Gokokushi-ji, Buddhist temple in Gifu, Japan.
Gokokushi-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple in the Nagara-Yūsō area of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Its main image is an Eleven-Faced Thousand-Armed Kannon, and it is the seventeenth temple of the Mino Thirty-three Kannon pilgrimage and the eighty-eighth of the Mino Shikoku pilgrimage. The temple holds the National Treasure gilt-bronze basin with lion and scrolling vine motifs.
According to tradition, the temple was founded in 746 on the orders of Emperor Shōmu, with Gyōki as its founding monk. It was destroyed by fire in 1590, and rebuilding was carried out in stages during the Edo period. The present buildings date from the Genbun to Hōreki eras.
The temple remains an active place where Shingon Buddhist monks perform rituals and practices that pilgrims and visitors can observe or join. The site carries deep meaning for followers of this particular Buddhist school who come from across the region.
The temple is situated in a peaceful area of Gifu and is best reached on foot or by local transportation. Visitors should dress respectfully and remove their shoes when entering sacred spaces, following customary temple practices.
The temple is part of a pilgrimage route where devotees visit all thirty-three Kannon temples across the region over time. Many pilgrims collect stamps in small booklets as they complete each temple visit to mark their spiritual journey.
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