Shōfuku-ji Temple

Overview

Shofuku-ji is an old temple at the foot of Mount Sashiro in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture. Belonging to the Fumon school of the Shingon tradition, it enshrines a Senju (Thousand-Armed) Eleven-Faced Kannon as its principal image. As the 23rd site on the Bando Sanjusankasho Kannon pilgrimage, it draws pilgrims from afar and is also fondly known locally as the Sashiro Kannon. Set against the history of the castle town of Kasama, it is a quiet place to combine worship with a stroll through the hills.

Highlights

• ●The air of a Kannon sanctuary as the 23rd Bando pilgrimage site
• ●The deep devotion offered to the Thousand-Armed Eleven-Faced Kannon
• ●A location backed by Mount Sashiro, once home to the Kasama clan's castle
• ●A quiet space of prayer evoked by a verse on the pine wind

History

Temple tradition dates its founding to the year 651, making it one of the oldest sites in Kasama. The Mount Sashiro that rises behind the temple was the site of the Kasama clan's castle in medieval times, so the history of Kannon devotion and of the fortress overlap here. Carefully maintained over the centuries, it has continued to gather faith as a station on the Bando Kannon pilgrimage. For its detailed history and the origins of its halls, on-site guides and official sources offer deeper insight.

Map

36.3863, 140.2596 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Walk the approach at the foot of Mount Sashiro toward Shofuku-ji
2. 2Pray before the Kannon in the main hall and mark the pilgrimage station
3. 3Stroll the grounds while taking in the green of Sashiro and traces of the old castle
4. 4Continue on to central Kasama and its pottery kilns

Did you know?

💡 A devotional verse tied to the principal image speaks of waking from the dreams of this world at Mount Sashiro, where a wondrous teaching resounds in the pine wind. Listening to that wind, visitors can sense the presence of the Sashiro Kannon, from which the temple's alternate name derives.

Nearby spots