Kourinji—a unique “temple of wishes” that is said to make any single wish come true.
In Kanazawa, there is a temple called Kourinji, which is famous as a temple of wishes. Let’s look at the unique way of making a wish and the distinctive charms offered at the temple that many people are talking about on social media, etc.
With the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line, Kanazawa has been enjoying an increase in the number of tourists, and there is a temple called Kourinji in the city that attracts people from all around Japan. Kourinji is famous as a temple of wishes, and it has been attracting people not only for unique blessings, but also for its unique way of worshiping through “Kofuku no Michi” (meaning “the path of happiness”) in the temple garden. We would like to share with you what we did at the temple.
The worshipping process starts with writing your wish on a sash. Sashes in a variety of colors are stacked in the main hall, so pick one with the color you like and write down only one wish on it. On a side note, you can also make a wish for people who could not come to the temple, but you can only use one sash for each person.
The principal object of worship at Kourinji .
Pick a sash of your choice from these sashes.
Once you write down your wish, let’s move on to the Kofuku no Michi. Along the path, you will be welcomed by statues of twelve Chinese zodiac animals and many cute Jizo statues. When you get there, walk the path twice. On the third round, put your sash on your zodiac animal statue, put your hands together quietly, and make a wish. The twelve zodiac animals are not placed in the usual order of “rat, ox, tiger. . .,” but they are placed based on their corresponding directions instead, so make sure to locate your zodiac animal during the first two rounds of walking.
The statue of a dragon, the zodiac animal of my birth year.
Next, let’s go see the “Shiro Fudo” (meaning “white Acalanatha”) statue. Again, put your hands together and make a wish here too. It is said that touching the statue makes your skin beautiful, so don’t forget to touch it if you want to get a beautiful skin.
And last but not least, the “Shusse Daruma” (meaning “career advancement daruma”) statue. It is said that your luck for career advancement and money improves when you throw the “balls of wishes” (five balls per purchase) toward the mouth of the statue, and if one or more balls go into its mouth. When I tried, three out of five balls made it into the mouth. I could barely contain my smile with the very positive result that would definitely improve my luck for career advancement and money. You should try it too!
After making a wish, we also recommend checking out the charms that you can purchase at the main hall. The temple has a unique lineup of charms that you rarely find at other temples. In addition to the usual ones such as for “passing an entrance exam” and “business success,” there are unique ones such as for “creating a buzz,” “preventing cheating,” and “reincarnating into a beautiful woman.” They come in a large variety, so you will probably be able to find the perfect one for your wish.
These charms also come in cute pop colors.
When you are going to Kanazawa, visit Kourinji and enjoy the unusual and unique way of worshiping and making a wish.
■DATA Kourinji, the temple of wishes Address: 1-3-15 Nomachi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Open hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission fee: 500 yen for adults, 400 yen for middle schoolers or younger, 400 yen for a group of 60 people or more Tel. 076-241-3905
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