Enkoji Temple Nine-Storied Stone Pagoda

A Dated Kamakura Stone Pagoda

The Enkoji Temple Nine-Storied Stone Pagoda (圓光寺九重塔) is a nine-tiered stone pagoda in the grounds of Enkoji at Kunobe, Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, inscribed with the Kogen era name of 1256 to 1257 in the early Kamakura period, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on March 23, 1961 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a stone nine-storied pagoda bearing an inscription with the Kogen era name, owned by Enkoji.

Enkoji and Its Pagoda

According to the Shiga Cultural Heritage Protection Association, Enkoji was formed by uniting Chofukuji, a Tendai temple said to have been founded by Saicho, with the Shinsei-school temple Enkoji, and now belongs to the Tendai Shinsei sect. The first thing visitors see through the gate is the tall Kamakura stone pagoda.

Behind the Enkoji Temple Nine-Storied Stone Pagoda stands the main hall, also an Important Cultural Property and dated to 1257 (Shiga Cultural Heritage Protection Association). The era name on the pagoda is close to the hall's building date.

Value as an Important Cultural Property

The Enkoji Temple Nine-Storied Stone Pagoda was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1961. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records that it carries the Kogen era name, making it a dated stone pagoda of the early Kamakura period.

What to Look For

The Enkoji Temple Nine-Storied Stone Pagoda rises in nine stone tiers just inside the gate, in front of the main hall (Shiga Cultural Heritage Protection Association). Together with its inscribed date and the gabled hall behind it, it evokes a temple precinct of the Kamakura period.

Visiting

According to the Yasu City Tourism Association, Enkoji is at 266 Kunobe, Yasu City, open from 9:00 to 17:00 for a donation, with parking for three cars. Take the Ohmi Railway bus (Kibe loop) from the north exit of JR Yasu Station for about 3 minutes to Kunobe, or walk about 13 minutes. Telephone 077-587-0172.

The main hall stands behind the Enkoji Temple Nine-Storied Stone Pagoda, and the main hall of Daigyoji Shrine is next door. See the group page Enkoji and Daigyoji Shrine (Yasu) for all three.