Mizusawa-dera
Mizusawa-dera (水澤寺) is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Shibukawa in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
| Mizusawa-dera 水澤寺 | |
|---|---|
 Kannon-dō (Main hall) | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tendai sect |
| Deity | Juichimen Senju Kannon |
| Location | |
| Location | 214 Mizusawa, Ikaho-machi, Shibukawa-shi, Gunma |
| Country | Japan |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Empress Suiko (?) |
| Completed | Asuka period (?) |
| Website | |
| http://www.mizusawakannon.or.jp/index.php | |
History
According to temple legend, the temple dates to the Asuka period and was founded by the Kokushi of Kozuke province during the reign of Empress Suiko, who invited a high-ranking prelate from Goguryeo to introduce Buddhism to the region. However, the temple has no records or structures pre-dating the Edo period to help verify its claim.
The temple belongs to the Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism. Its Gohonzon (primary object of veneration) is a bronze statue of Juichimen Senju Kannon Bosatsu (千手観世音菩薩).
The temple’s two-story pagoda with a hexagonal base is registered as a prefectural Important Cultural Property
Order in Buddhist pilgrimages
Mizusawa-dera is the 16th in the Bandō Sanjūsankasho, a pilgrimage circuit of 33 Buddhist temples in the Kantō region of eastern Japan dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon.
| Preceded by Hase-dera #15 |
Bandō Sanjūsankasho Mizusawa-dera #16 |
Succeeded by Mangan-ji #17 |
External links
- Bando Pilgrimage site(in Japanese)