Jozaiji Temple 常在寺

Official explanation

Jozaiji Temple was built in the early eighth century. There is a legend that it belonged to the Sanron school of Buddhism, which had been introduced to Japan from China in 625. In 1012, the temple is believed to have converted to the Shingon school, which was introduced from China in the ninth century and still has a wide following today.

The temple houses a statue of Daikokuten. One of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin) of Japanese mythology, Daikokuten evolved from a combination of the Indian god Shiva and the Shinto deity Okuninushi and is associated with wealth and prosperity.

Read the full explanation

Two statues of guardian deities flank the main gate. Their fierce appearance is meant to prevent evil from entering the temple. The statues were carved in 1825 from locally sourced stone. They were designated cultural assets of Ureshino City on July 12, 1980.

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.