Kurume Naritasan Temple

Naritasan

Kurume Naritasan is a branch of the famous Naritasan temple in Chiba. A couple of days previously I had visited the Kumamoto branch of Narirasan, and it too had a Chinese influence in the architecture and statuary.

The hinzon of all Naritasan temples is Fudo Myo-o, and as well as in the main hall there are several statues of him in the grounds.

The temple is most famous for its Giant Kannon statue, currently, the 5th tallest statue in Japan, and also is home to a structure based on a famous Indian temple/

There are plenty of other sights within the grounds and buildings. Here I quoate directly from the temples own signboard.... "... is noted as a "migawari Fudoson" ( a place where the victim of some illness or misfortune may pass his discomfort onto the deified being god.) Kurume Naritasan Temple is supposed to provide blessings for traffic safety, fortune increase and protection from evil, business success, family wellbeing, salvation of aborted babies, and the gratification of all desires."

In essence, the focus of the temple, and I might add much of Japanese religious practices, is on "this-worldly benefits".

There is also somewhat of a nationalistic bent, again as there is everywhere in Japan. This display of heroes of Japan is about military and political leaders of the modern state.