Kawasaki Daishi Hirama-ji Temple is one of the three head temples of the Chizan sect of Shingon Buddhism in the Kanto region, along with Chishakuin Temple in Shichijo, Higashiyama, Kyoto, Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, and Takaozan Yakuoin Temple.
Kawasaki Daishi has long been known for its spiritual power as a great master of banishment from all kinds of misfortune.
Kane-nori Hirama, who had been forced to leave his birthplace of Owari for a crime he did not commit and arrived in Kawasaki after wandering in exile in many countries, earned a modest living as a fisherman while deeply devoting himself to Buddhism and especially to Kobo-Daishi.
When he was 42 years old, a high priest stood in his dream and said to him, “Once upon a time, when I was in Tang China, I carved an image of myself and released it into the sea. Since then, I have yet to find a relative. Now, if you quickly retrieve the statue, make offerings to it, and extend its merits to others, your misfortunes will be turned into blessings. Your wishes will also be fulfilled.
Following the advice of his dream, Kanenari went out to the sea and retrieved a wooden statue of Kobo-Daishi, the Gohonzon (the principal image of Kobo-Daishi), from the sea. He purified the statue, enshrined it in a small hermitage, and offered offerings to it morning and evening without fail.
