Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage

The Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage (西国三十三所, Saigoku Sanjūsan-sho) is a pilgrimage of thirty-three Buddhist temples throughout the Kansai region of Japan, similar to the Shikoku Pilgrimage. In addition to the official thirty-three temples, there are an additional three known as bangai (番外). The principal image in each temple is Kannon, known to Westerners as the Bodhisattva of Compassion (sometimes translated as 'Goddess of Mercy'); however, there is some variation among the images and the powers they possess.

It is traditional for pilgrims to wear white clothing and conical straw hats and to carry walking sticks. While the route was historically traveled by foot, today pilgrims usually use cars or trains. Pilgrims record their progress with a prayer book (納経帖, Nōkyō-chō), which the temple staff mark with red stamps and Japanese calligraphy indicating the temple number, the temple name, and the specific name of the Kannon image. Some pilgrims receive the stamps and calligraphy on wall scrolls (for a decorative hanging) and on their white coats (to be cremated in) as well.

The goeika songs of the 33 temples are widely known and frequently grouped together.

No.	Temple	Honzon (main image)	City/Ward/Town	Prefecture	Image	Coordinates
1	Seiganto-ji	Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra)	Nachikatsuura	Wakayama		33°40′9.15″N 135°53′23.31″E
2	Ki-mii-dera	Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha)	Wakayama	Wakayama		34.185167°N 135.190025°E / 34.185167; 135.190025 (Ki-mii-dera)
3	Kokawa-dera	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra)	Kinokawa	Wakayama		34.280961°N 135.405908°E / 34.280961; 135.405908 (Kokawa-dera)
4	Sefuku-ji	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra)	Izumi	Osaka		34.392908°N 135.511578°E / 34.392908; 135.511578 (Sefuku-ji)
5	Fujii-dera	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra)	Fujiidera	Osaka		34.570186°N 135.596556°E / 34.570186; 135.596556 (Fujii-dera)
6	Minamihokke-ji (Tsubosaka-dera)	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra)	Takatori	Nara		34.426417°N 135.809861°E / 34.426417; 135.809861 (Minamihokke-ji)
7	Oka-dera	Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra)	Asuka	Nara		34.471789°N 135.828372°E / 34.471789; 135.828372 (Oka-dera)
Bangai	Hōki-in		Sakurai	Nara		34.532819°N 135.909858°E / 34.532819; 135.909858 (Hōki-in)
8	Hase-dera	Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha)	Sakurai	Nara		34.535894°N 135.906825°E / 34.535894; 135.906825 (Hase-dera)
9	Nan'endō (Kofuku-ji)	Fukūkenjaku Kannon (Amoghapāśa)	Nara	Nara		34.6825°N 135.830278°E / 34.6825; 135.830278 (Nan'endō (Kōfuku-ji))
10	Mimuroto-ji	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja)	Uji	Kyoto		34.900478°N 135.819194°E / 34.900478; 135.819194 (Mimuroto-ji)
11	Kami Daigo-ji	Juntei Kannon (Cundi)	Fushimi-ku, Kyoto	Kyoto		34.950992°N 135.819586°E / 34.950992; 135.819586 (Daigo-ji)
12	Shōhō-ji (Iwama-dera)	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja)	Otsu	Shiga		34.933°N 135.878389°E / 34.933; 135.878389 (Shōhō-ji)
13	Ishiyama-dera	Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra)	Otsu	Shiga		34.960419°N 135.905625°E / 34.960419; 135.905625 (Ishiyama-dera)
14	Mii-dera	Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra)	Otsu	Shiga		35.013358°N 135.85285°E / 35.013358; 135.85285 (Mii-dera)
Bangai	Gankei-ji		Kyoto	Kyoto		34.988639°N 135.801167°E / 34.988639; 135.801167 (Gankei-ji)
