Yashimaji (屋島寺) is temple 84 of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. It’s located in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, high on the historic Yashima plateau. The temple enshrines Juichimen Kannon (十一面観世音菩薩), the Eleven-Faced Bodhisattva of Compassion.
This vibrant and multifaceted temple complex includes both Buddhist and Shinto features, reflecting Japan’s deep cultural fusion. You’ll find bright vermillion torii gates leading through a bamboo grove to a hidden shrine, seven statues of the Shichifukujin (Seven Lucky Gods) lined up beneath the trees, and the impressive main hall, weathered yet colorful with intricate detail.
A traditional wooden sanmon gate frames the long approach. Nearby, a bell tower and stone pagoda rise in a quiet gravel courtyard surrounded by trees turning to autumn. At the edge, two large tanuki statues guard a path of smaller torii gates in front of a tucked-away shrine.
It’s a site full of layers—playful, spiritual, historic, and seasonal.
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