Tairyuji Temple, located near the top of Mt. Tairyuji at an altitude of 618 meters, is the 21st sacred site of the 88 sacred places on Shikoku Island and has been called the "Koya of the West" since ancient times.
It is considered to be one of the most difficult of the 88 sacred sites on Shikoku Island because of its poor footholds and steep slopes.
It is said that this is the place where Kukai (Kobo-Daishi) practiced the method of Kokuuzo Gumonji for 100 days on the rocks when he was 19 years old. It is a place of ascetic practices that played a major role in the formation of the great master's thoughts in his youth.
Later, in 793, at the order of Emperor Kammu, a hall and pagoda was built, and Kukai (Kobo-Daishi) created and enshrined various statues, including the statue of Kokuzo Bosatsu. The name of the Mt. Shashinzan, and the name of the temple, Jojuin refers to the great dragon (Ryujin) that protected Kukai during his training.
The territory of the temple is covered with giant cedars and cypresses that are hundreds of years old and is dotted with halls, a Daishi hall, a multi-storied pagoda, a gumonji hall, and a belfry gate, making it one of the grandest sacred sites in Shikoku. In 1992, a ropeway was opened to the mountain temple, which had been a difficult obstacle for Shikoku pilgrims, and it now takes about 30 minutes to climb the mountain on foot from the parking lot.