Kimii-dera
紀三井寺
The second temple on the Saigoku Thirty-three Kannon Pilgrimage, reached by 231 steps up the “Kechien-zaka” to the hillside, with views over Wakanoura Bay and famous for early cherry blossoms in the Kansai region.
According to tradition, Kimii-dera was founded in 770 by the Tang monk for Koujou Shonin and takes its name from three clear springs on the grounds. It is the second temple on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. Behind the main gate, 231 stone steps known as the “Kechien-zaka” climb to the hillside, where you can look out over Wakanoura Bay. The main hall, completed in 2002, enshrines a wooden standing statue of the Thousand-Armed Eleven-Faced Kannon about 12 metres tall, and visitors can climb to the observation deck on the top floor of the hall. The Wakayama cherry blossom reference tree is on the grounds, and early cherry blossoms cover the hillside from mid to late March. Admission costs a few hundred yen, and the temple is open from 8:00 to 17:00. It is about a 10-minute walk from JR Kimiidera Station.
Opening hours
08:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Wakanoura & Tamatsushima Shrine
- Kishu Toshogu
- Kuroshio Market (Wakayama Marina City)
- Yosuien Garden
- Wakayama Ramen (Ide Shoten)
- Hinokuma & Kunikakasu Shrines
- Wakayama Castle
- Saikazaki & Bandokoro Garden