White-clad henro pilgrims from across Shikoku gather
- ◆Five-storey pagoda as dramatic backdrop