Also known as Mizuma Kannon, Mizumadera is an ancient Buddhist sanctuary that hosts a famous statue of the bodhisattva Kannon, believed to ward off misfortune. Though Kannon is the temple’s main deity, Mizumadera is particularly popular among people looking for love, who flock to the Aizendo Hall on its grounds to pray to a different figure. This building houses a likeness of Aizen Myo-o, one of the Wisdom Kings of Buddhism, who is worshipped here as a deity of relationships and romance.
The hall’s claim to fame comes from its role in the legend of Onatsu and Seijuro, a 700-year-old story of forbidden love between a samurai and a farmer’s daughter. The two first meet only briefly as Seijuro passes through Onatsu’s village. After he leaves, Onatsu refuses to give up on their love, visiting the Aizendo Hall every day to pray for Seijuro to come back. And return he does, with the lovers reuniting in a happy ending.
According to the story, after a long and joyful life together, Onatsu and Seijuro were buried side by side in the garden in front of Aizendo. Devotees praying at the hall often also visit their grave, as well as the luck-bringing Aizen Bridge in Mizuma Park nearby.