Seiganto-ji

Seiganto-ji
青岸渡寺
Three-story pagoda with Nachi Falls in the background
Religion
AffiliationTendai
DeityNyoirin Kannon (Chintamanicakra)
Location
Location8 Nachisan, Nachikatsuura-chō, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama Prefecture
CountryJapan
Seiganto-ji is located in Japan
Seiganto-ji
Shown within Japan
Geographic coordinates33°40′10″N 135°53′23″E / 33.6694°N 135.8898°E / 33.6694; 135.8898
Architecture
FounderRagyō Shōnin
Completed4th century (presumed legendary)
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iii, iv, vi
Designated2004 (28th session)
Reference no.1142bis
Part ofSacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range

Seiganto-ji (青岸渡寺), Temple of Crossing the Blue Shore, is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 as part of Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. According to a legend, it was founded by Ragyō Shōnin, a monk from India. The temple was purposely built near Nachi Falls, where it may have previously been a site of nature worship. Seiganto-ji, part of the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, is one of the few remaining jingū-ji or shrine temples following the forcible separation of Shinto and Buddhism during the Meiji restoration.[1]

It is the first stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage and is also classified as an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government.[citation needed]

  1. ^ "Jungūji". Encyclopedia of Shinto. Retrieved 29 September 2010.