Unzen Onsen Town Religious History Trail: Manmyōji Temple 雲仙温泉歴史探訪コース：満明寺

Official explanation

In 701, some 150 years after the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, the itinerant monk Gyōki (668–749) came to Unzen and established a Buddhist temple. Although temples and other religious buildings were destroyed when Shimabara became a Christian domain in the late sixteenth century, Manmyōji claims direct lineage from that first temple.

Inside the temple is a massive 5-meter-tall wooden statue of the Buddha. It was assembled and covered with five layers of gold leaf in 1917. A collection of stones, one of which is believed to be Gyōki’s gravestone, stands in front of the temple. In the back is a large statue of Gyōki, as well as 88 unique statues representing a miniature version of the 88-Temple Pilgrimage on the island of Shikoku.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.