Mime: Temple Traditions and Island Views

Mime on Shōdoshima draws attention to pilgrimage traditions, temple history, and expansive island views. Two religious sites illustrate different roles within the Shōdoshima Pilgrimage Route: 歓喜寺 is its 77th stop and is located in 見目; 藤原寺 is also in 見目 and is an outlying temple. This distinction offers a concrete introduction to local pilgrimage history.

Temples and Their Traditions

Several aspects of temple tradition come together at 歓喜寺. According to tradition, Gyōki founded the temple; its principal image, a Nyoirin Kannon, is also said to have been made by him. 毘沙門天 and 弘法大師 are enshrined in the temple as secondary figures. Founding tradition, the principal image, and the secondary figures thus stand alongside one another as distinct parts of the temple’s history.

The history of 藤原寺 can also be traced through specific dates. On October 27, 1922, the temple received an image of 波切不動尊 from 高野山南院 and enshrined it alongside its principal image. On March 21, 1925, 藤原寺 joined the Shōdoshima Pilgrimage Association. The two dates tell of different aspects: a religious image and the temple’s membership in the pilgrimage community.

Cultural Heritage and Island Views

A guide published in 1914 reports that the building of 歓喜寺 was moved here from 持宝院, a temple on 豊島. This account of the building’s history links Mime, in the story, with a temple on a neighboring island. 見目 is also home to three boxes containing the 大般若波羅蜜多経 belonging to 雲故庵, designated as tangible cultural property on April 16, 1992. They add a tangible example of religious culture to the stories of temples and the pilgrimage community.

The setting of 歓喜寺 is also part of its appeal: the temple stands on a hill on the northern side of the island. From there, the view stretches across the Seto Inland Sea to the Chūgoku Mountains in Okayama Prefecture. In this way, a visit to a single temple site offers a wider perspective across the sea. Shōdoshima also retains numerous pilgrimage paths dating from before motorized transport, which can still be walked. This offers an island-wide perspective on pilgrimage traditions, while 歓喜寺 and 藤原寺 represent specific stops in 見目.

The 石の絵手紙 series also broadens the cultural perspective on Shōdoshima. It brings together high-quality granite from the island and picture letters on the theme of “Letters from Shōdoshima,” collected from across Japan. Alongside religious traditions, art and the motif of the letter are also associated with the island. If you are interested in temple history, cultural heritage, and these cultural themes, consider making Mime a focus of your travel plans. When looking for a holiday rental in Mime, you can connect this focus with the question of whether you would like to devote your stay primarily to pilgrimage traditions or explore other aspects of Shōdoshima as well.

Discover more destinations: Higashikagawa, Zentsūji, Takamatsu, Tadotsu, Naoshima, Kotohira, Furue, Nishishirakata

For the broader travel guide: Kagawa Prefecture.