Kannonkyō-ji Temple

Overview

Kannonkyo-ji is a temple of the Tendai school in Shibayama, Sanbu District, Chiba Prefecture, bearing the mountain name Tenno-zan. Its principal image is the Eleven-Headed Kannon. As the concluding (kechigan) temple of the Kazusa Yakushi Nyorai pilgrimage (No. 28), the concluding temple of the New Kazusa Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage (No. 33), and No. 6 in Chiba on the Togoku Hana-no-Tera Hundred Temples circuit, it welcomes many pilgrims to its venerable grounds. The guardian Nio figures in its gate are widely known as the Shibayama Nio, and the temple also houses the Shibayama Haniwa Museum on its grounds.

Highlights

• ●The long history of Tenno-zan, an ancient Tendai temple said to have been founded in 781
• ●Its standing as a station on three pilgrimage circuits (Kazusa Yakushi, New Kazusa Thirty-Three Kannon, and Togoku Flower Temples)
• ●The Shibayama Nio of the gate, famed for warding off fire and thieves
• ●The chance to explore haniwa culture at the Shibayama Haniwa Museum on the grounds

History

According to temple tradition, its founding dates back to the year 781, making it an ancient Tendai temple with a history spanning more than twelve centuries. Centered on its principal image, the Eleven-Headed Kannon, it developed as a sacred site of Kannon devotion, and came to be known as a temple of high standing that serves as the concluding station on both the Kazusa Yakushi and the New Kazusa Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimages. The Nio of the gate, revered for their power to ward off fire and thieves, are affectionately called the Shibayama Nio.

Map

35.6928, 140.4267 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Head from the Narita area to Shibayama Town and arrive at Tenno-zan Kannonkyo-ji
2. 2Pass through the Nio gate enshrining the Shibayama Nio and pay respects to the Eleven-Headed Kannon
3. 3Visit the Shibayama Haniwa Museum on the grounds to see the haniwa culture of the nearby mounds
4. 4Round off the trip by touring Hokuso plateau sites such as the nearby Shibayama burial mounds

Did you know?

💡 A major feature is the Shibayama Haniwa Museum housed on the grounds, where visitors can encounter the haniwa clay-figure culture unearthed from the nearby Shibayama burial mounds. The Shibayama Nio of the gate have long drawn popular devotion as guardian figures that ward off fire and thieves.

Nearby spots