Kofukuji Temple

Kofukuji Temple (興福寺) in Nagasaki City is a temple of the Obaku school of Zen Buddhism, founded in 1624 by the Chinese monk Ingen Ryuichi. It is known as the “head temple of the Obaku school of Zen Buddhism” (黄檗宗大本山) because it was built in imitation of the Obaku Manpukuji Temple in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China.

Kofukuji Temple is characterized by its vermilion-lacquered temple gate, also called “Sanmon” (three gates), which represents the three liberating gates of Buddhism (emptiness, no-phase, and no-wish). Entering the gate, visitors will find the main hall, “Daiohouden,” in front of which enshrines three images of Buddha: Shakyamuni Buddha, Amida Buddha, and Maitreya Buddha.

The highlight of Kofukuji Temple is its Chinese-style architecture. There are many buildings and statues on the temple grounds that are reminiscent of Chinese temples, such as the Daeung Ho Dian, Tian Wang Dian, Weitian Statue, and Five Hundred Arhats Statue. Kofukuji Temple also houses many cultural properties, including buildings like Daiohoden and Tenno-den, a Ming Dynasty bell, and Qing Dynasty Buddhist statues. Among them, the “Sixteen Arhats,” Buddhist paintings from the Ming Dynasty imported from China, are designated as National Important Cultural Properties.

Getting there

From Nagasaki Station to Kofukuji Temple:

Tram	Nagasaki Station ↓ Nagasaki Electric Tramway Line 3 ↓ 5 minutes (2 stops) Shiyakusho Station ↓ Walk about 10 minutes ↓ Kofukuji Temple (Cost 160 yen)

Details

Hours	7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Admission	Adults: 300 yen Junior high school and high school students: 200 yen Elementary school students: 100 yen
Phone	+81 95-822-1076
Address	4-32 Tera-machi Nagasaki-shi Nagasaki-ken Japan 〒850-0872
Official Website	http://kofukuji.com/