Overview
Rokujoji is a temple of the Shinshu Otani-ha school in the Kawahara district of Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture. It bears the mountain name Ryugezan and enshrines Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha) as its principal image. Set in a village community along the Sendai River in the southern part of Tottori City, it retains the character of a local Pure Land Buddhist hall long supported by parishioners. It is not a flashy attraction, but its main hall, blending into the quiet valley townscape, conveys the calm atmosphere of a Higashi Honganji-affiliated Shin temple.
Highlights
- ●A calm local temple of the Shinshu Otani-ha (Higashi Honganji lineage)
- ●Faith centered on Amida Nyorai under the mountain name Ryugezan
- ●The feel of a nembutsu hall rooted in the Kawahara village by the Sendai River
- ●The pleasure of tracing the origin of its hard-to-read name, Rokujoji
History
Rokujoji belongs to the Shinshu Otani-ha, part of the Jodo Shinshu tradition with its head temple at Higashi Honganji in Kyoto. Its principal image, Amida Nyorai, stands at the heart of the Shin teaching that all people are saved through the nembutsu invocation Namu Amida Butsu. Under the mountain name Ryugezan, the temple has taken root in Kawahara, holding memorial services and seasonal observances together with its parishioners. For details such as its founding date, please check with the temple or local official sources when you visit.
Access
The temple lies in the Kawahara district of Tottori City, near 35.38N, 134.21E. Head south from central Tottori along the Sendai River to reach the Kawahara area. By public transport, the Kawahara Station area on the JR Innan Line is convenient, from which you enter the village. Please confirm whether the grounds are open, along with hours and parking, via the temple's or Tottori City's official information.
Best season
From autumn into early winter, when Shin services such as the Hoonko are held, you can sense the quiet liveliness typical of the temple. Spring, as the surrounding hills come into bud, makes for a pleasant walk along the approach. Checking the schedule of services and events in advance allows for an unhurried visit.
Map
35.3790, 134.2103 · Wikidata
Suggested itinerary
- 1Enter the Kawahara village from JR Kawahara Station
- 2Pay a quiet visit to Amida Nyorai in the main hall of Rokujoji
- 3Stroll the valley townscape and the scenery along the Sendai River
- 4Close the day with historic sites and local food around Kawahara
Did you know?
💡 The temple's name is written with characters that are read Rokujoji, a reading hard to guess at first sight. The mountain name Ryugezan derives from a tree of an ideal Buddhist realm and carries the solemn ring often used in the mountain names of Shin temples.
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