Anraku-ji, Buddhist temple in Kochi, Japan
Anraku-ji is a Buddhist temple in Kōchi, built in traditional wooden structures arranged across a compact compound. Inside one of the main halls sits a statue of Amida Buddha in a seated position, officially designated as a National Important Cultural Property.
The temple was founded around the year 1000 by Sugawara no Takami and was moved and rebuilt several times after fires during the Onin War. Each reconstruction brought it closer to its current location and form.
Anraku-ji is station 30 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, a circuit of 88 temples spread across Shikoku island. Pilgrims in white robes carrying wooden staffs pass through throughout the year, giving the grounds a steady, focused energy that sets it apart from ordinary temple visits.
The temple is in the center of Kōchi and easy to reach on foot or by local transport. Those following the Shikoku Pilgrimage route should plan for extra time to walk the grounds and visit each building at a steady pace.
Within the Shikoku Pilgrimage, this temple holds two roles at once: it counts as the official station 30 and also as one of the inner sanctuaries of the circuit. Having both designations at a single site is rare along the entire 88-temple route.
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