出雲 一畑薬師｜絶景の観音堂を修復し、心の目をひらく。

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◇Introduction to Ichibata Yakushi

 

Ichibata Yakushi in Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, is a Buddhist temple that is widely worshipped as " the medicine Buddha of eye ailments". The temple has a history of 1,100 years. It is a Zen temple belonging to the Rinzai sect (Myoshinji school). It is also the head temple of the Ichibata Yakushi faith that spreads across Western Japan. The main image, Yakushi Nyorai, is a secret Buddha and is not open to the public. There is a tradition that only the chief priest is allowed to see the Buddha statue.

 

 

I am Daiko Iizuka, the head priest of Ichibata Yakushi. Let me introduce the temple. First, let me tell you the auspicious story of why it came to be worshipped as the " the medicine Buddha of eye ailments".

 

Beyond the mountain behind the main hall, the beautiful Sea of ​​Japan spreads out. 1,100 years ago, in a small village facing the sea, a fisherman named Yoichi lived with his blind mother. While he was fishing, he happened to find a Buddha statue in the sea, carefully rescued it, brought it home, and began to pray to it every day.

 

 

Then, strange things started happening one after another. Strange sounds and lights appeared, and sometimes the house shook.

 

One night, a traveling monk came looking for a place to stay. The monk was impressed by the statue, and after worshiping it for a while, he explained to Yoichi:

 

"This statue is holding a medicine jar in its left hand, and is undoubtedly Yakushi Nyorai. It is the Buddha of medicine. It should not be left in such a shabby environment forever. It must be placed in a suitable location and worshipped by many people.

 

Furthermore, one night, Yakushi Nyorai appeared in Yoichi's dream and told him: "I feel sorry for your mother because she is blind. If you can jump from the waterfall and survive, your mother will be saved."

 

Yoichi woke up from the dream and decided to carry out this prophecy. He climbed to the top of a high cliff and wrapped 1,000 bundles of straw around himself. His mother was informed of Yoichi's actions by the villagers, and in a panic, she ran out, groping her hands, trying to stop him. Of course, that cliff still exists today. It was so high that if you jumped off, you would die.

 

 

And sure enough, Yoichi jumped off. He rolled down the cliff and ended up unconscious on the rocky beach. His mother came running to him, calling out "Yoichi." Yoichi immediately regained consciousness at the sound of his mother's screams and ran to his mother, calling out "Mommy." The two of them embraced each other tightly, making sure that they were both safe. Then, at that moment, the mother's eyes were open and she was looking intently at her child.

 

 

 

◇Introduction to the Kannon Hall

 

Next, I'd like to talk about the Kannon Hall that we are currently asking for crowdfunding.

 

This hall enshrines the Bodhisattva Kannon. Kannon is the most important Bodhisattva of Compassion in Buddhism. Kannon is a Buddha who listens to the prayers and cries of people in need. It means observing the troubles and sufferings of people around the world. This Buddha places more importance on saving others than on his own training for enlightenment. Ichibata-ji Temple is a Kannon temple that represents Western Japan and is visited by many people.

 

This hall was built in 1943. Although it is about 80 years old, it has chronically leaked and has been repaired every few years. This time, for the first time since its construction, it has become necessary to completely re-roof the building. First, the weak ground will be adjusted, the warped foundation will be repaired, and earthquake resistance will be reinforced. With an eye to the future, the roof will be changed to a lightweight titanium material.

 

 

The hall is located on a hill with the best view in the temple grounds. Large glass windows will be installed to make it a Kannon hall with a spectacular view. I hope that many people will experience meditation in the sky at the new Kannon hall. Or I would like them to experience copying sutras in the sky. Above all, I would like people to refresh their body and mind by looking at themselves. We will make the temple a special place where many people can gain the strength to live.

 

 

 

◇Request for donations

 

This crowdfunding campaign will raise part of the cost of replacing the roof with a titanium roof, which will cost 60 million yen. We hope to make new connections with you through this project. We appreciate your kind support.

 

■First goal: 6 million yen

 

■Use of funds: Part of the cost of replacing the roof of the Kannon Hall with a titanium roof, various crowdfunding expenses

 

※Even if the total amount of support does not reach the goal amount by the deadline, this project will be carried out as described above, by self-funding the goal amount.

 

 

 

◇About me

 

Thank you very much for reading this far. Let me introduce myself.

 

 

I was born in this temple. At the age of 13, I entered a temple in Kyoto as a novice monk, studied Buddhism at a university in Tokyo, and then trained for six years at a specialized dojo. I returned to Kyoto, studied at a Zen center in the UK for a year, traveled to sacred sites and dojos in Japan and abroad, and became the chief priest of Ichibata Temple at the age of 33. This year marks my 30th year as chief priest.

