Mizusawa-dera
 |
| 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 | |
Mizusawa-dera (水澤寺) is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Shibukawa in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
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.
External links
Media related to Mizusawa-dera at Wikimedia Commons
- Bando Pilgrimage site(in Japanese)