Suma Temple

Suma Temple

Suma Temple is located in Sumadera-chō, Suma Ward, Kobe City, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Established in the 2nd year of the Ninna era (886), it is a Shingon sect temple. Its official name is Fukuoshō-ji on Mount Ueno, with the mountain name Ueno-yama, and its principal image is the Sacred Kannon. Having endured over a thousand years of wind and rain, today’s Suma Temple may no longer have the splendor of its past, but it still preserves important cultural properties such as a wooden Eleven-faced Kannon standing statue, a silk-painted painting of Samantabhadra and the Ten Rakshasa Women, the main hall’s inner palace, and the altar. Together with the ancient temple buildings, these treasures welcome visitors with a sense of history and solemnity.

The temple grounds are tranquil and elegant. Under the lush green trees or in front of the old-fashioned shrine buildings, visitors can often find haiku monuments inscribed with verses by famous Japanese literary figures such as Matsuo Bashō, Yosa Buson, and Masaoka Shiki, adding a rich cultural atmosphere. In addition, the temple is planted with many cherry blossom trees. When spring arrives, the branches are covered with fragrant, gorgeous blooms, attracting numerous visitors to enjoy the flowers.

Suma Temple

Why go: One of Kobe’s most famous temples

Continent where the attraction is located: Asia

Country/region where the attraction is located: Japan

Province/state where the attraction is located: Hyōgo Prefecture

City where the attraction is located: Kobe