Shinano Kokubun-ji Temple

Overview

Shinano Kokubun-ji is a Tendai-sect Buddhist temple in the Kokubu district of Ueda, Nagano Prefecture, whose principal image is a statue of Yakushi Nyorai. It is the successor to the Nara-period provincial temple of Shinano Province, part of the nationwide network of kokubunji founded by Emperor Shomu. In the Edo period it bore the name Joruri-san Shingon-in Kokubun-ji, and its main hall, the Yakushi-do, is also known as Yokado.

Highlights

• ●The main hall, the Yakushi-do, which enshrines Yakushi Nyorai and carries the alternative name Yokado
• ●Its historical role as the successor to the Nara-period provincial temple of Shinano Province
• ●The nearby ruins of the ancient provincial temple and nunnery, designated a National Historic Site
• ●Its standing as one of the sites on the Chubu 49 Yakushi pilgrimage route

History

During the Nara period, Emperor Shomu decreed the building of provincial temples across Japan to promote Buddhism and standardize imperial control of the provinces, and Shinano Province received both a provincial temple and an associated nunnery. The present Shinano Kokubun-ji is regarded as their successor, and in the Edo period it was styled Joruri-san Shingon-in Kokubun-ji. The archaeological remains of the ancient temple and nunnery grounds were collectively designated a National Historic Site in 1974.

Map

36.3830, 138.2711 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Visit the main hall, the Yakushi-do (Yokado), and learn about the tradition surrounding its principal image of Yakushi Nyorai
2. 2Walk the temple grounds to take in the atmosphere of this Tendai-sect complex
3. 3Continue to the adjacent ruins of the ancient provincial temple and nunnery to trace the remains of the early temple
4. 4Return to the town center and stop by nearby visitor facilities or resting spots

Did you know?

💡 The main hall, the Yakushi-do, is also known by the alternative name Yokado.

Nearby spots