Kyukoku-ji, Buddhist temple in Ōsugi district, Nagoya, Japan.
Kyukoku-ji is a Buddhist temple in the Ōsugi 3-chōme neighborhood of Nagoya, Japan, built in a traditional Japanese style with a landscaped garden. The grounds include several temple structures arranged around a central courtyard within the urban fabric of the city.
The temple was moved to its current location in 1662 under Priest Ansho Chosei to serve as a spiritual guardian for nearby Nagoya Castle. This role shaped its place in the city for centuries after the move.
The Bell of Joy at this temple was made in 1965 by artist Taro Okamoto and is decorated with carvings of people, animals, and supernatural beings. Visitors and pilgrims often stop in front of it as a central point of the grounds.
The temple is in an easily reachable part of Nagoya and can be reached on foot from the nearest subway station in just a few minutes. On-site parking is available at no cost, so arriving by car is also straightforward.
This temple is the 29th stop on a famous Japanese pilgrimage route of 88 temples connected to the Buddhist monk Kukai. Pilgrims completing the full route often travel thousands of miles, and this stop stands out because it sits right in the middle of a large city rather than in a rural or mountain setting.
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