Honkō-ji Temple

Overview

Honko-ji is a Hokke-shu (Nichiren) temple in the cluster of temples at the foot of Mount Utatsu in Higashiyama, Kanazawa. Its mountain name is Hoeizan, and it is a branch temple of Honno-ji in Kyoto. Its gate, designated a cultural property of Kanazawa City, is a highlight, and the temple is also known for the graves of the kyoka poet Horikoshi Sagenji and Hayashi Kenzo, noted for the development of Hokkaido. Close to the Higashi Chaya district, it suits a quiet walk through the temple quarter.

Highlights

• ●A gate designated a cultural property of Kanazawa City
• ●A historic Hokke-shu temple said to date from 1416
• ●A branch temple of Kyoto's Honno-ji, with the mountain name Hoeizan
• ●Graves of Horikoshi Sagenji and Hayashi Kenzo

History

Honko-ji is said to have been founded in 1416, a Hokke-shu temple with a long history. Maintained as a branch temple of Honno-ji in Kyoto, it bears the mountain name Hoeizan. Its grounds hold the graves of the kyoka poet Horikoshi Sagenji and of Hayashi Kenzo, remembered for the development of Hokkaido, preserving Kanazawa's cultural and personal history. The gate is designated a cultural property of Kanazawa City. For a fuller history, please check official information.

Map

36.5794, 136.6387 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Start at the Higashi Chaya district and head to the temples at the foot of Mount Utatsu
2. 2Admire Honko-ji's gate, a designated cultural property of Kanazawa City
3. 3Encounter Kanazawa's personal history at the graves in the grounds
4. 4Visit the surrounding temples and enjoy the old townscape of Higashiyama

Did you know?

💡 With the distinction of being a branch temple of Kyoto's Honno-ji, and the unusual pairing of a kyoka poet's and a Hokkaido pioneer's graves, the temple evokes the many layers of Kanazawa's cultural history.

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