During a Bodhi Day memorial during the Kamakura period at Daih艒on-ji it's recorded that the 3rd abbot, Jizen (鎱堢涓婁汉), took 4 radishes, cut them in half and drew the Sanskrit character for Buddha on each.
He then distributed them as a prayer for good health.
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After a night of temptation and doubt, Buddha reached enlightenment just as Venus appeared in the morning sky.
Perhaps inspired by this, Jizen may have used the radish to symbolise the star, linking it to the overcoming of obstacles. The vegetable would come to be seen as a charm.
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Autumn at Daihoon-ji.
Images of Okame inside the main hall of Daihoon-ji. Now a folk figure, Okame was a real woman. The wife of the temple's head carpenter, she helped save construction of the main hall when her husband's calculations proved incorrect. Her reward? She killed herself to prevent anyone from knowing what had happened (the story got out anyway).
The main hall of Daihoon-ji is a national treasure. It is the oldest building in Kyoto's city proper.
Feline friend at Daihoon-ji.