Kōya-ji, Buddhist temple in Hakodate, Japan
Kōya-ji is a Buddhist temple in Hakodate featuring traditional wooden structures with sloped roofs and detailed carved elements. The spaces include prayer halls and ritual areas where spiritual practice occurs regularly.
The temple was founded in 1884 and later received the status of first station on a pilgrimage route through Hokkaido. This came through an initiative that connected multiple sites and established their spiritual significance.
Kōya-ji is the first of the 33 stations of the Hokkaido Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage, a route linking temples across Hokkaido. Its main image, however, is a Dainichi Nyorai statue from the Fujiwara period, handed down from the Dainichi Hall of Kongōbu-ji on Mount Kōya, after which the temple is named.
The temple sits in a residential neighborhood and is accessible to visitors on most days. Guests should wear appropriate clothing and remove shoes before entering, which is customary at Buddhist temples.
The main image, a seated wooden Dainichi Nyorai from the Fujiwara period, was granted to the temple from the Dainichi Hall of Kongōbu-ji on Mount Kōya. It is the only sculpture in Hokkaidō designated an Important Cultural Property.
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