Site of Mirokuji Temple

Between Kurehashi Bridge and Yasaka Shrine at Usa Jingu lie the remains of Mirokuji, a powerful Buddhist temple that once stretched across both sides of the present-day Nishi Sando Path with dozens of halls, pagodas, and residences. At its peak the temple owned vast lands across Kyushu and controlled much of Usa Jingu's religious and financial affairs. In 1184 it burned during the Taira-Minamoto conflict, and its power never fully recovered. The Meiji government's 1868 order separating Buddhism from Shinto cleared the last structures by 1871. Only foundation stones remain; the most important statues were preserved at nearby temples.