Ankokuji, Buddhist temple in Iki, Japan
Ankokuji is a Buddhist temple in Iki with a wooden structure that incorporates traditional Chinese architectural elements and maintains natural materials in their original appearance. The complex features a carefully arranged layout of buildings characteristic of Japanese temple compounds from this era.
The temple was built in 1408 during the Ashikaga shogunate as part of a national program to stabilize the country through religious institutions. About 60 similar temples were established across Japanese provinces during this period.
The Kyozo building holds an octagonal Rinzo structure that once stored Buddhist texts made by hand through traditional methods. This setup shows how monks and scholars at the temple kept their religious writings organized.
The temple requires advance reservations for visits and charges an entrance fee per person. It is best to contact ahead to confirm access to the complex.
The Rinzo structure within this temple is Japan's oldest rotating scripture repository still in existence. This system allowed monks to store and organize a large collection of texts in compact spaces.
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