Kawasaki Daishi

Heiken-ji, popularly called Kawasaki-Daishi, is the head temple of the Chizan branch of Shingon Buddhism, located in Kawasaki-ku southwest of Tokyo. Legend holds it was founded in 1128 after the fisherman Hirama Kanenori pulled a statue of the monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) from the sea. That statue has since been venerated as protection from misfortune, making the temple one of Japan's three most visited hatsumode destinations - the first days of January draw two to three million pilgrims. The main hall was rebuilt in concrete after wartime destruction in 1964, alongside the eight-sided red pagoda from 1984. On the Nakamise-dori approach, stalls have sold rhythmic candy-chopping tonkatsu sweets and tumbling Daruma dolls for generations. Outside New Year, the temple still pulses with everyday folk devotion.