Keisokuji Temple

According to legend, the priest Saichi was led to the ruins of this long-abandoned temple in 799 by a chicken, and renamed it Keisokuji, meaning 'chicken foot temple.' Founded as Kokosanji in 735 by the priest Gyoki, it became one of many influential temples on Mt. Kodakamiyama before falling into obscurity. Today, two volunteer-maintained repositories at the base, Kokokaku and Yoshirokaku, house Buddhist statues from the mountain's temples, some dating from the 700s. These include a rare set of seven Yakushi Nyorai sculptures and an eleven-headed Kannon designated an Important Cultural Property. The maple-lined temple stairway is a draw in autumn.