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Eight of the 88 temples on Shikoku's sacred circuit are in Matsuyama, but the most famous is the 51st, Ishite-ji , which gained its name from a legend involving Kobo Daishi . Ishite-ji is one of the most memorable temples you're likely to visit, but not for the usual reasons. Unlike Shikoku's other 87 temples, Ishite-ji has used its accumulated wealth to branch out into surreal forms of religious expression. Tucked away behind the main temple buildings are tunnels lined with Buddhas and other icons, while flashing fairy and strobe lights, activated as you approach, and the piped sound of a priest wailing mantras, create the impression that you've stumbled into an esoteric rave. The main tunnel emerges from behind a rock on the hill above the temple, next to a park containing more bizarre statues, at the centre of which is a squat, golden-domed 3-D mandala. Enter this circular hall and you'll be confronted by a two-hundred-strong congregation of wooden jizo , ranging between 1m and 3m high, carved with Buddhist sexual symbols, and arranged in tiered circles. Climbing up the slope from the mandala will lead to a large graveyard and, on the summit of the adjoining hill, the looming statue of Buddhist saint Kobo Daishi, founder of Shikoku's pilgrim trail . Next to all this, the temple's classical Kamakura-era architecture, which includes a three-storey pagoda, seems almost mundane. Behind the main gate, Nio-mon - built in 1318 and designated a National Treasure - are two giant straw sandals, along with many normal-sized ones, left by pilgrims who hope to have their feet and leg ailments cured. There's also a drab museum (Y300) on the east side of the complex, where the temple's treasures are rather poorly presented. To get to Ishite-ji, you can either walk for fifteen minutes east of the Dogo tram terminus - stick to the main road, or cross the first small bridge on your left, which leads to a more scenic riverside approach to the temple - or hop on the #8 or #52 bus (Y160) to Oku Dogo from the tram terminus, which will drop you outside the temple gate
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