{"id":761,"date":"2022-04-16T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kyotreat.jp\/?p=761"},"modified":"2026-09-06T20:12:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T11:12:09","slug":"the-post-761","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kyotreat.jp\/en\/post-761\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the \u201cThirteen-Year-Old Pilgrimage,\u201d a Rite of Passage into Adulthood? The Time-Honored Tradition at H\u014drin-ji Temple and Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: KYOTREAT Editorial Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When walking across the Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama, you may see parents telling their children, dressed in their finest clothes, \u201cDon\u2019t look back!\u201d This is a scene of parents and children who have just completed the \u201cJ\u016bsann-mairi.\u201d It is an important rite of passage, long practiced in Arashiyama, Kyoto, to celebrate a child\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll take a detailed look at the origins and proper etiquette of the \u201cJ\u016bs\u014d Mairi,\u201d as well as the history and highlights of H\u014drin-ji Temple, a well-known destination for this pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Table of Contents<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u25a0What Is the \"J\u016bs\u014d Mairi\"?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25a0 Etiquette for the Day of the Thirteen-Temple Pilgrimage<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25a0Highlights of Horin-ji Temple<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25a0Visitor Information (Dates, Prayer Fees, Directions)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25a0 Summary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25a0What is jusan mairi?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cJ\u016bsan-mairi\u201d is a tradition in which children who have turned 13 according to the traditional Japanese counting system (12 years old in actual age, around the time of elementary school graduation) visit temples and shrines to receive wisdom and good fortune. Although this custom has been passed down for generations in the Kansai region\u2014including Kyoto and Osaka\u2014it has gradually spread to areas outside Kansai in recent years, and it is said that an increasing number of families in regions such as Kanto are now observing the J\u016bsan-mairi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The age of 13 in the traditional Japanese counting system marks the first full cycle of the Chinese zodiac since birth and has long been regarded as an unlucky year or a major milestone in life. While Shichi-Go-San is a celebration of a child\u2019s growth during early childhood, the J\u016bsan-mairi is characterized by its status as a \u201crite of passage into adulthood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25a0The Origins of the \"J\u016bs\u014d Mairi\" and the History of H\u014drin-ji Temple<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The place believed to be the birthplace of the \u201cThirteen Pilgrimage\u201d is H\u014drin-ji Temple in Arashiyama, commonly known as \u201cSaga\u2019s Kok\u016bz\u014d-san.\u201d It is said to have begun in the 6th year of the Tench\u014d era (829), when the monk D\u014dsh\u014d enshrined the principal image of Kok\u016bz\u014d Bosatsu (Kok\u016bz\u014d Bodhisattva), and it is recorded that the temple was renamed \u201cH\u014drin-ji\u201d in the 16th year of the J\u014dgan era (876). It is mentioned in Sei Sh\u014dnagon\u2019s *The Pillow Book* as one of Kyoto\u2019s most representative temples, and the blessings bestowed by its principal image are said to be recorded in the *Tales of Times Past*. It is a temple with a long and distinguished history dating back to the Heian period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: KYOTREAT Editorial Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The origin of the \u201cThirteen Pilgrimage\u201d is said to date back to the early Heian period, when Emperor Seiwa\u2014who ascended the throne at a young age\u2014reached the age of 13 (by the traditional Japanese counting system) and held an imperial memorial service at Horin-ji Temple as a symbol of his coming of age. K\u016bk\u014dz\u014d Bosatsu is said to have been born as the 13th attendant of Dainichi Nyorai, and because he is the Buddha who presides over wisdom, good fortune, and the arts, the pilgrimage came to be known as the \u201cPilgrimage for Wisdom\u201d or \u201cReceiving Wisdom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25a0Etiquette for the Day of the Thirteen-Temple Pilgrimage<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When visiting the shrine, children first use a brush to write a single kanji character representing their wish on a special sheet of paper. There are no rules regarding which characters to write\u2014such as \u201c\u77e5\u201d (knowledge), \u201c\u8ce2\u201d (wisdom), \u201c\u7f8e\u201d (beauty), or \u201c\u5065\u201d (health)\u2014and it is customary for each child to choose a character that embodies their personal wish. This custom originates from a time when offering a hand-copied sutra was considered the most respectful form of worship; today, it has been simplified to the practice of offering a single kanji character as \u201cIchiji Shaky\u014d\u201d (One-Character Sutra Copying). The written character serves as a stand-in for the person, and during the prayer period, it is read aloud at the temple as part of the prayer ritual.
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Photo: KYOTREAT Editorial Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, both boys and girls wear \u201chon-zari\u201d kimonos, the same style as adults; girls wear \u201cnaka-furisode\u201d with raised shoulders, while boys wear \u201cmon-tsuki hakama.\u201d It is said that in the past, there was also a custom of changing children\u2019s hairstyles to those of adults and changing their childhood names to adult names to coincide with this occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: KYOTREAT Editorial Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the best-known custom associated with the \u201cThirteen-Temple Pilgrimage\u201d is the rule against looking back after paying respects. After receiving a prayer service at H\u014drin-ji Temple, it is said that you must never look back until you have descended the stone steps and crossed the Togetsu Bridge. This is because legend has it that if you do look back along the way, you will give back or lose the wisdom and good fortune you have just received. Following this custom, the practice of not looking back until you have left the approach path has spread even to other temples and shrines where the J\u016bsann-mairi is observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25a0Highlights of H\u014drin-ji Temple<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After passing through the mountain gate and climbing the stone steps, you\u2019ll find \u201cDenden-gu,\u201d a shrine dedicated to the guardian deity of electricity and radio waves, located along the approach. It is a shrine that is rare even on a national scale, attracting worshippers who pray for advancements in electrical and electronic technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you continue up the stone steps, the Main Hall comes into view straight ahead, with the Tah\u014d-t\u014d Pagoda to its left. From the observation deck on the right-hand side as you face the Main Hall\u2014known as \u201cButai\u201d\u2014you can take in a panoramic view of the Sagano landscape, including the Togetsukyo Bridge, as well as the Higashiyama mountain range and the cityscape of Kyoto. Be sure to enjoy this view during your visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25a0Visitor Information (Dates, Prayer Fees, Directions)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The \"Thirteen Pilgrimages\" at H\u014drin-ji Temple are held twice a year, in the spring and fall, during designated periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n