Ryūfuku-ji, Buddhist temple in Asahi, Japan
Ryūfuku-ji, formally Sentakisan Ryūfuku-ji, is a Shingon Chizan sect temple in the Iwai district of Asahi, Chiba Prefecture. Its grounds hold a Niōmon gate, a Hondō main hall, a Dainichiden chapel, a Kannon-dō chapel and a Daishi-dō chapel, with waterfalls flowing from the surrounding slopes.
According to temple tradition, Ryūfuku-ji was founded in 788 by Kūkai, who by legend also carved the Fudō-myōō statue kept in the Hondō. In the Sengoku period the Shimada clan, lords of Mibiro Castle south of the temple, patronised the site; the castle and temple were then destroyed by fire in local fighting.
The temple's name combines the kanji for dragon (龍) and blessing (福). Its Fudō-myōō statue, carved by Kūkai according to tradition, is venerated by local residents and by fishermen of the Kujukuri Coast.
Ryūfuku-ji stands in the Iwai district of Asahi, about 4 km north of Iioka Station on the JR East Sōbu Main Line, and buses run from the station to the temple. The grounds hold the Niōmon gate, Hondō, Dainichiden, Kannon-dō and Daishi-dō, with waterfalls flowing from the surrounding slopes. Paths link the buildings through dense vegetation.
The temple's forest is a Chiba Prefectural Natural Monument, protecting plants such as the otakarakō ligularia and the asukainode fern around the halls and waterfalls. The name Ryūfuku-ji combines the kanji for dragon (龍) and blessing (福).
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,468 contributors worldwide.