is a
Buddhist temple
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...
located in the city of
Chōshi
Chōshi (, ) is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 59,174 in 27,160 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is .
Geography
Chōshi is located in the northeastern part ...
in
Chiba Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...
. According to tradition, the temple was founded by
Kūkai
, born posthumously called , was a Japanese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and poet who founded the Vajrayana, esoteric Shingon Buddhism, Shingon school of Buddhism. He travelled to China, where he studied Tangmi (Chinese Vajrayana Buddhism) und ...
between 810 and 824 AD, and possibly sits on the site of a former temple called Iinuma-ji. According to tradition, in this period Kūkai built a main hall and conducted services at the temple.
Enpuku-ji is the 27th station on the
Bandō Sanjūsankasho
The ("The Bandō 33 Kannon Pilgrimage") is a series of 33 Buddhist temples in Eastern Japan sacred to Kannon. Bandō is the old name for what is now the Kantō region,Donald Richie used in this case because the temples are all in the Prefecture ...
circuit of temples in Eastern Japan, sacred to Goddess
Kannon
Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...
. The majority of buildings in the temple complex were destroyed during the
aerial bombing
An airstrike, air strike, or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighter aircraft, attack aircraft, bombers, attack helicopters, and drones. The official d ...
of Chōshi in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Cultural Treasures
*
Important Cultural Property of Japan
An The term is often shortened into just is an item officially classified as Tangible Cultural Property by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and judged to be o ...
**, a
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
cast-bronze gong used for Buddhist rituals. Currently housed at the
Nara National Museum
The is one of the pre-eminent national art museums in Japan.
Introduction
The Nara National Museum is located in Nara, which was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. Katayama Tōkuma (1854–1917) designed the original building, which is a rep ...
*Chiba Prefectural Cultural Property
** carrying the ''
nengō
The or , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being "", meaning "origin, basis"), followed b ...
'' "
Kyōtoku
was a after '' Hōtoku'' and before ''Kōshō.'' This period spanned the years from July 1452 through July 1455. The reigning emperor was .
Change of era
* 1452 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events. The old era e ...
11" (i.e., the 11th year of the Kyōtoku period, 1462)
**''Shaka Nehan-zu'', a Buddhist scroll in three parts
Order in Buddhist
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
s
Enpuku-ji is the 27th temple in the ''
Bandō Sanjūsankasho
The ("The Bandō 33 Kannon Pilgrimage") is a series of 33 Buddhist temples in Eastern Japan sacred to Kannon. Bandō is the old name for what is now the Kantō region,Donald Richie used in this case because the temples are all in the Prefecture ...
'', a pilgrimage circuit of 33 Buddhist temples in the
Kantō region
The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...
of eastern Japan dedicated to the
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...
Kannon.
Sources
*
*
References
External links
真言宗飯沼山 円福寺第27番 飯沼山 円福寺(飯沼観音)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Enpuku-Ji
9th-century Buddhist temples
Buddhist temples in Chiba Prefecture
Buildings and structures in Japan destroyed during World War II
Chōshi
Chiba Prefecture designated tangible cultural property
9th-century establishments in Japan