Overview
Daifuku-ji, in the Funakata district of Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, is a temple of the Chizan school of Shingon Buddhism. Its mountain name is Funakata-zan and its cloister name Fumon-in. Halfway up a sheer hillside, a vermilion Kannon hall juts out on stilt-like supports, and into the rock face behind it is carved a cliff-relief image of the Eleven-Headed Kannon. For this reason it has long been affectionately known as the Cliff Kannon (Gake-no-Kannon). The sight of the hall against sweeping views of Tateyama Bay is among the most striking scenes of prayer on the whole Bōsō Peninsula.
Highlights
- ●A vermilion Kannon hall built in stilt-supported style, jutting from the middle of a rock face
- ●The cliff-relief Eleven-Headed Kannon carved into the stone (an Important Cultural Property of Tateyama)
- ●A sweeping panorama of Tateyama Bay seen from the Kannon hall
- ●An ancient pedigree dating to 717, said to be founded by Gyōki and revived by Ennin
History
According to temple tradition, Daifuku-ji was founded in 717, the first year of the Yōrō era in the Nara period, by the priest Gyōki (668–749). It is said to have been revived early in the Heian period by a visit from the eminent Tendai priest Ennin (794–864), though no certain record survives. The date at which it returned to the Shingon school is unknown, but during the Edo period it received a vermilion-seal certificate (juinjō) from the Tokugawa shogunate, marking it as an officially recognised temple. The Eleven-Headed Kannon carved into the cliff is protected as an Important Cultural Property of the city of Tateyama.
Access
The temple stands in Funakata, Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, at roughly 35.03 degrees north and 139.84 degrees east. By rail it is about a 15-minute walk from Nako-Funakata Station on the JR Uchibō Line. Set in a seaside town facing Tateyama Bay, its Kannon hall clings to the hillside and is reached by climbing stone steps from the temple grounds. For details such as parking for those arriving by car, please refer to official information.
Best season
On clear days when sea and sky are bright, the vermilion hall commands a full view of Tateyama Bay, making the temple worth visiting all year round. Autumn and winter, when the air is especially clear, and the season that heralds spring in Bōsō, are particularly fine, as the view and the crimson hall stand out against each other. The mild, sea-breeze-blessed setting is a charm in itself.
Map
35.0306, 139.8415 · Wikidata
Suggested itinerary
- 1From Nako-Funakata Station on the JR Uchibō Line, walk through the seaside town to Daifuku-ji (the Cliff Kannon)
- 2Pray at the main hall, then climb the stone steps to the stilt-built Kannon hall
- 3Look out over Tateyama Bay from the hall's gallery and pay respects to the cliff-relief Eleven-Headed Kannon
- 4After the visit, stroll along Tateyama's coast and enjoy Bōsō's seafood and scenery
Did you know?
💡 The nickname Cliff Kannon comes from the fact that the hall is hung halfway up a sheer rock wall, with the Eleven-Headed Kannon carved directly into the stone behind it. Gyōki, credited with the founding, was a legendary monk who devoted himself to public works and temple-building across Japan, while Ennin, said to have revived it, was one of the great figures of Tendai Buddhism. That both names are told here speaks to the temple's ancient pedigree.
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