Chichibu Fudasho No.19 Ryuseki-ji Temple
From the 1950s, the Main Hall’s thatched roof deteriorated and began to leak, so the principal statue and other images were kept at another temple. Local residents took the lead in collecting donations, traveling as far as Tokyo. Thanks to their efforts, the roof was restored with copper plates in 1973. A beam marked “1705” was found during the repairs, showing how old the hall is.
The temple also enshrines King Enma and fifteen statues depicting scenes of hell.
Chichibu Fudasho No.19 Ryuseki-ji Temple
- Japanese / English notation
- 飛渕山 龍石寺（ひえんざん りゅうせきじ）/ Hien-Zan Ryuseki-ji Temple
- Location
- 〒368-0011 Oobatake-machi15-31,chichibushi,Saitama
- School
- Soto Zen School
- Principal Image
- Senju Kannon (Thousand-Armed Kannon)
- Tagline
- A Temple Perched on a Massive Single Rock
- Blessings
- Protection from Misfortune
- Successful Parenting
- Household Peace
- Highlights
- Sanzuba-do Pavilion:
This houses Datsueba, an old woman in Buddhist belief. She strips the clothes of the dead before they cross the Sanzu River, the legendary river of the afterlife. - Bedrock under the Kannon Hall: This is sandstone with pieces of chert. This area used to be a sea called the Paleo Chichibu Bay. About 15 million years ago, the rising Outer Chichibu Mountains caused debris to flow about 3 km to this site. The debris was later covered by underwater sediments and turned into rock.
- Sanzuba-do Pavilion:
- Miracles of Kannon at This Temple
- The Flying Sacred Statue
This temple is a sacred site where clear water springs from the ground, and much of the temple grounds sit on a large rock. The sacred principal Kannon statue is said to have flown from the capital and come down to this place.
Long ago, during a severe drought, a respected monk prayed earnestly. A dragon rose to the sky, and then the rock of the temple grounds split, giving rise to a dragon-shaped cloud that brought heavy rain. This miracle, attributed to Kannon, is still told today.
- Nearest station
- 10-minutes walk from Chichibu Railway Oonohara Station.