Beyond the hole in the stone lantern, I caught a glimpse of worshippers paying their respects at the Daishi Hall

Girl running around in front of Gokoku-ji Temple — Woman praying at the Daishi Hall

Although the names are pronounced similarly, what is enshrined inside is completely different. In the Taishido, Prince Shotoku is enshrined. Prince Shotoku, who revered and protected Buddhism, is worshipped by all sects as the founder of the rise of Buddhism in Japan, and there are Buddhist temples called Taishido throughout Japan. Daishido, on the other hand, are dedicated to priests who have been given the title of "Daishi," which in the case of the Shingon sect means Kobo-Daishi.

Since Gokoku-ji Temple in Otsuka is a temple of the Shingon sect, Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon sect, should be enshrined in the Daishido-Hall, which stands casually beside the main building of Gokoku-ji Temple, which stands tall and stately. The reason I wrote "should" is because I am not sure. The official website says only that "the old Yakushido-Hall was renovated after 1926 and moved to its current location to become Daishido-Hall." It does not say whether Kobo Daishi is enshrined inside the hall or not, and there is only a sign saying "Daishido-Hall" in front of the hall.

A person with a high level of Buddhist literacy might be convinced that since it is a Daishido, Kobo Daishi could be the only person enshrined inside. However, people like me, who do not have a high level of Buddhist literacy, cannot be sure, so we want some kind of explanation. If you are a person like me, who is just a tourist, you might be more interested in and appreciate the temple if it has a written explanation rather than a visit to the temple.

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