Kannon-in, Buddhist temple and Place of Scenic Beauty in Tottori, Japan.
Kannon-in, formally Fudarakusan Jigen-ji Kannon-in, is a Tendai Buddhist temple in the Uemachi district of Tottori. Its main hall enshrines a Shōkanzeon Bosatsu statue said to have been carved by the monk Gyōki from rock of Tottori Castle mountain. Behind the shoin hall lies the pond-appreciation garden begun in 1650, laid out on the site's slope in the Kyoto-style Hōrai manner, with the lower slopes of Mount Gendayu as borrowed scenery.
The temple was founded in 1632 during the Edo period and relocated to the Uemachi district in 1639 to strengthen connections with the Tottori Domain. This move reflected its growing importance as a regional religious institution.
The garden is a pond-appreciation (chisenkanshō-shiki) garden, viewed from a single fixed spot: the veranda of the shoin hall. It was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty in 1937. The temple is stop 32 on the Chūgoku 33 Kannon pilgrimage and stop 1 on the Inaba Kannon route.
The temple is open from 9:00 to 17:00. From Tottori Station on the JR Sanin Main Line, take a taxi for about 8 minutes, or the Kururi Bus Red Course to the Yamanote Kaikan-mae stop, followed by a 4-minute walk.
The temple houses a stone Kannon Bodhisattva statue made from materials sourced from Tottori Castle mountain during its construction. This connection between the temple and fortress often goes unnoticed by visitors but adds local historical depth to the artwork.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,345 contributors worldwide.