Provincial temple explained

were Buddhist temples established in each of the provinces of Japan by Emperor Shōmu during the Nara period (710  - 794).^[1]

History

Shōmu (701  - 756?) decreed both a kokubun-ji for monks and a for nuns to be established in each province. Tōdai-ji, the provincial temple of Yamato Province, served as the head of all kokubun-ji, and Hokke-ji held that duty for the kokubunni-ji.

Modern place names

Modern place names based on this etymology include:

• Kokubunji, Kagawa
• Kokubunji, Tokyo
• Kokubunji, Tochigi

See also

• 735–737 Japanese smallpox epidemic
• Fuchū
• Glossary of Japanese Buddhism
• Ichinomiya (primary shrines of the province)
• Soja shrine (shrines that consolidated the deity for every province)

Notes and References

1. Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of Japan . Kokubunji . 2012-05-04 . 2012 . Shogakukan . Tokyo . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070825113418/http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ . 2007-08-25 .