Kanzeonji Temple

Kanzeonji was founded in the late 7th century by Emperor Tenji to honor his mother Empress Saimei, who died in 661 leading an expedition to Korea. Construction took roughly 80 years and the temple was dedicated in 746; at its height the complex held 49 sub-temples and was the most important Buddhist site in Kyushu. In 761 the adjacent Kaidan-in ordination hall was added, making Kanzeonji one of only three places in Japan authorized to ordain Buddhist priests. The Tang priest Ganjin and the Heian-era monk Kūkai both stayed here. A stone mortar from the Tenpyō era (729–749) survives in front of the lecture hall, and the temple holds 16 large wooden Buddha statues from the Heian and Kamakura periods, designated Important Cultural Properties. The bonshō bell, a National Treasure, is the oldest surviving bell of its type in Japan.