A Stone Stupa Dated by the Southern Court
The Enjoji Hokyointo (縁城寺宝篋印塔, Enjō-ji Hōkyōintō) is a stone reliquary stupa at Enjoji temple in Hashigi, Mineyama-cho, Kyotango, northern Kyoto Prefecture, carved in 1351 and designated an Important Cultural Property on 2 February 1955. It stands on a stepped platform directly in front of the main hall.
A hokyointo is a stupa named after the dharani sutra placed inside it, a text promising that reverence paid to such a monument closes the gates of hell and dissolves accumulated wrongdoing. The form is easy to recognise once you know it: a square shaft, a heavy cap with stepped tiers, four corner projections rising from the cap like blades, and a finial above.
The inscription on this one carries a year name that says something about the politics of the moment. It reads Shohei 6, together with the name of a monk, Gyoshu. Shohei was the era name used by the Southern Court during the split between two rival imperial lines, and its appearance on a monument in Tango places the patron's allegiance, or at least the local convention, on that side of the divide. In the Northern Court calendar the same year was Kan'o 2. The carving has worn to the point where the characters are now barely legible, and although the Agency for Cultural Affairs records the year as 1351, several local sources convert it to 1352.
Craftsmanship, and What Survived Around It
The national register describes the property simply as a stone hokyointo with platform, one unit. Measurements vary by source: the total height is given as about 313.9 centimetres in some accounts and around 340 centimetres in others, the difference apparently depending on which of the stacked bases is counted in.
The detail rewards close looking. Below the stupa proper sits a substantial platform of cut stone, and above it three further base courses. The corner projections on the cap are cut with a triple-arc profile and outlined, and inside each is carved a moon disc resting on a lotus seat with a Sanskrit seed syllable. The base is built in the palace-plinth manner, with recessed panels on the front and sides, each carrying a centre ornament, the rear face left plain. Lotus motifs in the Omi manner appear in low relief to either side. The finial's receiving flower and jewel are cut with a fineness closer to metalwork than to masonry.
Local tradition holds that Gyoshu raised the stupa as a memorial to Zenmui, the Indian monk credited with founding the temple, and that Gyoshu himself died the following year. Enjoji's own founding legend places that event in 717.
The stupa's survival is not a small thing. The Tango earthquake of 1927 brought down the Nio gate standing behind it, and the temple had already lost most of its buildings to repeated fires; a place that once counted dozens of sub-temples is now a compact precinct. The stone stayed upright.
Getting There, and What Else Is on the Grounds
Enjoji is not a ticketed site. The grounds are open and the stupa stands outdoors in front of the main hall, so it can be seen at any reasonable hour and photographed without special permission. There is no admission charge and no fixed opening time, which also means there is no guarantee anyone will be there to answer questions.
The temple's principal image, a standing thousand-armed Kannon of the later Heian period, is itself an Important Cultural Property and is a hidden image shown only once every thirty-three years. Plan around the stupa, not around the statue.
Also in the precinct: a two-storeyed pagoda said to have been brought here from Gankoji, one of the seven Yakushi temples of the local Maroko no Miko legend, and a stand of chinquapin listed among Kyoto Prefecture's two hundred natural landmarks. Lotus grow in the pond below the main hall, tended by parishioners, and July is the month for them.
Access takes planning. From Mineyama Station on the Kyoto Tango Railway, take a Tankai bus to the Yatabashi stop; from there it is roughly a thirty-minute walk. By car, the temple is about four kilometres north of Mineyama Station along prefectural route 663. Northern Kyoto Prefecture is a long way from the city of Kyoto, and this stupa is best combined with a wider trip through the Tango peninsula rather than treated as a day excursion.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kyoto
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Enjoji Temple Hokyointo Stupa
- [ Kinkakuji Fushimi Inari & Kimono Rental ]
Q&A
- Can visitors see the Enjoji Hokyointo, and is there an admission fee?
- Yes. The stupa stands outdoors in front of the main hall and the grounds are open, with no admission charge and no fixed hours. Photography is unrestricted, though ordinary courtesy applies since this is a working temple.
- What does the inscription on the Enjoji Hokyointo say?
- It gives the year Shohei 6 and the name of the monk Gyoshu. Shohei was a Southern Court era name, corresponding to 1351. The characters are now heavily worn and difficult to read on site.
- How tall is the Enjoji Hokyointo?
- Sources give roughly 3.1 to 3.4 metres in total height, the variation depending on which of the stacked base courses is included. The Agency for Cultural Affairs register records the form as a stone hokyointo with platform without stating a measurement.
- Can I see Enjoji's thousand-armed Kannon statue?
- Only rarely. The statue is a hidden image, shown once every thirty-three years. It is a separately designated Important Cultural Property and is not part of a normal visit.
- How do I reach Enjoji in Kyotango by public transport?
- Take the Kyoto Tango Railway to Mineyama Station, then a Tankai bus to Yatabashi, followed by a walk of about thirty minutes. Services are infrequent, so check timetables before travelling.
Basic Information
| Name | Enjoji Hokyointo (縁城寺宝篋印塔) |
|---|---|
| Location | Hashigi, Mineyama-cho, Kyotango, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (architecture), register no. 01332 |
| Year Designated | 2 February 1955 |
| Quantity | 1 unit |
| Dimensions | Stone hokyointo with platform; total height given as approx. 3.1 to 3.4 m depending on source |
| Owner | Enjoji |
| Public Access | Viewable outdoors at any time, no admission charge |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs — Enjoji Hokyointo
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/2062
- Kyotango Tourism Federation — Enjoji
- https://www.kyotango.gr.jp/sightseeing/706/
- Kyotango History and Culture Map — Enjoji Hokyointo
- https://kyotango-rekishibunka.jp/spot/96
- Kyoto Prefecture Tourism Federation — Enjoji
- https://www.kyoto-kankou.or.jp/info_search/629
Last verified: 2026.08.07