Seigan-ji (Seigan Temple)

Within the grounds of Seigan Temple in the Tamatsukuri Hot Spring district sits the Oshiroi Jizo stone statue, (Jizo is the guardian deity of children and travelers), where visitors can pray for beautiful skin. Belief in the statue’s power began when long ago, a monk with a birthmark on his face is said to have applied face powder to the statue and prayed, which apparently resulted in the mark on his face healing completely. In recent years, the Oshiroi Jizo’s popularity has spread via word of mouth, including on social media, and it has started to be visited by a large number of women. Also on the grounds is Iwaya-ji (Iwaya Temple), the final temple on the Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage. As befits the last Kannon temple on the pilgrimage, green bamboo canes and straw zori footwear that are no longer needed are piled up beneath it.