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Bitchū Kokubun-ji
Historic religious ruin in Sōja, Okayama, Japan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bitchū Kokubun-ji (備中国分寺) is an Omuro-branch Shingon Buddhist temple located in what is now the Kamibayashi neighborhood of the city of Sōja, Japan. Its main image is a statue of Yakushi Nyorai. It claims to be the successor to one of the provincial temples per the system established by Emperor Shōmu during the Nara period (710 – 794) for the purpose of promoting Buddhism as the national religion of Japan and standardising imperial rule over the provinces.[1]
Quick Facts Type, Location ...
Bitchū Kokubun-ji | |
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Native name 備中国分寺 | |
![]() Bitchū Kokubun-ji | |
Type | Buddhist temple ruins |
Location | Sōja, Okayama, Japan |
Coordinates | 34°39′59.08″N 133°46′55.77″E |
Founder | Emperor Shōmu |
Built | c.741 AD |
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The ruins of the original Bitchū Kokubun-ji were designated as a National Historic Site in 1968,[2] but the ruins of the associated provincial nunnery, the Bitchū Kokubun-niji (備中国分尼寺) were actually designated earlier, in 1922.[3]