The Invitation Tiger associated with Prince Shotoku
Gyokuzo-in Temple, located on Mount Shigisan in Heguri-cho, Ikoma-gun, Nara Prefecture, is a sacred site said to have been founded by Prince Shotoku after he was inspired by Bishamonten, and boasts a history of approximately 1,400 years. Gyokuzo-in Temple was founded at the end of the Heian period as a sub-temple within the main temple Chogosonshi-ji Temple, and since the Middle Ages has attracted many ascetic monks and flourished as a place of training and prayer.
Every January, to commemorate the first day of the tiger, when Prince Shotoku made a connection with Bishamonten, a prayer service is held at 4:15 a.m. The temple also has a well-established lodging culture, where visitors can experience things like copying sutras, copying Buddha images, and meditating, and many worshippers still visit today.
One of the gifts given out at Gyokuzo-in Temple is a papier-mâché "inviting tiger." It is said that Bishamonten appeared on Mount Shigi on the "year of the tiger, day of the tiger, and hour of the tiger." This tiger, with its right paw raised to bring financial luck and its left paw raised to bring good fortune, is popularly known as the "tiger that brings good fortune." This adorable gift is modeled after a tiger, a symbol of strength and good fortune.
