Awa Kokubun-ji Temple

Overview

Awa Kokubun-ji Temple, located in Yano, Kokufu-cho, Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture, is a Soto Zen Buddhist temple also known as Yakuo-zan, Kogan-in. It's famously the 15th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, commonly referred to simply as Kokubun-ji Temple. Built following Emperor Shomu's decree for the construction of Kokubun-ji temples throughout the country, temple lore states that it was founded by Gyoki, who is said to have personally carved the Yakushi Nyorai (Healing Buddha) statue. It's also said that Emperor Shomu donated a Shaka Nyorai (Shakyamuni Buddha) statue, the Daihannyakyo sutras, and a reliquary containing the posthumous tablet of Empress Komyo. Initially a Hossō sect temple with the seven halls and pagodas of a large temple complex, it is believed to have converted to the Shingon sect during the Kogen period (810-824 CE) when Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi) visited. The temple grounds feature a garden designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty, known as one of Japan's finest gardens with its bold stonework. It's believed to have been constructed during the late 16th century Azuchi-Momoyama period by the Miyoshi clan, with parts extensively renovated in the late Edo period. The impressive 4.3m-high standing stone is one of the largest in Japan, and was surveyed by Shigemori Mirei in 1966. The site of the original Awa Kokubun-ji Temple is also a prefectural historical site. As one of the Kokubun-ji temples built throughout the nation during the Tempyo period, it's believed to have followed the Todai-ji style, with a seven-story pagoda to the west and a golden hall and lecture hall arranged linearly. The temple grounds are estimated to have covered an area of approximately 218 meters square, and a central pillar base has been excavated from the rice paddies to the southwest of the current grounds. Awa Kokubun-ji Temple is beloved by many tourists as a place to experience history, culture, and tranquil moments.