円城寺

Overview

Enjo-ji is a temple of the Myoshin-ji branch of the Rinzai Zen school, standing in the Tono district of Kamioka-cho in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture. Bearing the mountain name Tenshozan, it serves as the 22nd stop on the Hida Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage and has long drawn pilgrims and local worshippers to its quiet mountain setting.

Highlights

• ●The pilgrimage atmosphere as the 22nd station of the Hida Thirty-Three Kannon route
• ●Its Rinzai Myoshin-ji lineage and the mountain name Tenshozan
• ●The tranquil approach set among the hills of Tono, Kamioka-cho
• ●The local tale behind its distinguishing name, Tono-Enjo-ji

History

Belonging to the Myoshin-ji branch of Rinzai Zen and taking Tenshozan as its mountain name, Enjo-ji has been woven into the Hida Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage route as one of its sacred stations, carrying on the region's devotion to Kannon. Notably, the Funatsu area of the same Kamioka-cho is home to another Enjo-ji, a Soto Zen temple that shares the same mountain name, temple name and founding lineage. To tell them apart, the temple in the Tono district came to be called Tono-Enjo-ji. For a fuller history, checking official sources is recommended.

Map

36.3252, 137.3114 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Set off from central Kamioka toward Enjo-ji in the Tono district
2. 2Bow at the gate and stroll slowly through the grounds of Tenshozan Enjo-ji
3. 3Offer prayers at this pilgrimage station and sense Hida's Kannon devotion
4. 4Afterward, explore the townscape of Kamioka and the surrounding nature

Did you know?

💡 There is a second Enjo-ji in the Funatsu area of the same Kamioka-cho, but that one belongs to the Soto Zen school. Because the two share an identical mountain name, temple name and founder, the temple in the Tono district became known as Tono-Enjo-ji.

Nearby spots