Cho-nichi-ji (Chonichi Temple)

Chonichi-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect where statues of the 12 divine generals of Buddhism are enshrined. These include Nikko Gakko Bosatsu, the bodhisattva flanking Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha who can cure all ills. This statues show why Chonichi-ji has been called Yakushido since the Nara Era, as Yakushi Nyorai is the main deity of this temple. In 1672, the third lord of the Hiji Domain, Toshinaga Kinoshita, opened Chonichi-ji in the hopes of curing his longtime general of eye disease. In 1777, Yoshisuke Waki, the uncle of Confucian scholar Ranshitsu Waki, made a donation to build a Hondo (main hall) and temple kitchen.
Inside the temple grounds, many treasures from the Genbun Era (1736-41) have been left as is since ancient times. These include inscribed Jizo, or statues of the Buddhist guardians of children, stone lanterns, stone wash basins, and outer stone pagodas bearing Buddhist images. Long ago,there was a village leader who was afflicted with an eye disease. Legend has it that when he prayed all night at the temple and performed good deeds, his prayers were answered and he was cured.