Chichibu Fudasho No.25 Kyusho-ji Temple
The monk Shoku—one of the Thirteen Sacred Figures associated with the founding of the Chichibu pilgrimage—was believed to have been summoned to the world of the dead, where King Enma presented him with a stone hand seal, a kind of pass for the next life. He brought it back and enshrined it here, which is why the temple is also called Otehan-dera, or “Hand Seal Temple.”
The Kannon Hall was built in 1721.
Chichibu Fudasho No.25 Kyusho-ji Temple
- Japanese / English notation
- 岩谷山 久昌寺（いわやさん きゅうしょうじ）/ Iwaya-San Kyusho-ji Temple
- Location
- 〒368-0053 Kuna2315,chichibu-shi,Saitama
- School
- Soto Zen School
- Principal Image
- Sho Kannon (Sacred Kannon)
- Tagline
- A Temple Enshrining the King Enma’s Hand Seal
- Blessings
- Peaceful Passing
- Unobstructed Passage
- Safe Travels
- Highlights
- Boundary Stone: This stands in front of the gate. It is inscribed with “Kunshu sanmon ni iru wo yurusazu,” which forbids strong-smelling food and alcohol inside the gate.
- Jizo Pavilion: This houses a statue of Datsueba, an underworld guardian in the form of an old woman who strips the clothes of the dead.
- Miracles of Kannon at This Temple
- A Devoted Daughter
A woman who had lived a wicked life was abandoned by her family. She settled in a rocky cave in this area, where she gave birth to a baby girl. Unlike her mother, the girl grew up with a kind and beautiful heart. As an adult, she built a Kannon Hall to pray for her mother’s soul.
- Nearest station
- 25-minutes walk from Chichibu Railway Urayamaguchi Station.