Temple 15: Kokubunji 15番：国分寺

Official explanation

On the precincts of this temple is Awa Kokubunji Teien, a garden said to have been created during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568–1603). A dynamic arrangement of rocks springs from its many small hills, and it is a designated Place of Scenic Beauty.

The priest Gyoki (668–749) founded the temple in 741. He came to Tokushima at the request of Emperor Shomu (701–756), who had set out to unify the country by establishing a Kokubunji temple in each of the country’s provinces. Although it was originally affiliated with the Hoso sect, Kokubunji changed to the Shingon sect in 815 when Kukai trained there. It was destroyed by fire during the Momoyama period (1573–1615) and fell into ruin. In 1741, it was rebuilt and became part of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism.

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.