 

Through this project, I aim to create an environment where people can experience a sacred place of healing, the richness of silence, the true beauty of Japan, and Japanese spiritual culture. I will connect the 1,100-year history of faith to the future. I will make Ichibata Yakushi a special place for many people to seek tranquility and gain the strength to live.

 

I hope that through crowdfunding, I can connect with you all. I would appreciate your warm support.

 

 

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Thank you for your interest in this project. This page explains how to support our project from computer. Please refer to the following page for details about this crowdfunding challenge.

 

 

① Click here for registration

 

 

② Registration

 

 

 

③ Please check your e-mail box and access the website to confirm your e-mail  address.

 

 

④ If you live outside Japan, you can only back the reward tiers listed below.

Please click on a title in the following list or here to select your reward tier.

 

	Title	Pledge Amount
A	Handwritten red ink stamp 'Kanzeon' by the head priest	¥10,000
	Reward includes: - Thank you email - Handwritten red ink stamp 'Kanzeon' by the head priest of Ichibata Yakushi
B	Handwritten shikishi by the head priest	¥100,000
	Reward includes: - Thank you email - Handwritten shikishi by the head priest of Ichibata Yakushi*   *Handwritten shikishi with '縁' (connection/fate), '福' (fortune/blessing), or up to four kanji characters of your choice, brushed by the head priest of Ichibata Yakushi. If you’re unsure about the kanji,  please tell us what meaning or concept you'd like expressed.
C	Name on lantern OR Beads + Shikishi OR Sauna Zen + Lodging	¥300,000
	Reward includes: - Thank you email - Ichibata Yakushi tea (30g of green tea) - Handwritten red ink stamp 'Kanzeon' by the head priest of Ichibata Yakushi - Name inscription on the Kannon-do Temple nameplate (optional) - Invitation to the completion ceremony of the Kannon-do Temple - "Zen meditation in the sky" experience   [Please select one] 1) Name inscription on the LED hanging lantern 2) Bracelet prayer beads made from old materials + Handwritten shikishi by the head priest with "縁" (En: connection/fate) or 福" (Fuku: fortune/blessing) (framed) 3) "Sauna Zen" experience + Stay at Ichibatasan Cottage temple lodging (for 2 people) ["Sauna Zen" experience] Private use, 3 hours per session, Valid period: 1 year from November 2025 (reservation required), Details to be provided by: June 2025 [Stay at Ichibatasan Cottage temple lodging (1 night with 2 meals)] Valid period: 1 year from November 2025, Details to be provided by: June 2025 [Invitation to Kannon Hall completion ceremony] Number of participants: Up to 5 people, Date: October 19, 2025 (Sunday), Details to be provided by: June 2025 ["Zen meditation in the sky" experience] Number of participants: Up to 2 people, Venue: Kannon Hall, Valid period: 1 year from November 2025 (reservation required), Details to be provided by: June 2025    Transportation costs are not covered.
D	お気持ち応援5千円	¥5,000
	Reward includes: Thank you email
E	全力応援1万円	¥10,000
	Reward includes: Thank you email
F	全力応援3万円	¥30,000
	Reward includes: Thank you email
G	全力応援5万円	¥50,000
	Reward includes: - Thank you email - Name inscription on the Kannon-do Temple nameplate (optional)*   *Please enter name for inscriptions (or enter 'No') in the '芳名板に掲載するお名前（不要の場合「不要」とご入力ください）' field.
H	全力応援10万円	¥100,000
	Reward includes: - Thank you email - Name inscription on the Kannon-do Temple nameplate (optional)*   *Please enter name for inscriptions (or enter 'No') in the '芳名板に掲載するお名前（不要の場合「不要」とご入力ください）' field.
I	全力応援30万円	¥300,000
	Reward includes: - Thank you email - Name inscription on the Kannon-do Temple nameplate (optional)* - Name inscription on the LED hanging lantern (optional)*   *Please enter name for inscriptions (or enter 'No') in the '芳名板・LED吊灯籠に掲載するお名前（不要の場合「不要」とご入力ください）' field.
J	全力応援50万円	¥500,000
	Reward includes: - Thank you email - Name inscription on the Kannon-do Temple nameplate (optional)* - Name inscription on the LED hanging lantern (optional)*   *Please enter name for inscriptions (or enter 'No') in the '芳名板・LED吊灯籠に掲載するお名前（不要の場合「不要」とご入力ください）' field.
K	全力応援100万円	¥1,000,000
	Reward includes: - Thank you email - Name inscription on the Kannon-do Temple nameplate (optional)* - Name inscription on the LED hanging lantern (optional)*   *Please enter name for inscriptions (or enter 'No') in the '芳名板・LED吊灯籠に掲載するお名前（不要の場合「不要」とご入力ください）' field.

 

 

 

 

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⑥ Fill in address/ information

 

 

⑦ Confirmation of your choice

 

 

⑧ Write a message to the project

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Thank you so much!

 

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