Enpuku-ji


Enpuku-ji is a Buddhist temple located in the Baba neighborhood of the city of Chōshi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is an independent temple under Shingon Buddhism and its honzon is a statue of Jūichimen Kannon Bosatsu, also popularly known as the Iinuma Kannon. The temples full name is Iinuma-zan Enpuku-ji. The temple is the 27th stop on the Bandō Sanjūsankasho pilgrimage route.
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Overview

The origins of this temple are uncertain. According to the temple's legend, two fishermen scooped up a statue of the Jūichimen Kannon in their nets in the first year of the Jinki era and became monks. During the Tenpyō era the wandering priest Gyōki heard this story and made an altar. However, when it was completed, the altar was a little too small, so the statue bowed its head and entered the altar by itself. Later, Kūkai, who visited this area during the Kōnin era, constructed a temple.
After the Kamakura period, the temple flourished as a result of the devotion of the local Kaijō clan who ruled this area. In 1591, Tokugawa Ieyasu gave the temple a red seal and the various halls were maintained. The Kannon-do was built in 1578, but extensively renovated in 1773, and other buildings, such as a Niōmon and Tahōtō were constructed.
Most of the temple was destroyed in 1945 in the Chōshi air raids, and its current structures are all post-war reconstructions.
The five-story pagoda at the temple was completed in 2009 and is 33.55 meters tall.

Bandō Sanjūsankasho (Bandō 33 temple pilgrimage)

The temple is the 27th temple on the 33 temple Bandō Sanjūsankasho pilgrimage route.

Access

The temple is a five-minute walk from Kannon Station on the Choshi Electric Railway Line.

Cultural Properties

National Important Cultural Properties

Chiba Prefectural Important Cultural Properties