Enkōji
Enkōji is a Chisan Shingon temple in Sukumo, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. Temple 39 on the [Shikoku pilgrimage|Shikoku 88 Buddhist temples in Japan|temple pilgrimage], the main image is of Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing and medicine. The temple is said to have been founded by Gyōki in the first year of the Jinki era.
History
Gyōki founded Enkōji in 724 after receiving an imperial command by Emperor Shōmu who had an interest in establishing a system of provincial temples in Japan. Gyōki carved a wooden statue of the deity Yakushi Nyorai which he designated as a honzon of the temple. In 911, a red turtle climbed up to the temple grounds from the sea carrying a Buddhist temple bell on its back. Statues of this turtle can now be seen throughout the temple grounds along with images of the various deities that represent Enkōji. Enkōji can also be referred to as Shakkizan and Jisannin.Buildings
- Hondō, early Jinki period
- Sanmon: Niōmon
- Shōrō
- Gomadō: Shrine within the temple grounds to conduct Goma rituals to ask for blessing from deities. Goma is conducted by burning cedar sticks available for purchase next to the gomadō.
- Eye cleansing well： It is said that in 795, Kūkai used a Khakkhara to break open the ground and pull water up to the surface of the earth to save the nearby villagers suffering from severe droughts. The remaining hole has been turned into a well, and is now known as the “eye cleansing well”.
- Red turtle and bell statue
- Japanese rock garden
- Japanese pond and stream garden: Traditional Japanese garden style that has a pond and stream as the center point of the garden. At Enkōji, a statue of a turtle emerging from the pond is the main attraction of this garden.
Treasures
- Bronze bell : 33 cm tall, 25.2 cm circumference, 23.5 cm diameter. The oldest Buddhist temple bell in all of Kochi Prefecture.
- Wooden Yakushi Nyorai, Nikkō bosatsu, and Gakkō bosatsu statues
- Chinese juniper tree : Estimated 400 years old. Designated an ICP by Sukumo City on July 24, 1963.