The opening times are schedule is subject to change in order to prevent the spread of infection by COVID-19, the new coronavirus. Please refer to the official website of each facility for details. Shitennoji Koshindo Temple is the first site at which a Koshin object of worship was enshrined in Japan. This object of worship is normally kept locked away, and not available for public viewing. Its history goes back to a Koshin (auspicious calendar date calculated from the lunar calendar and linked to Taoist beliefs) day in 701, when a monk prayed for the health of countless people suffering from disease. A child appeared in response as a servant of the Buddhist deity Taishakuten, and the temple demonstrated its powers in warding off evil and disease. In the 1,300 years since then, this has spawned a belief that anything prayed for on the Koshin day or its eve will be granted. The Hatsu-koshin or "first Koshin day of the year" is the most lively, with readings of sutras on the eve of the day and massive outdoor purification rituals on the day off. On Koshin festival days, the temple grounds are lively with stalls selling treats like "Kitamuki Konyaku" devil's tongue. The "Three Wise Monkeys" hall on the premises is said to have the power to heal pain instantly, promising victory over ailments and relief from misfortune.