Nankobo is the only temple among all 88 on the Shikoku pilgrimage to use 'bo' (meaning small Buddhist temple) in its name, which is ironic since it's actually one of the largest temples on the route.

In 1954, master calligrapher Kawamura Kizan donated his sugegasa (straw hat) to the temple after the head priest marveled at the calligraphy on it. The hat is now preserved as a temple treasure.

The temple's Nio guardian statues in the gate are so ferociously expressive that photographers trying to capture them risk falling into the carp pond while framing their shots.

The temple's concrete main hall hides its modern construction well. The original building was destroyed in the 1945 bombing of Imabari, with only the Daishido and Kompirado surviving the air raids.