Highlights of Ankokuji Temple
National Treasure: Sutra Repository
Built in 1408, the sutra repository is an outstanding example of Zen-style architecture. Inside is a rinzō, a rotating sutra library used to store Buddhist scriptures. It is particularly valuable because it is considered the oldest surviving example in Japan whose date of construction is known.
Important Cultural Property: Seated Clay Statue of Priest Zuigan
This seated statue of Priest Zuigan was created in 1392 using a sculptural technique that shapes figures from clay. Clay sculpture was relatively uncommon in medieval Japan, making this work especially significant. The statue is admired for its lifelike expression, which conveys the character of the priest.
Important Cultural Property: Main Hall of Kumano Shrine
Kumano Shrine, the guardian shrine of Ankokuji Temple, is also an important historical structure. Its main hall features a three-bay nagare-style shrine design with a wooden shingle roof. The building is valuable for understanding the origins and development of shrine architecture in the Hida region.
Temple Garden
The temple garden is a traditional pond garden designed for strolling. Visitors can enjoy its changing scenery throughout the seasons.
Buddhist Bell
The temple also preserves a Buddhist bell cast in the early Edo period. It is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Yakushidō Hall
The Yakushidō Hall enshrines Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing, and is associated with Ankokuji Temple’s role as the 11th temple on the Hida Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage.
Visitor Information
Address: 474 Nishimonzen, Kokufu-cho, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Telephone: 0577-72-2173