Mime brings Shōdoshima’s pilgrimage tradition into focus, along with tangible evidence of its religious history. In 見目, 歓喜寺 and 藤原寺 are two stops on the Shōdoshima Pilgrimage Route, although they have different classifications: 歓喜寺 is stop 77, while 藤原寺 is an auxiliary stop. The area also offers a view over the Seto Inland Sea and a tangible cultural property with a precisely specified designation date. Together, these themes give a trip to Mime a clear cultural focus.
Two pilgrimage sites in 見目
The numbered stop places 歓喜寺 at a specific point on the Shōdoshima Pilgrimage Route. 藤原寺 is also part of the route, but is explicitly classified as an auxiliary stop. This distinction helps clarify the roles of the two religious sites: both are connected to the pilgrimage tradition, but they have different functions within the route.
The figures installed at 歓喜寺 are also identified: 毘沙門天 and 弘法大師 stand there as attendant figures. According to tradition, the temple was founded by Gyōki; its principal image, a Nyoirin Kannon, is also said to have been made by him. Both details are part of the temple tradition, with the attribution of the statue explicitly understood as a tradition. Thus, alongside the stop number, there are specific religious figures and a foundation story.
Views and temple history
歓喜寺 lies on a hill on the north side of the island. From there, the view stretches across the Seto Inland Sea to the Chūgoku Mountains in Okayama Prefecture. The panorama provides a landscape point of reference for the site’s religious themes: this expansive view is also part of the description of 歓喜寺, alongside its pilgrimage stops and temple traditions.
A historical account adds to the building’s history. According to the 『小豆島霊場名所案内記』, published in 1914, it was moved here from 持宝院, a temple on 豊島. This attribution is therefore tied to that historical account. It offers a distinct perspective on the temple alongside the Gyōki tradition: a traditional account of its founding and a report about the building’s origins sit side by side.
Dated records and cultural heritage
The history of 藤原寺 can also be traced through specific dates. On October 27, 1922, the temple received an image of 波切不動尊 from 高野山南院 and installed it alongside the principal image. On March 21, 1925, 藤原寺 joined the Shōdoshima Pilgrimage Association. The two dates relate to different matters: the image and its installation on the one hand, and membership in the pilgrimage association on the other.
Another dated record is the set of three boxes for the 大般若波羅蜜多経 from 雲故庵. They were designated a tangible cultural property on April 16, 1992. This object adds a specific, named cultural treasure to the temple’s history. Those choosing Mime for its cultural themes will find not only stories and stops along the pilgrimage route, but also a clearly identified cultural property.
Cultural connections in the wider area
Beyond its religious sites, the 石の絵手紙 series offers another cultural connection. It brings together high-quality granite from Shōdoshima and picture letters collected from across Japan on the theme “Letters from Shōdoshima.” A 2013 report located works from the series in 見目 and invited visitors to stop briefly by car to see them. The art series thus combines a local connection with a theme that extends beyond the island.
The pilgrimage paths also offer a view of Shōdoshima as a whole. The island still has many routes dating from before motorized transport, and they remain walkable. Alongside the classification of individual stops such as 歓喜寺 and 藤原寺, the island’s older tradition of walking routes is also part of its pilgrimage context. A trip to Mime has a clear focus on temple history, religious tradition, and cultural heritage, complemented by the landscape perspective from 歓喜寺.
Discover more destinations: Nishishirakata, Sanuki, Sakaide, Naoshima, Furue, Takamatsu, Tadotsu, Marugame
For the broader travel overview: Kagawa Prefecture.
