Manpukuji Temple (Chiryu)

Manpukuji Temple at a Glance

Manpukuji Temple (萬福寺) is a temple of the Otani branch of Shin Buddhism in Kamishigehara-cho, Chiryu City, Aichi Prefecture; its main hall of 1899, gate of 1844 and bell tower of 1862 were each registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 17, 2015. Its mountain name is Rinkeizan.

According to the Chiryu Tourism Association, it was founded in 815 by Dengyo Daishi (Saicho), who built a lodge in a grove of katsura trees, hence the name Rinkeizan. It converted to Jodo Shinshu in 1232 under the priest Ryosei and in that era grew into a large temple with seven subtemples and many branch temples. It marked its 1,200th anniversary in 2015.

The Temple and Its Grounds

According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the gate faces east at the front of the grounds, the main hall faces east at the centre and the bell tower stands to the southeast. The main hall is a work from the prime of Onoda Matazo, a master carpenter active in western Mikawa in the Meiji period: grand in scale and splendid in design.

The Chiryu Tourism Association notes a Kaizuka juniper over 500 years old, the largest in western Mikawa and a prefectural natural monument, and a great cycad transplanted in 1862 from a parishioner in Fujie, Higashiura. Cherry blossoms in spring and water lilies in the moat in early summer are seasonal highlights.

Visiting and Getting There

According to the Chiryu Tourism Association, the temple is about 3 minutes on foot from Shigehara Station on the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line, or about 15 minutes by car from the Toyota-minami exit of the Isewangan Expressway, with free parking and toilets. The address is 27 Hongo, Kamishigehara-cho, Chiryu City (0566-81-0856).