白峯寺について

Shiromine Daigongen, who is enshrined as the guardian deity of Shiromineji Temple, is one of Japan’s Eight Great Tengu (mystical beings with spiritual powers). Of the 48 tengu found throughout Japan, he is known for his exceptional supernatural abilities. Revered since ancient times as a god of household safety, prosperity in business and, especially, good fortune, many athletes visit the temple to pray for success and improvement of their abilities.
Stories of the kind-hearted tengu, such as the one involving the young boy and tofu, continue to be passed down to this day.

Emperor Sutoku, the 75th Emperor of Japan, fought against Emperor Go-Shirakawa, the 77th Emperor, during the Hogen Rebellion. Following his defeat, he was exiled to Sanuki Province (present day Kagawa Prefecture) where he lived for nine years until his death. His body was cremated near the summit of Mt. Chigogadake where his tomb was built.
While historical texts like Hogen Monogatari and Ugetsu Monogatari depict Emperor Sutoku as a fearsome figure, Imakagami describes how his life was so sad and lonely that his health worsened with each passing year, but there is no mention of him feeling anger or resentment towards the people who exiled him. Although the poems he composed while in exile show his misery, there is no sign of him bearing a grudge.
In later times, a legend arose around Emperor Sutoku as the guardian deity of Shikoku. According to the legend, when Emperor Tsuchimikado, the great-grandson of Emperor Go-Shirakawa, was exiled to Tosa Province after the Jokyu Rebellion, he passed close by Emperor Sutoku’s tomb and played the biwa (traditional Japanese lute) to console Sutoku’s spirit. That night, Emperor Sutoku is said to have appeared in Tsuchimikado’s dream, promising to protect him and his family, whom he had left behind in the capital. Tsuchimikado’s son, Emperor Go-Saga, later ascended the throne with the support of the Kamakura shogunate. In addition, Hosokawa Yoriyuki, the shogun’s deputy in the Muromachi shogunate, also honoured Emperor Sutoku’s spirit before embarking on the successful pacification of Shikoku. Since then, Sutoku has been revered as the guardian deity of successive generations of the Hosokawa clan and is held in great respect in this region.
During his reign, Emperor Sutoku frequently hosted poetry gatherings, and after his abdication, he immersed himself in the world of waka (classical Japanese poetry), creating the Kyuan Hyakushu (hundred poem sequence) and compiling the Shika Wakashu (imperial anthology of Japanese waka), demonstrating his excellence in both literature and the arts. He is enshrined at Shiromineji Temple as a god of academic and artistic achievement.

The temple’s principal deity, the thousand-armed Senju Kannon, is believed to have been created by Chisho Daishi (Enchin) in collaboration with the temple’s guardian deity, Shiromine Daigongen (Sagamibo), and has been worshipped since ancient times as the deity of protection from various misfortunes.
Senju Kannon is also recognised as the guardian deity of the Year of the Rat. As the rat is the first of the twelve zodiac animals, many people come from all over Japan to visit the temple, especially around New Year in the Year of the Rat.

The Twelve Guardian Deities of the Zodiac and the Seven Lucky Gods are enshrined in the temple grounds, and visitors come to pray for good fortune, good health and protection from misfortune.