Shimizuyama Hakukaji Temple

This is a temple of the Omuro school of Shingon Buddhism, located on the mountainside of Mt. Hiyama. The principal image of the temple, a secret statue of the eleven-headed Kannon Bodhisattva, is an important cultural property of Hiroshima Prefecture, and is 134 cm tall. It is made of cypress inlaid with beautiful wood grain, and the careful carving of the hairline and intelligent and beautiful face are characteristic of the Kamakura period. The temple is opened to the public every 17 years. According to the legend, the principal image of the temple was enshrined at the current location and the temple was founded in 1059 (Kōhei 2). Even today, the main hall, built in the 18th century, conveys the atmosphere of an esoteric Buddhist temple. At the back of the temple grounds, there is a small waterfall that is said to have been mentioned in a waka poem (published in Volume 15 of the Manyoshu) by an envoy sent to Silla when he stopped here, and a stone monument commemorating the Manyoshu has also been erected.