Visiting
Visiting Hours
- Main Hall 06:00-17:00
- Stamp office 08:00-17:00
- The gate and grounds are open at all times
Regular visiting hours end at 17:00. Everyone is welcome to attend the evening service and night goma in person after 17:00.
Shikoku Pilgrimage Temple No. 22, Byodoji
Visiting Guide
So that even first-time visitors can come without hesitation, this page gathers the hours and costs of visiting, the order of worship, and the prayers and daily services. The Main Hall is open 06:00-17:00, and admission is free.
- Main Hall
- 06:00-17:00
- Regular visiting hours; evening services remain open to attendees
- Stamp Office
- 08:00-17:00
- Reception for temple stamps and temple items
- Admission
- Free
- Offerings are whatever you feel moved to give
- Parking
- Free
- Busy on weekends and ennichi days
- Address
- 177 Akiyama, Aratano-cho, Anan, Tokushima
What to check before you come
Here we gather the hours and costs of visiting, the nokyo (temple stamps), and the entry points for prayer requests. If you are coming simply to worship, you need no fee and nothing in hand.
Cost
Admission and Parking
- Admission is free
- Parking is also free
- Please place monetary offerings as you feel moved
The grounds grow crowded on weekends, holidays, and ennichi ceremony days.
Nokyo
Offerings for Nokyo (Temple Stamps)
- Nokyo book 500 yen
- Hanging scroll 700 yen
- Pilgrim jacket 300 yen
- Portrait slips: color 200 yen / mono 100 yen
Nokyo is the receiving of brushed calligraphy and a seal as proof of your visit. The amounts listed are the offerings for receiving it on each item. Nokyo books are also available at the stamp office. If you are coming only to worship, there is nothing you need to purchase.
Prayer & Consultation
Where Prayer Requests and Consultations Begin
- We accept prayer requests for healing from illness, protection from cancer, the removal of misfortune and opening of good fortune, and more
- Prayer requests can also be made online
- For consultations, please call 0884-36-3522 or use the form
For group visits of twenty or more people, please contact us in advance.
The order of worship for first-time visitors
You do not need to learn strict forms. Worship quietly, with a settled heart.
From the gate to the stamp office, allow about thirty minutes for the full round.
Bow once before the gate
The gate marks the boundary with the everyday world. Bow lightly, settle your mind, and then enter the grounds.
Rinse your hands and mouth at the temizu basin
With the ladle, pour water over the left hand, then the right. Take water into your cupped hand to rinse your mouth, and finish by holding the ladle upright so that water runs down the handle.
Ring the temple bell
The temple bell is rung once per person. Wait until the sound of the person before you has faded, then leave about thirty seconds before ringing.
Worship at the Main Hall
Please bring candles and incense with you. If you do not have incense, free incense sticks are placed on top of the offertory box at the front of the Main Hall. Candles are not provided. After making your offerings, sound the gong (waniguchi) lightly and place your monetary offering. There is no set amount. Press your palms together before the principal image, Yakushi Nyorai, and chant the sutras or the mantra if you can. If you cannot, pressing your palms together is enough.
Worship at the Daishi Hall as well
The Daishi Hall enshrines Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder of this temple. On the Shikoku pilgrimage, the basic custom is to pray at both the Main Hall and the Daishi Hall.
Stop by the stamp office
Temple stamps (nokyo) and temple items are received at the stamp office. When it is crowded, we ask you to wait in order of reception. Please come with time to spare.
Continue to prayer requests or consultations
For prayers such as healing from illness or the removal of misfortune and opening of good fortune, there are two ways: attend in person at a goma or a daily service, or apply online in advance.
Prayer & Services
Prayer requests are accepted both by attending in person and by applying online. Prayer for healing from illness or protection from cancer is not a substitute for medical care. Please pray alongside your treatment, as a prayer that sets the heart in order.
Goma Prayer
The Regular Goma
500 yen per prayer request
The goma is a Shingon rite of prayer in which goma sticks are cast into the wisdom-fire to deliver wishes to the Buddha. One prayer request means one wish. At the ceremony we read aloud your name and wish and perform the prayer.
- Every Sunday 15:00Yakushi GomaAnyone may attend in the Main Hall
- 1st of each month 20:00Bishamonten Goma
- 8th of each month 20:00Yakushi Goma (ennichi)
- 18th of each month 20:00Juuichimen Kannon Goma
- 24th of each month 20:00Jizo Goma
- 28th of each month 20:00Fudo Goma
We accept prayer requests for healing from illness, protection from cancer, the removal of misfortune and opening of good fortune, sound legs and hips, and more.
The 20:00 night goma takes place after regular visiting hours, and everyone is welcome to attend in person. Online applications and the live stream are also available.