15	Imakumano Kannon-ji	Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha)	Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto	Kyoto		34.979706°N 135.780842°E / 34.979706; 135.780842 (Kannon-ji)
16	Kiyomizu-dera	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra)	Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto	Kyoto		34.994831°N 135.785003°E / 34.994831; 135.785003 (Kiyomizu-dera)
17	Rokuharamitsu-ji	Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha)	Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto	Kyoto		34.997103°N 135.773308°E / 34.997103; 135.773308 (Rokuharamitsu-ji)
18	Chōhō-ji (Rokkaku-dō)	Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra)	Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto	Kyoto		35.007222°N 135.760278°E / 35.007222; 135.760278 (Chōhō-ji)
19	Gyōgan-ji (Kōdō)	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja)	Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto	Kyoto		35.0163°N 135.767761°E / 35.0163; 135.767761 (Gyōgan-ji)
20	Yoshimine-dera	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja)	Nishikyo-ku	Kyoto		34.938167°N 135.644194°E / 34.938167; 135.644194 (Yoshimine-dera)
21	Anao-ji	Shō Kannon (Aryavalokitesvara)	Kameoka	Kyoto		35.006675°N 135.549192°E / 35.006675; 135.549192 (Anao-ji)
22	Sōji-ji	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja)	Ibaraki	Osaka		34.829103°N 135.581569°E / 34.829103; 135.581569 (Sōji-ji)
23	Katsuō-ji	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja)	Minoh	Osaka		34.865833°N 135.491111°E / 34.865833; 135.491111 (Katsuō-ji)
24	Nakayama-dera	Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha)	Takarazuka	Hyōgo		34.821667°N 135.367667°E / 34.821667; 135.367667 (Nakayama-dera)
Bangai	Bodai-ji		Sanda	Hyōgo		34.940389°N 135.2405°E / 34.940389; 135.2405 (Bodai-ji)
25	Kiyomizu-dera	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja)	Katō	Hyōgo		34.972494°N 135.081822°E / 34.972494; 135.081822 (Kiyomizu-dera (Hyogo))
26	Ichijō-ji	Shō Kannon (Aryavalokitesvara)	Kasai	Hyōgo		34.859308°N 134.819025°E / 34.859308; 134.819025 (Ichijō-ji)
27	Engyō-ji	Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmani-cakra)	Himeji	Hyōgo		34.891139°N 134.658139°E / 34.891139; 134.658139 (Engyō-ji)
28	Nariai-ji	Shō Kannon (Aryavalokitesvara)	Miyazu	Kyoto		35.595439°N 135.187372°E / 35.595439; 135.187372 (Nariai-ji)
29	Matsunoo-dera	Batō Kannon (Hayagrīva)	Maizuru	Kyoto		35.497428°N 135.469375°E / 35.497428; 135.469375 (Matsunoo-dera)
30	Hōgon-ji	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra)	Nagahama	Shiga		35.421122°N 136.143225°E / 35.421122; 136.143225 (Hōgon-ji)
31	Chōmei-ji	Senju Kannon Jūichimen Kannon Shō Kannon	Ōmihachiman	Shiga		35.162683°N 136.064003°E / 35.162683; 136.064003 (Chōmei-ji)
32	Kannonshō-ji	Senju Kannon (Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra)	Ōmihachiman	Shiga		35.144667°N 136.161028°E / 35.144667; 136.161028 (Kannonshō-ji)
33	Kegon-ji	Jūichimen Kannon (Ekādaśamukha)	Ibigawa	Gifu		35.537372°N 136.607897°E / 35.537372; 136.607897 (Kegon-ji)

See also

• Japan 100 Kannon, pilgrimage composed of the Saigoku, Bandō and Chichibu pilgrimages
  • Bandō 33 Kannon, pilgrimage in the Kantō region
  • Chichibu 34 Kannon, pilgrimage in Saitama Prefecture
• Shikoku Pilgrimage, 88 Temple pilgrimage in the Shikoku island
• Musashino Kannon Pilgrimage, pilgrimage in Tokyo and Saitama prefectures
• Chūgoku 33 Kannon, pilgrimage in the Chūgoku region
• Kannon
• Buddhism in Japan
• Tourism in Japan

External links

• Pictures of all temples
• Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage
• By Bike around Saigoku