Kokuseiji - Okayama

Hidden with few visitors? It is a spot for autumn leaves. Zazen meditation is held on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 3rd Sunday of every month at the Zazen temple on the left side of the front. It was held with a smaller number of people than Sogenji, and the zazen time was longer, so I thought it was for those who are accustomed to it. There is also a beautifully arranged courtyard in the building on the right, and you can visit it if you wish.

Kokuseiji is a temple of the Rinzai sect Myoshinji school located in Naka-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture. The mountain number is Mt. Mansai. The principal image is Shakyamuni Buddha. It is the family temple of Terumasa Ikeda and Toshitaka, the ancestors of Mr. Ikeda of the Okayama Domain. It was built by Toshitaka Ikeda and was originally called Hogenji. After that, when the lord of the Okayama domain, Tadashi Ikeda, died, his younger brother, Tadao, who succeeded him as the lord of the domain, changed the name to Ryuhoji, which was his brother's family temple. With the transfer of Tottori Domain to Okayama Domain by Mitsumasa Ikeda, the name was changed to Kokuseiji Temple and became the family temple of his grandfather Terumasa and his father Toshitaka. The graveyard of the Kamokata and Ikusaka domains, which are the branch domains of the Okayama domain, was also run here.

There is a high-rise condominium in the background, but the precincts are quieter and more solemn than the surroundings.

When the hustle and bustle of the city stepped in like a lie, it was surrounded by silence. The red colored leaves and the yellow leaves were very beautiful

It is a family temple of Mr. Ikeda with a beautiful garden that is well-maintained. The number of maples in the garden is very likely. Although it does not appear at the autumnal spot, you can enjoy it quietly and it is a secret place. There are many things to see, such as the gates, demon tiles, lanterns, and kannon statues. I like the mizumizu dragon. The cheeks swell, the eyes have a unique caress, resembling a cataract dog. I feel love. I was wondering if I had to use a paid parking lot next to the west, but there was a temple parking lot on the east side. Watch out because it doesn't stand out.

It is a temple of the lord of Ikeda in the center of Okayama city. So ... the back of the main hall is ... a high-rise condominium. The autumn leaves of a historic temple ? was ... beautiful ???

The reinforced concrete building in front of the mountain gate is "Daiohoden". There were "Kaiki Mausoleum" and "Kannon-do" on the left. I couldn't find any place to give candles or incense sticks. The grave area is full of fallen leaves, and the size of the gravestone left an impression on me. When I visited on weekdays, I couldn't park at the Kokusei-ji parking lot on the west side of the temple along Asahikawa because the gate was closed. The Kokusei-ji parking lot on the east side of the temple, along a narrow alley, did not have a gate, so I felt like I could park it, but I didn't know if it was free or not. The parking lot of Okayama City Welfare Cultural Center, which is right next to the mountain gate, was 300 yen per hour. The question mark is whether it is worth paying for the parking fee. Visited in November 2018.

Is said from the well neighborhood of old people is at an early age as " 's temple of Ikeda of the lord", was the threshold is high temple to with children. But when the help of Mr. priest, because Nowak to eat the delicious rare candy, (is here had learned Kohitsu and calligraphy also) that there are memories that had been in and out conveniently. Kokuseiji that has been destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the air raids of 1945. Ridge-end tile of the temple gate feel the spirit in the Watakaramon, ridge-end tile of the main building is the family crest of Bizen Ageha Tokyo Okayama Ikeda house. Sekiya Hoden (main hall) to laid the stone pavement is a masterpiece from the main gate. Temple bell in Kuniji Fujiwara work, temple bell of Sogenji of the same Zen is also created by the country following. The Kannondo, Ako and Oishi of Gishi Yoshio is enshrined is like Kannon, which was built in a letter addressed to his mother (statement husk Kannon), it has also been memorial services together forty-seven officer of the spirits. Precincts of Kokuseiji originally widely, now of Kobashi-cho, almost the entire area is or was a street called "Kokuseiji town", the tram was about there was a Kokuseiji Station. By post-war urban planning, although the precincts was narrowed significantly (to 1/4 of the time), and enter one step the gate while located in Okayama city center, wrapped in a dignified silence even now, beautiful and well-maintained garden, makes me feel like if it were set foot like in another world. Recommended, it has been released as Sunday School in the neighborhood of the children to the end of the war "Kiyomitsu them." Which was relocated a part of the old Xudong elementary school buildings, remnants is still trapped in the outer wall of the building south side.