Apply on Byodoji OnlineMorning and Evening Services
Daily Sutra Chanting and the Reading of Prayer Requests
Reading names aloud in prayer is free
- Morning service 06:00-08:00
- Evening service 16:00-18:00 (held on some days, not every day)
- May pause on days of funerals or outside duties
- Check the ceremony calendar to see whether the evening service is held
The services are the temple's daily practice of sutra chanting. Morning and evening each run about two hours, the longest services among the eighty-eight temples of Shikoku. The names and wishes of those who have applied are read aloud at the ceremony and delivered to the Buddha. Applications are made online, and there is no need to come to the temple. Those who live far away can also attend through the 24-hour live stream.
See the ceremony calendarQuestions & Consultations
Consultation Desk
Call the temple0884-36-3522Stamp office, reception 08:00-17:00
- Consultations about visiting or prayer
- Requests for group visits or Dharma talks
- Help with the online application
Email is contactus@byodoji.online. If your matter is not urgent, please feel free to use the contact form as well.
Go to the Contact FormQuietly, within what you can comfortably do
Rather than having you memorize detailed rules, we value your spending time calmly before the Buddha.
Quiet
Spend your time quietly in the grounds
Please refrain from loud conversation and from behavior that disturbs ceremonies. Inside the halls, please take care not to disturb the chanting and prayer of other worshippers.
Photography
About taking photos and video
Photography in the grounds and the Main Hall is possible within the scope of the guidelines. The Buddha images may also be photographed. So that it does not disturb other worshippers or become unauthorized streaming, please check the detailed standards in the photo and social media posting guidelines.
Groups
Please consult us before group visits
For visits of twenty or more people, or requests for a Dharma talk, we ask that you contact us in advance so that we can prepare to receive you.
Footing
Those who find the stairs difficult can still worship
There are 13 steps before the gate, 5 steps after it, and 53 steps before the Main Hall. From the hand of the principal image, a five-colored rope runs down to the gate. If you cannot climb the stairs, touch the rope at the gate and press your palms together. That is the same worship (kechien) as climbing to the Main Hall. Chairs are also available inside the hall.
Questions we often receive from first-time visitors
We have gathered the questions worth checking before you come.
What are Byodoji's visiting hours?
Regular visiting hours are 06:00-17:00, and the stamp office is open 08:00-17:00. Everyone is welcome to attend the evening service and night goma in person after 17:00.
Is there an admission fee or parking charge?
Both are free. If you are coming simply to worship, there is nothing you need to purchase, such as nokyo or temple items. Please place monetary offerings as you feel moved. The parking area grows crowded on weekends, holidays, and ennichi ceremony days.
How long does a visit take?
From the gate through the Main Hall and Daishi Hall to the stamp office, allow about thirty minutes for the full round. If you plan to attend a service or a goma, please check the ceremony times.
Are there times when it gets crowded?
It grows crowded on weekends and holidays and on ennichi and special ceremony days. From 06:00 to around 09:00 in the morning and from 16:00 in the evening, you can worship at a comparatively relaxed pace. The Main Hall is open until 17:00.
In what order should I worship?
Bow at the gate, rinse your hands and mouth at the temizu basin, ring the temple bell, and proceed to the Main Hall. After the Main Hall, press your palms together at the Daishi Hall as well. If you would like a temple stamp, please stop by the stamp office last.
Can I visit even if I do not know the sutras or the mantra?
Yes. Even if you cannot chant the sutras or the mantra, pressing your palms together alone is in no way discourteous. If you do not have incense, free incense sticks are placed on top of the offertory box at the front of the Main Hall. Please bring your own candles.
Can I apply for prayer online?
Applications are accepted on Byodoji Online. The reading of prayer requests during the morning and evening services is free; the regular goma is 500 yen per prayer request (one wish). For the prayers you have requested, the head priest reads aloud your name and wish at the ceremony and performs the prayer.
Can I take part in the evening goma?
The monthly night goma begins at 20:00, after regular visiting hours, and everyone is welcome to attend in person. Online applications and the live stream are also available.
Do we need a reservation for a group visit?
For group visits of twenty or more people, or if you would like a Dharma talk, please consult us in advance. Letting us know the number of people and your preferred date and time makes the day itself go more smoothly.
Can I take photos or video in the grounds?
In the grounds and the Main Hall, photography is possible within the scope of the guidelines. The Buddha images may also be photographed. Separate standards apply to social media posting and live streaming.
What if climbing the stairs is difficult for me?
There are 13 steps before the gate, 5 steps after it, and 53 steps before the Main Hall. If you touch the five-colored rope that runs from the hand of the principal image to the gate and press your palms together, it is the same worship as climbing to the Main Hall. Chairs are also available inside the hall, so please worship within what you can comfortably do.
Can I bring my pet?
Yes. In the grounds, please keep your pet on a leash or in a carrier at all times so that it does not disturb other worshippers.
Is there temple lodging?
Byodoji's temple lodging has been closed since the COVID-19 period, and there are currently no plans to reopen it. If you need accommodation, please contact Minshuku Sazanka, just beside the temple, directly: 188-1 Akiyama, Aratano-cho, Anan, Tokushima; phone 0884-36-3701.
Can I make inquiries by phone?
Yes. Please call 0884-36-3522 (stamp office, reception 08:00-17:00). Email is contactus@byodoji.online, and the contact form is also available.