Ankokuji Temple is a temple of the Myōshin-ji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, located in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture. It is also the 11th temple on the Hida Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage. Its most notable feature is the temple repository, a designated National Treasure.
The temple is believed to have been founded in the early Muromachi period (1336–1573) by the brothers Ashikaga Takauji and Ashikaga Tadayoshi. It was caught up in the conflicts of Hida’s Warring States period and destroyed by fire during a military attack in 1564. It was subsequently rebuilt in the early Edo period (1603–1868).
At its height, Ankokuji was a large temple complex with seven principal Buddhist halls and nine subtemples. Many of its buildings were lost during periods of warfare. Today, the surviving structures include the main hall, the founder’s hall, Kumano Shrine, and the sutra repository.
Built in 1408, the sutra repository is an outstanding example of Zen-style architecture. Inside is a rinzō, a rotating sutra library used to store Buddhist scriptures. It is particularly valuable because it is considered the oldest surviving example in Japan whose date of construction is known.
This seated statue of Priest Zuigan was created in 1392 using a sculptural technique that shapes figures from clay. Clay sculpture was relatively uncommon in medieval Japan, making this work especially significant. The statue is admired for its lifelike expression, which conveys the character of the priest.
Kumano Shrine, the guardian shrine of Ankokuji Temple, is also an important historical structure. Its main hall features a three-bay nagare-style shrine design with a wooden shingle roof. The building is valuable for understanding the origins and development of shrine architecture in the Hida region.
The temple garden is a traditional pond garden designed for strolling. Visitors can enjoy its changing scenery throughout the seasons.
The temple also preserves a Buddhist bell cast in the early Edo period. It is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
The Yakushidō Hall enshrines Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing, and is associated with Ankokuji Temple’s role as the 11th temple on the Hida Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage.
Address: 474 Nishimonzen, Kokufu-cho, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Telephone: 0577-72-2173