In the late Edo period, epidemics and fires frequently occurred in the Miyanoura area, so Nakano Chunosuke of Miyanoura, who had become wealthy through trade at the time, requested that the 88 sacred sites of Shikoku be enshrined there. It is said that the origin of the shrine dates back to 1819, when earth representing the 88 sacred sites of Shikoku and stone Buddha statues carved in Nobeoka were brought in by ship.
According to Naito family documents, the statue of Daishi was erected by a man named Nakano Chugoro in 1826. The first temple on the pilgrimage is Shugyo Daishi, a roughly 5-meter-tall statue at the village's entrance. The pilgrimage route to the 9th Daishi is roughly 12km long, with an elevation difference of roughly 200m, but it has been maintained by local residents and is relatively easy to walk, making it a popular pilgrimage for people of all ages, from children to adults. The Miyanoura 3 Temple Daishi Festival (O-Daishi-san), held every year on March 21st of the lunar calendar, sees a large number of pilgrims from inside and outside the city dressed in white robes and robes.

[Dates for 2026]

February 2026(Wed), 5