Kannonkyoji - Sambu District

I was taken care of by Mr. Niou because of the warding off evil, and since then, I have been greeting him at the beginning of the month. Every month, the colors and smells of plants are different and you can feel the four seasons. We will continue to pray every month.

? Recommended highlights ● A number of "main hall sculptures". ● "Mie Tower" ● "Niomon". If you take a closer look, you will find a lot of attractions such as ● "Takebayashi" and ● "Old Hatago" next door. I visited Shibayama Town on Monday, September 6, 2021. Unfortunately it was raining, but this ancient temple was entertaining enough. On the Narita City Tourism Association website "Kannonkyoji Temple was built in 781 and is one of the oldest temples in Japan. It is widely known for its black-painted Nio-son called "Kuro-Nio", and during the Edo period, it was known as "Shibayama Nio-son" along with Narita Fudoson. It is said that there is a spiritual test for fire and theft prevention and traffic safety, and the Mie Tower in front of the precincts is also famous as one of the prefecture's leading cultural properties. Is introduced. The following is from the Shibayama Town homepage Shibayama Nioson Kannonkyoji Temple Formally, it is called Tennoyama Kannonkyoji Fukujuin. An ancient temple of the Tendai sect, which was founded by Fujiwara no Tsuginawa in the first year of Tenno (781) in the Nara period. The principal image is the eleven-faced Kanzeon Bosatsu. In the Middle Ages, it was a prayer temple for the Chiba clan, and in the early modern period, it was a prayer temple for fire and thieves. It was worshiped from all over the country along with Mt. Narita, and until the 1955's there was a hatago in front of the gate. It has cultural properties such as the three-storied pagoda, which is a cultural property designated by Chiba Prefecture, and the statue of Nio, a cultural property designated by Shibayama Town. In addition, at the Shibayama Haniwa Museum adjacent to the main hall, nine haniwa, a cultural property designated by Chiba Prefecture, excavated during the excavation of the Tonozuka and Himezuka tumuli in 1956 are on display.

I was wondering what kind of temple it was because of the name Kannonkyoji. As I climbed the stone steps on the approach to the shrine, I was struck by the large temple-style mountain gate in the middle. The inside of the hall is a symmetrical tatami room, and you can worship Nioson in that room. This is the first time for a mountain gate like this. There is also a three-storied pagoda on the right side of the main hall. Neither the principal idol nor the Nio idol can be photographed, but it was a very splendid temple built in 781.

The official name is Tennoyama Kannonkyoji Fukujuin Nio-sama, who is a fire thief, gathers faith and is called by the name of "Shibayama Nioson". It is said that it was founded by Fujiwara no Tsuginawa, the ambassador of Seito, under the command of Emperor Konin in 781 at the end of the Nara period. The principal image enshrines the eleven-faced Kannon of the early Heian period. In the Middle Ages, it prospered as a prayer place for Mr. Chiba, who ruled Boso. It became a large temple. [Excerpt from the local information board] The Sanmon is in the form of a left and right temple, and the Nioson is enshrined. The three-storied pagoda, which was rebuilt at the end of the Edo period, is proud of its majesty in the precincts.

There is a free parking lot just below, and one souvenir shop sells rice cakes. Climb the steep stairs to the precincts from the mountain gate. I thought that the inside of the mountain gate was a magnificent hall. I was a little surprised that the main hall, which has a lot of sculptures and appearances, can be lifted up with shoes. There were many weeping cherry blossoms, so I think it's wonderful in spring. The sculpture of the triple tower was also wonderful, but if you look inside, is it a golden Buddhist tool? I mean, they were scattered, or it seems that they weren't standing properly, so I was a little disappointed. From here, there is a guide board on the mountain used road, so I definitely want to walk at the next opportunity.

I used to go to Haniwa Kaido, but I hadn't had a chance to worship until now ? This time it was the cherry blossom season, so I visited on March 31, 4th year of Reiwa. When I climbed the stairs, there was a mountain gate, and large straw shoes were hung on both sides. What does that mean? I imagined it was a prayer for the safety of travelers ? ?, but what about ? When I passed through the mountain gate and entered the precincts, there was a main hall in front and a triple tower on the right side. The weeping cherry blossoms were full of flowers and it was in full bloom ? It's a historical temple of the Tendai sect ? And Shibayama-cho has just developed as a gate town of Shibayama Nioson ? I didn't know ? The parking lot is large and the park is adjacent to the park, so after visiting, it might be a good idea to take a walk in the park or visit the Haniwa Museum ?