Kongōbu-ji Temple

Kongōbu-ji Temple

Kongōbu-ji Temple is located on Mount Kōya in Kōya Town, Itō District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. It serves as the head temple of the Kōyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism and enshrines Akshobhya Buddha as its principal image. Originally founded by the monk Kūkai in the 7th year of the Hōki era (816), what visitors see today was largely rebuilt by the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1593 as a memorial to his mother after the original structure, known as the Seigan-ji Temple, was destroyed in a fire. The current form of the temple was completed in 1863 and renamed to its present name in 1869.

Kongōbu-ji Temple is an important component of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.” Centered around the Main Hall, the temple complex features numerous buildings including the Side Halls, New Side Halls, Inner Hall, New Study Hall, Sutra Repository, Bell Tower, Goma Hall, and Fudō Hall. With its grand scale and magnificent architecture, it is one of the most popular temple complexes among visitors in Wakayama Prefecture. The Main Hall measures 60 meters from east to west and 70 meters from north to south, and is used for major temple ceremonies. Its Japanese-style sliding doors are adorned with paintings by the famous 16th-century artist Motonobu Kano, making them a must-see attraction. In addition, the temple houses national treasures and important cultural properties, such as the Buddhist image of the Reclining Nirvana and a silk-painted statue of Mahāvairocana.

Kongobuji

Why Visit: The Most Important Temple on Mount Kōya

Continent: Asia

Country/Region: Japan

Province/State: Wakayama Prefecture

City: Itō District