Taimatsu-ya

This is a story about Kōbo Daishi (Kukai) at the time of founding Mt. Koya temple. In one of his coming and going between Mt. Koya and the capital Kyoto (Toji temple), he arrived here with a torch (taimatsu) as it was already dawn. So, he decided to have a rest in this place, and people from a house in the nearby served him. To show his gratitude, Kukai taught them how to make chimaki (rice dumpling) and gave a ritual prayer (kaji-kito). At the time of departure, he buried the remains of his torch, which afterwards sprouted up to become a big tree. From then, Taimatsu-ya temple prepares the “sasa chimaki” (dumpling wrapped in leaf) with the prayers of Kōbo Daishi, to give out. This chimaki is not for eating but to take out and put it at the entrance or at the Buddhist altar room as a protection from evil, or also boiled down to give as a drink to a person who is ill.