is a kind of

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...

. Ankoku-ji may mean "Temple for National Pacification". There are numerous Ankoku-ji throughout

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and the world. The ''Ankoku-ji'' system was developed under the Ashikaga shogunate, as part of its stabilizing the country. The Fudoin Temple within Higashi-ku, Hiroshima, for example, was built by '' Shōgun''

Takauji Ashikaga was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate."Ashikaga Takauji" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromac ...

as one of 60 Ankoku-ji temples which were constructed in all provinces across Japan, in the 14th century. Specific ones in Japan include: * Ankoku-ji (Aichi), located in Kōta,

Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...

* Ankoku-ji (Aira), located in Aira,

Kagoshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,599,779 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 9,187 km2 (3,547 sq mi). Kagoshima Prefecture borders Kumamoto P ...

* Ankoku-ji (Ayabe), located in Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Azumino), located in Azumino,

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

* Ankoku-ji (Chinoshi), located in Chino,

* Fudoin Temple in Higashi-Ku, Ushita-shinmachi, Hiroshima. * Ankoku-ji (Fukuoka), located in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Fukuyama), located in Fukuyama,

Hiroshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...

* Ankoku-ji (Gifu), located in Ikeda,

Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...

* Ankoku-ji (Ichikawa), located in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Iki), located in Iki, Nagasaki Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Iwanuma), located in

Iwanuma 270px, Iwanuma City Hall is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 43,946 in 18,062 households, and a population density of 730 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Iwanuma is at the ...

Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,305,596 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the nort ...

* Ankoku-ji (Katori), located in Katori, Chiba Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Kitakyushu), located in

Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuku ...

, Fukuoka Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Kunisaki), located in

Kunisaki is a small coastal city located in Ōita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. It is located on the Kunisaki Peninsula facing the Seto Inland Sea. Mostly covered by forests and farmlands, the peninsula is dotted with temples. The modern city of Kunisaki w ...

, Ōita Prefecture *

Ankoku-ji (Kurume) is a kind of Buddhist temple. Ankoku-ji may mean "Temple for National Pacification". There are numerous Ankoku-ji throughout Japan and the world. The ''Ankoku-ji'' system was developed under the Ashikaga shogunate, as part of its stabilizing ...

, located in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Kitakyushu), located in

, Fukuoka Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Kyōto), located in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Naha), located in Naha,

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city o ...

* Ankoku-ji (Nankan), located in Nankan, Kumamoto Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Odowara), located in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture *

Ankoku-ji (Saikai) is a kind of Buddhist temple. Ankoku-ji may mean "Temple for National Pacification". There are numerous Ankoku-ji throughout Japan and the world. The ''Ankoku-ji'' system was developed under the Ashikaga shogunate, as part of its stabilizing ...

, located in

Saikai is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of March 2017, the city has an estimated population of 28,815 and a population density of 4,700 persons per km2. The total area is 242.01 km2. The modern city of Saikai was established on ...

, Nagasaki Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Satsumasendai), located in Satsumasendai,

* Ankoku-ji (Shimotsuke), located in Shimotsuke, Tochigi Prefecture *

Ankoku-ji (Takarazuka) is a kind of Buddhist temple. Ankoku-ji may mean "Temple for National Pacification". There are numerous Ankoku-ji throughout Japan and the world. The ''Ankoku-ji'' system was developed under the Ashikaga shogunate, as part of its stabilizing ...

, located in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture * Ankoku-ji (Takayama), located in Takayama,

* Ankoku-ji (Toyooka), located in Toyooka,

Hyōgo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and has a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, an ...

* Ankoku-ji (Yonago), located in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture

Further reading