Jakkō-in is a small temple on the opposite side of Ōhara from Sanzen-in. It’s reached by a pleasant 15-minute walk from the bus station through an ‘old Japan’ village. Walk from the bus stop to the traffic lights on the main road, take the small road immediately to the left. Follow it over the bridge and across a road, then continue until you reach a T-intersection. Head left and continue around to the right a few minutes up the hill.
The history of the temple is exceedingly tragic. The actual founding date of the temple is subject to some debate (it’s thought to be somewhere between the 6th and 11th centuries), but it acquired fame as the temple that harboured Kenrei Mon-in, a lady of the Taira clan. In 1185 the Taira were soundly defeated in a sea battle against the Minamoto clan at Dan-no-ura. With the entire Taira clan slaughtered or drowned, Kenrei Mon-in threw herself into the waves with her son Antoku, the infant emperor; she was fished out – the only member of the clan to survive.
Kenrei Mon-in was returned to Kyoto, where she became a nun and lived in a bare hut until it collapsed during an earthquake. She was then accepted into Jakkō-in and stayed there, immersed in prayer and sorrowful memories, until her death 27 years later. Her tomb is located high on the hill behind the temple.
The main building of this temple burned down in May 2000 and the newly reconstructed main hall lacks some of the charm of the original. Nonetheless, it is a nice spot.
Jakkō-in is also known for its autumn-foliage displays in November.
