Hōgon-ji Temple

Overview

Hōgon-ji is a Buddhist temple on Chikubushima island in the city of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, belonging to the Shingon-shū Buzan-ha sect. Its principal object of worship is Benzaiten, and its full name is Iwakin-san Hōgon-ji. The temple is a site of both Kannon and Benzaiten devotion.

Highlights

• ●A sacred center of Benzaiten worship, counted among the Three Great Benzaiten of Japan
• ●The Kannon hall, the 30th stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, honoring a Thousand-Armed Kannon popularly called the Chikubushima Kannon
• ●Cultural properties such as the Kara-mon gate and the Treasure Hall
• ●A pilgrimage site also included in the Shinbutsu Reijō route and the Lake Biwa 108 Pilgrimage Sites

History

According to temple tradition, Hōgon-ji was founded in 724. It stands on Chikubushima, an island in Lake Biwa, and belongs to the Shingon-shū Buzan-ha sect. Over its long history it has been a focus of both Kannon pilgrimage and Benzaiten faith.

Map

35.4211, 136.1432 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Cross by boat to Chikubushima island
2. 2Visit the Kannon hall, the 30th stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage
3. 3Pay respects at the hall enshrining the principal Benzaiten image
4. 4View the island's cultural properties, including the Kara-mon gate

Did you know?

💡 The temple's Thousand-Armed Kannon is popularly known as the Chikubushima Kannon, after the island on which it stands.

Nearby spots