VISIT KOBE

Head temple of the Sumadera sect of Shingon Buddhism.

The temple grounds contain many historical items connected to the Minamoto and Taira clans, protagonists of the Genpei War, such as the main deity Sho Kanzeon Bosatsu, the burial mound of Mukan no Tayu, Taira no Atsumori’s head, the pond where Atsumori’s head was washed for purification, and the pine tree on which Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-1189) once sat.

This is also a temple with historic cultural significance: it is said to be the origin of the Suma-goto, a one-string harp invented by exile Ariwara no Yukihira to salve his loneliness.