Sofuku-ji Temple in Nagasaki is a Chinese-style temple with 2 national treasures, 5 nationally designated important cultural assets, and many prefecture and city designated tangible cultural assets. It is rightfully called a treasure trove.
About Sofuku-ji Temple
At the request of the people from Fujian Province in China who had settled in Nagasaki, a Chinese monk named Chozen came to Japan and built the temple in 1629. The oldest Chinese-style temple in Japan, it is also known as "Fukushu-ji" because many of the worshippers came from Fuzhou, Fujian Province. The vermillion "Daiippo-mon Gate" and "Daiyuho-den" main temple building are designated national treasures, and there are also the "Goho-do", with the Kannon statue in the center hall, the bell tower and other valuable buildings.
One thing that makes the temple seem particularly Chinese in style is that the Chinese Taoist goddess of the sea and protector of sailors, Maso, is enshrined in the "Maso-do". Also of note is the "Komori no Isho", or bat designs, which are considered lucky in China, that are painted on the gate doors and other places. Take a stroll and see if you can find them!
Highlights of Sofuku-ji Temple
The main highlights are the "Daiippo-mon Gate" and "Daiyuho-den" main temple building, which are designated as national treasures. The Daiippo-mon Gate was first built in Ningbo, China, then taken apart and loaded on a number of ships in 1695 and brought to Nagasaki, where it was reconstructed. It is considered culturally and historically valuable as a gate influenced by the Chinese Ming and Qing style of architecture. The Daiyuho-den was also constructed in China and brought in pieces to Japan, and originally had only a single-layer roof, but later a Japanese-style second layer of roof was added. The Chinese and Japanese styles are in perfect harmony.
Access to Sofuku-ji Temple
From the Nagasaki-eki-mae Tram Station, take the tram labeled "Sofuku-ji-yuki" for about 12 minutes, and get off at the "Sofuku-ji" stop. Walk 3 minutes.
Spot Information
- Spot name：Sofuku-ji Temple
- Address：7-5 Kajiya-cho, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki prefecture 〒850-0831
- Access： Get off at the "Sofuku-ji" tram stop and walk 3 minutes.
- Ticket：300 yen
- Business Hours: 8:30 - 17:00
- Holidays: Open year round
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