Chogakuji Temple

This ancient temple boasts many important cultural properties and buildings from the Fujiwara and Kamakura periods, such as the tower gate, the kori (storehouse), and the main hall, all within its spacious precincts.

The temple grounds are decorated with beautiful flowers from season to season, and the beauty of the Hirado azalea, which blooms from late April to early May, is especially breathtaking.

Kakitsubata also blooms from mid to late May in the pond in front of the main hall, and its neat appearance on the surface of the water soothes the hearts of those who see it.

In the fall, the autumn colors of the leaves are beautiful, and the temple has long been a popular spot for poetry and waka poems. Visitors can also enjoy eating the famous Miwa somen noodles in the temple’s storehouse.

Chogakuji Temple is a historic temple that was founded in 824 by Kukai as a shrine temple of the Yamato Shrine in accordance with an imperial edict by Emperor Junna.

In its heyday, it was a large temple with as many as 48 pagodas, but it fell into decline due to the Onin War and a military fire in 1502. However, it was restored in 1602 with the support of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The main image, a wooden statue of the three Amitabha statues, was created in 1151 and is the oldest Buddhist statue in Japan using the jade eye technique (a technique in which crystals are inlaid into the eyes of the statue), and is designated as an important cultural property.

Also existing in the spacious precincts are the oldest neat bell tower gate in Japan and the Enmeiden Hall in the early Edo period (Hogata-zukuri), and there are many 2-meter stone Buddha statues from the Kamakura to Edo periods that were made from stone from ancient tombs.

In autumn, a large painting of hell, 11 meters wide by 4 meters high and consisting of nine panels, painted by Kano Sangaku in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, is opened to the public.

The charm of Chogaku-ji Temple lies in its nature with beautiful seasonal flowers and cultural assets in its history. The temple is one of the most popular places for visitors to feel peace and tranquility.