Hōnen Shōnin 25 Sacred Sites Pilgrimage

The Hōnen Shōnin 25 Sacred Sites Pilgrimage (Japanese: 法然上人二十五霊場, Hepburn: Honen Shonin Nijugo Reijo) is a circuit pilgrimage to 25 temples related to Hōnen Shonin, the founder of the Jōdo-shū Buddhist sect.

It was originally created and promoted by the monk Reitaku during the Hōreki Era of the Edo Period in the year 1761 to commemorate the 550th anniversary of Hōnen's death. In 1924, some temples were renovated in accordance with historical facts and biographies, but in March 1959, to mark the 750th anniversary of the death of Honen Shonin, the "Guide to Pilgrimage to the Sacred Sites of the Original Honen Shonin" was published, following the same format as during the Hōreki Era. It was revived again in 1974 to mark the 800th anniversary of the founding of Jōdo-shū. While the pilgrimage is primarily composed of temples of the Jōdo-shū sect, Tendai and Shingon temples are also included, due to Hōnen having visited them.^[1]

The temples are located in the Chūgoku, Shikoku, and Kansai regions. The reason for visiting the 25 sacred sites is said to be because of the anniversary of the death of the monk Honen on January 25th, or because of the number of the 25 bodhisattvas who are the holy followers of the Raigō of Amida Buddha.

List of the 25 Temples

No.	Temple	Sect	Location	Description
1	Tanjo-ji	Jōdo-shū	808 Tanjoji Satokata, Kumenan Town, Okayama Prefecture	The Birthplace of Hōnen
2	Busshozan Honen-ji	Jōdo-shū	3215 Busshozancho , Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture	Location of Hōnen during his exile in Shikoku.
3	Jurin-ji	Seizan Jōdo-shū	1074 Yokocho, Takasago-cho , Takasago City, Hyogo Prefecture	A place where fishermen were taught during Hōnen's exile.
4	Nyorai-in	Jōdo-shū	11 Teramachi, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture	A place where prostitutes were taught during Hōnen's exile.
5	Katsuo-ji	Shingon Koyasan	Katsuoji Temple, Minoh City, Osaka Prefecture	Staying place after return from Shikoku.
6	Shitennō-ji	Wa-shū	Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City , Tennoji Ward , Shitennoji 1-11-18
7	Isshin-ji	Jōdo-shū	Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, Tennoji Ward, Osaka 2-8-69
8	Hoonko-ji	Seizan Jōdo-shū	117 Okawa, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture	Place Hōnen landed after being exiled to Shikoku.
9	Taima-dera	Jōdo-shū and Shingon	1263 Touma, Katsuragi City, Nara Prefecture	The holding place of the Taima Mandala.
10	Honen-ji (Kashihara)	Jōdo-shū	908 Minamiuracho, Kashihara City , Nara Prefecture	A stop on the way back from Mount Kōya and a place of public education.
11	Tōdai-ji	Kegon	Zoshicho , Nara City, Nara Prefecture	The Three Pure Land Sutras lecture hall.
12	Gonjo-ji	Jōdo-shū	2-6-7 Ichinoki, Ise City, Mie Prefecture	Burned down in 2021, still under repair.
13	Kiyomizu-dera	Hosso	1-chome, Shimizu -cho , Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture	Amida Hall.
14	Shorin-ji	Jōdo-shū	Kyoto City, Higashiyama Ward, Shibuya-dori Higashioji Higashiiru 3-chome Kamiumacho	Former residence of Taira no Shigemori, preaching place.
15	Genku-ji (Kyoto)	Jōdo-shū	745 Setomonocho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture	A stopover after the Great Buddha's eye-opening ceremony and a place for the public to learn.
16	Komyo-ji	Seizan Jōdo-shū	26-1, Aosaijo, Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto Prefecture	Crematorium of Hōnen.
17	Nison-in	Tendai	Nagagamicho, in front of Saga Nison-in Temple, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture	Place where the Seven-Article Pledge was created.
18	Tsukinowa-dera	Tendai	37, Kiyotaki Tsukinowacho, Saga, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
19	Honen-ji (Kyoto)	Jōdo-shū	Kyoto City, Ukyo Ward, Saga Tenryuji Tateishicho 1
20	Seigan-ji	Seizan Jōdo-shū	453 Shinkyogoku Sakuranocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture	Preaching place.
21	Shorin-in	Tendai	Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Sakyo Ward , Ohara Shorin-incho	The site of the Ohara Debate.
22	Chion-ji	Jōdo-shū	103 Tanakamonzencho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
23	Shojokein	Jōdo-shū	395 Kitanobecho, Teramachi-dori Hirokojiagaru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture	A grant of land for a training hall within the Imperial Court.
24	Konkaikōmyō-ji	Jōdo-shū	121 Kurodani-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
25	Chion-in	Jōdo-shū	400 Hayashishita-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture	The head temple of the Chinzei Sect, as well as Hōnen's death place and mausoleum.