Manpuku-ji, Buddhist temple in Uji, Japan
Description
Manpuku-ji is a Buddhist temple in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The compound spreads across multiple levels with a main hall, library building, and separate living quarters for monks, all connected by covered walkways.
History
A Chinese monk founded the site in the mid seventeenth century as a center for a new Zen school from the mainland. The buildings were erected over the following decades and have remained largely unchanged since the late seventeenth century.
Culture
The temple name translates as 'Temple of Universal Happiness' and visitors notice that daily services follow older Chinese pronunciation and ritual forms still practiced by resident monks. Calligraphy throughout the grounds reflects the blended tradition brought from Fujian province in the seventeenth century.
Practical
The main entrance lies roughly five minutes on foot from Obaku Station and the grounds open daily for visitors. Pathways between structures run over gravel, so closed footwear is recommended.
Did you know?
Sixty thousand wooden printing blocks from the late seventeenth century are stored within the temple compound and form the largest collection of their kind in Japan. These blocks were used for producing Buddhist scriptures and remain preserved to this day.
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