Toshunji Temple 16 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage

 

Toshunji, temple number 16 of the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage is located right next to the famous Pagoda at Rurikoji Temple, and so most visitors usually pass by.

It was established by Motonari Mori, the great warlord who ruled over most of the Chugoku region until fighting for the losing side in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1601.

He founded the temple in 1572 as a family temple within the grounds of his home castle in Yoshida, now Hiroshima Prefecture. It is a Rinzai Zen temple with Kannon as honzon.

He moved it to this site in 1605 after most of his lands were stripped away. He moved it again in 1618 to Hagi.

In 1869, following the Meiji Restoration, it was moved back to this site.

The site was originally an Ouchi Clan temple called Kokusei-ji and the current gate, photo 4, built in 1402, is from the original temple and is an Important Cultural Property.

The Kannon Hall, photo 6, dates to 1430, and was moved here in 1915. It is also an Important Cultural Property.

There is a small garden, mostly bamboo with a few maple.

The previous post in this series on day 23 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the autumn colours at Ryufukuji Temple

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