Ruins of an ancient temple have been discovered on the grounds of the Kawashima Special Branch in Tokushima Prefecture!

Possibility of the oldest large-scale temple in the prefecture

Recently, ruins of the large temple Dainichi-ji, dating back 1300 years, were discovered on the grounds of the Happy Science Sacred Site, Kawashima Special Branch open_in_new.
The precincts of the Sacred Site, Kawashima Special Branch, where the ruins were discovered, were planned as a construction site for new facilities. However, since trial excavations revealed it to be an important site, Happy Science offered full cooperation to Yoshinogawa City for excavation research.

As a result of trial excavations conducted since October 2012, items such as the spiral hair (rahotsu) of a Buddha statue, decorative roof tiles (onigawara), and ridge-end tiles (shibi) were unearthed, which serve as evidence supporting the existence of Dainichi-ji, said to have been in Kawashima Town according to ancient documents.
Dainichi-ji is believed to have been established in the late Asuka period to the Hakuhō period, about 1300 years ago, and was of the same scale as the Kōzato Haiji, established in the prefecture during the same era, possibly making it the oldest large-scale temple in the prefecture.

The birthplace of Master Ryuho Okawa

The principal image of Dainichi-ji, Dainichi Nyorai, is a symbol of the Buddha's enlightenment and practice, as well as the esoteric rites of the spirit world, and is also known as Vairocana Buddha, famous for the Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji.
This is precisely what Happy Science's principal image, El Cantare open_in_new, represents.

In Happy Science, Tokushima Prefecture is the "sacred site" of Master Ryuho Okawa's open_in_new birthplace, and among them, Kawashima Town, where the ruins were discovered, is the birthplace of Master Ryuho Okawa.
The discovery of such new truths in a place bearing the name "sacred site" is not only a reaffirmation of its "sacred site" status but also symbolizes that the seeds of El Cantare faith have been sown in this land since ancient times.

El Cantare refers to the Mahayana Buddha, Vairocana Buddha.
From 'The Age of Religious Choice' open_in_new

Proof of the "Sacred Site" in Tokushima, Kawashima Town - Discovery of "Dainichi-ji" Ruins at the Birthplace of Ryuho Okawa, Happy Science President open_in_new